Canal Street Dreams

“Materialist Review on Canal Street Dreams”

Hosts: Eddie Huang and Natashia Perrotti
Date: October 3, 2025

Episode Overview

In this candid, one-on-one episode, Eddie Huang and Natashia Perrotti dive into the romantic and material themes of the film The Materialists. Broadcasting live from the heart of Canal Street, the hosts use the film’s plot as a springboard to dissect the intersection of love, money, and modern relationships—both through the film’s premise and their own marriage. This conversation blends probing cultural commentary with honest personal anecdotes, offering listeners a raw examination of how financial realities and romantic ideals collide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to "The Materialists" and Its Premise

• Film Recap ([00:54]–[03:41])
  • Dakota Johnson plays a matchmaker torn between her struggling-actor ex (Chris Evans) and a wealthy suitor (Pedro Pascal).
  • The film creates a “false binary” for its protagonist: love with financial struggle vs. comfort without passion.
• Natashia: “She’s just kind of looking at her past and she’s looking at…a partner…in the future and figuring out who she is along the way.” [01:56]

2. Challenging the Film’s Binary Choice

• Both hosts argue for a ‘third option’: neither the rich guy she dislikes nor the broke guy she loves—maybe, being single or holding out for a better match.
• Natashia: “Both options are bad. There’s a third option: just continue being single and living your life…Maybe you meet somebody…not the brokest guy in the world, not the richest guy in the world.” [03:41]
• They emphasize that “love versus money” isn’t always a clear or realistic dichotomy.

3. Money as a Relationship Factor: Personal and Universal

• Eddie on Money’s Role ([04:32]–[06:59]):
  • Early relationship stages: “when you’re just dating…money’s not as important…when you start to build a unit…money is…really important to address.” [04:32]
• Natashia on Alignment: “[W]hen you enter into a serious relationship…how much money you have [matters less]...but that the two people have the same idea of what they want their lifestyle to be matters.” [05:49]

4. Cultural and Parental Expectations

• Navigating Cultural Differences ([06:40]–[08:45]):
  • They talk about raising their child with both Chinese and Greek roots.
  • The privilege of affording a Mandarin-immersion daycare prevents conflict that could arise without financial means.
• Natashia: “So we’re not gonna fight over it anymore. But if we didn’t have the money, we’d probably be fighting over it…” [08:24]

5. Social Media & Warped Expectations

• Material Aspiration Diagnosed ([08:45]–[09:50]):
  • Natashia critiques how social media influences young women to expect lavish lifestyles as a norm.
  • “There’s a lot of [people] with a fake Birkin…thinking this is all real…” [08:45]

6. Personal Evolution with Money

• Adapting Post-Hollywood Strike ([12:08]–[15:38]):
  • Eddie opens up about feeling pressure to maintain a certain lifestyle for Natashia and the family, especially during tough financial times post-strike.
• Eddie: “I felt like I needed to maintain this lifestyle for you…It created a lot of stress for me.” [13:08]
• Open Conversation as Healing: Honest communication about financial struggles led them to a stronger partnership.

7. Romance versus Financial Security

• Hard Conversations about Needs ([15:28]–[17:53]):
  • They discuss how finances and “needs” catalyzed tough, vulnerable moments.
• Eddie: “As a man…I feel less than me right now because I cannot give you the things that I want to give you…And I think once I was able to say that, you were able to be like, yo, I love you.” [15:38–16:36]
• Natashia: “That was the first time I said I love you, by the way. It was three years in…” [16:36]

8. Aligning on Lifestyle, Materialism, and Social Circles

• The importance of authenticity versus ‘keeping up with the Joneses.’
• Natashia: “I love the Joneses…and I love going over their house…I wear the same pair of jeans and…white t-shirt…all the time…It’s just for me.” [23:45]
• Eddie: “I will just not ever be…with someone who needs something because somebody else got it.” [22:34]

9. Material Curiosity vs. Status-Seeking

• Shared Hobbies with a Twist ([23:25]–[24:34]):
  • Their shared appreciation for collecting (“johns”—rare/stylish pieces) is rooted in curiosity and personal taste, never social status.
• Eddie: “The intention and the desire to acquire…it wasn’t material in nature. It was curiosity. And curiosity is romantic.” [24:19–24:34]
• Openly acknowledging the ongoing need for a certain standard of comfort—but also the resilience to weather lean times.

