Podcast Summary: How Did This Get Made? – Grease 2 w/ Anna Faris (January 13, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this matinee episode of "How Did This Get Made?" Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas are joined by actress and comedy icon Anna Faris to deconstruct the notorious 1982 musical sequel Grease 2. Broadcasting from Anna's Unqualified studio, the crew dives into the camp, the chaos, and the curious cult following of a film many consider one of history’s most famously bad sequels. Equal parts nostalgia, critique, and roast, the conversation ranges from sexual politics to personal obsessions, generational views on "cool," and everything in between.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Grease 2’s Unique Place in Bad Movie History

• Opening Vibes: Paul immediately sets the tone by calling Grease 2 “like its dumb brother who always has a hard on and talks about doing it” compared to the original (01:36).
• Nostalgic Attachments: June is revealed to have an encyclopedic memory of Grease 2’s lines and songs due to inheriting a VHS as a child, cementing her lifelong obsession (03:47–05:01).
• Conflicted Fandoms: Anna Faris is both drawn to and repulsed by the film, partly because of her mother’s opinions on women changing themselves for men in media (10:44).

Riffs, Reactions, and Ruminations: The Panel’s Grease 2 Hot Takes

June’s Childhood Obsession

• June describes Grease 2 as a kind of feminine sexual awakening:

  “I look at this movie as like it was a sexual awakening for me. I was obsessed with Michael Carrington. ... Watching it today, I felt a lot of the same feelings.” (06:35)

• She praises Michelle Pfeiffer’s Stephanie as an independent, aspirational icon:

  “This movie, for me as a young girl, was more ... there are themes in this movie.” (07:56–08:15)

Musical Comparison & Critique

• Jason asserts bluntly:

  “I’ve never seen [Grease 2] before. It is unequivocally terrible. The songs are awful.” (07:20)

• The panel agrees the songs lack narrative function:

  “The songs in Greece are story songs ... the songs in this movie do not do that. ... The bowling song ... is not forwarding the story at all.” — Jason (20:17)

The Sexual Politics, Gender Roles & Generational Shifts

• The hosts highlight Grease 2’s unmatched "horny energy" and muddled messages:

  “This movie is horny in a way that is like aimless.” — Jason (13:23) “It’s just like Grease with a hard on.” — Paul (13:30)

• Anna points out the awkward fit for its audience:

  “We have to talk about the idea ... of Michelle Pfeiffer’s virginity.” (26:47)

• The cast debates whether the millennial/Gen Z eras are "post-virginity" in their pop culture:

  “Are millennials post-virginity?” — Jason (29:07) “Is everybody just, like, on their own YouTube channel ... are we post-cool?” — June (62:10)

Character and Performance Highlights

• Michelle Pfeiffer's 'Stephanie'
  • Repeated praise for her coolness and charisma; her independence stands out compared to Olivia Newton-John’s “Sandy”.
  • “She is cool as shit ... Michelle Pfeiffer is a fucking badass up and down in this movie.” — Jason (08:49, 50:35–50:44)
• Maxwell Caulfield as Michael
  • The panel reads a priceless, pompous magazine profile, reflecting on Caulfield's over-the-top self-regard (16:08–18:51).
• Adrian Zmed (Johnny, T-Bird leader)
  • Dismissed by June as "unappealing" compared to other leads (19:22–19:28).
• Frenchie’s Bizarre Cameo
  • The retconning of her character is dissected for its narrative clumsiness, with June lamenting her diminished role (21:26–22:57).
• Pamela Adlon as Dolores
  • Jason is stunned to learn "Pam Adlon was the character Dolores," and dubs her “my favorite character.” (51:50–52:17)

Notable Songs & Scenes: Delight and Disturbance

• Horny Musical Numbers
  • Reproduction (“stamen” and “pistol” references) is cited as both insane and cherished:

    “That whole number is thrilling to me.” — June (26:42) “Except for Reproduction ... and Cool Rider.” — June (53:01)

  • “Do It For Our Country” is called out as an explicit “date rape song”:

    “That is a date rape song. ... The song is basically guilting her into sex before the country.” — Jason (49:48–49:57)

• Opening Sequence Absurdity
  • The baffling, lyric-less dance number at the start is mocked:

    “A sure fire way to know that you’re not in a good musical is when your opening musical number has no one singing on screen.” — Paul (13:47)

Outrageous Movie Details & Behind-the-Scenes Tidbits

• Accidental Nudity:
  • At 13:30, a track team extra’s testicles accidentally fall out mid-scene, a discovery that triggers peals of laughter and disbelief in the room:

    “Some dude’s junk falls out of his pants ... he’s trying to tuck them back in for the rest of the run.” — Paul (39:03–40:40)

• Rejected Cameos:
  • Sandy and Danny (Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta) were meant to cameo as the gas station owners but it fell through (41:03).
• Disjointed Production:
  • Paul reveals the script “was not written by the time they started shooting. ... Things are introduced [and] whether or not they come out in the wash, we don’t know.” (65:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “When you’re a child ... you’re not looking at movies to be good or bad. You’re so psyched to watch a movie.”
  — June Diane Raphael (06:11)
• “This movie is horny in a way that is like aimless.”
  — Jason Mantzoukas (13:23)
• “I wanted to be in there ... I wanted to get to that crazy zoo as quickly as possible.”
  — June Diane Raphael on longing for teenage chaos (50:20)
• “If you were held in a basement and watched this movie 200 times, you would also grow to love it.”
  — Paul Scheer (66:03)
• “Grease 1 is a prude and Grease 2 is a saucy foot ... like, I want to watch, like, a saucier movie, I’m gonna put on Grease 2.”
  — Jason & June riffing on the film’s horny energy vs. its predecessor (60:42–60:55)
• June leads a spirited, half-serious singalong of “Cool Rider,” reenacting beloved choreography while the gang eggs her on (33:00–33:44)

Important Segment Timestamps

• June’s origin story with Grease 2: 03:47–06:11
• Sexual politics and feminist reading: 07:56–08:49
• Discussion of the unkillable T-Birds and their odd goals: 35:52–37:56
• Insane musical innuendo: Reproduction number: 26:36–27:37
• Accidental nudity (“the balls”): 39:03–40:40
• The “Do It For Our Country”/bunker date rape song: 45:38–46:45, 49:48–50:20
• Pamela Adlon (Dolores) revelation: 51:46–52:17
• Debate over the value of fast forwarding musical numbers: 63:37–64:33
• Final recommendations: 63:37–66:03

Panel Recommendations

• Paul Scheer: Recommends watching, especially if you want to participate in the cultural conversation or wallow in so-bad-it’s good joy (65:05).
• Jason Mantzoukas: Endorses the movie for lovers of kitsch and camp, with the caveat that fast-forwarding through much of the music is warranted (63:37).
• June Diane Raphael: Endorses it wholeheartedly, connecting to the film’s spirit and fun despite (or because of) its flaws (54:09–54:48).
• Anna Faris: Also recommends, delighting in both the weird and iconic aspects and the group experience (64:48).

Closing Thoughts

The episode is a riotous celebration/roast of a film whose failures are also its joys. Ultimately, “How Did This Get Made?” deems Grease 2 a time capsule: a testament to adolescent longing, female icons like Michelle Pfeiffer, and the power of repeated viewing (or Stockholm Syndrome). Whether you love it, hate it, or just can’t look away, Grease 2 has earned its place in the pantheon of movies that are “so bad they’re ... well, something else entirely.”

Recommended For: Fans of musical misfires, pop culture autopsies, and listeners who love when a film can unite a room in laughter, confusion, embarrassment, and nostalgia—all at once.