10. Importance of Communication and Realistic Expectations

• Defining What Matters in Partnership ([25:09]–[28:50]):
  • They outline their own hierarchy of needs—comfortable housing, small luxuries, and shared understanding about money.
• Natashia: “I will always be striving for a certain level of comfort. I just don’t…I will always be striving for, like, a certain level of comfort…I will always be working towards…” [25:09 & 25:17]
• Eddie: “My experiences need to be fire… But since we’re in a relationship and we have a kid now, it’s flipped…you and Senna’s needs come before mine. As they should.” [27:19 & 27:40]

11. Confronting Stereotypes & Gendered Critiques

• Both hosts push back against simplistic takes that reduce women to “gold diggers” and men to “providers.”
• Eddie: “People always blame women. I will say…a lot of this shit was me…” [17:53]
• Natashia: “All the comments…she hates him, she’s with him for his money. I got none anymore…” [30:36]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Relationships & Money
  • “Sometimes you can’t afford to date somebody.” — Eddie [04:32]
  • “I don’t think how much money you have matters. But…I think the two people having the same idea of what they want their lifestyle to be matters.” — Natashia [05:49]
• On Personal Growth
  • “Having that armor taken away…having to look at my wife and child and be like, I don’t got that armor no more…And you were actually able to convince me that you do [still love me]…I’m a happier, better person because I don’t love myself that [previous] way.” — Eddie [32:02]
• On Social Media Illusions
  • “A lot of [people] with a fake Birkin…thinking this is all real lifestyles.” — Natashia [08:45]
• On Authenticity
  • “I have been privileged at points…I choose to, like, embed or become a part of certain communities…based on what I respect.” — Eddie [21:45]
• On Material Preferences
  • “I don’t need things to be comfortable all the time. But when I think about myself and my life…I would like a certain type of lifestyle where I take one or two vacations a year…that’s where I would like to put that money instead.” — Natashia [25:17]
• On Gender Norms and Upbringing
  • “I never ask a shorty for [her job] because…I don’t want to be pushed around and told what to do in my house…It provides a level of buffer and armor, because I grew up with a mom that just pushed my dad around…she was just in his ear, up in his ass.” — Eddie [30:36–31:29]

The Leg Surgery Segment (Humor/Film Spoiler)

[33:28–35:42]

• Natashia: “So don’t listen to this part—the leg surgery. Pedro Pascal…unicorn…she finds out he had the leg surgery…He was short…now he’s tall…She was like, I don’t think I’m going on vacation with you anymore, shorty.” [33:37]
• Eddie: “He’s like, I was 5’7”…I’m 5’7” watching this.” [34:22]
• The hosts riff on the tropes and outlandishness of the film’s big twist, with Natashia and Eddie finding humor and humanity even in the film’s absurdity.

Takeaway and Closing Thoughts

• Personal and Collective Growth: The episode emphasizes candid communication, understanding partners’ financial and emotional needs, and the value of love beyond material circumstances.
• Romance & Reality: Real partnerships must integrate romance, personal values, and hard conversations about money.
• Natashia: “Once you are in love with someone…you are like, yo, we will get through this together.” [28:50]
• Eddie: “Talk to your shorty.” [33:23]

Listener Note:
This episode moves fluidly—sometimes humorously, sometimes painfully—between movie talk, confessions, and relationship advice. Eddie and Natashia offer no easy resolutions, instead pushing for honesty and self-reflection, whether you’re in the trenches of a tough financial season or simply reconsidering what really attracts you to a partner.

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• [00:54] – Film introduction & setup
• [03:41] – False binary discussion
• [05:49] – Financial alignment in relationships
• [08:45] – Social media & lifestyle expectations
• [13:08] – Financial stress and partnership
• [16:36] – Vulnerability; first “I love you”
• [22:34] – Keeping up with the Joneses vs. authentic desires
• [25:17] – Defining standards of comfort
• [30:36] – Gender roles and financial dynamics
• [33:37] – Leg surgery twist & lighter moments

Conclusion:
Materialist Review on Canal Street Dreams is equal parts relationship diary, cultural critique, and comedic post-mortem on romantic, material, and social pressures. Whether or not you’ve seen the film, this episode will leave you questioning what you want, why you want it, and how to build something real.