They Thought I Was You

Latest Episodes:

It Takes Two Teaser Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

Lani and Becca are cooking up something very, very special for our It Takes Two episode, (hint: it's another interview!), and we need just a little more time to get it ready.
In the meantime, we're releasing this bonus episode where Lani talks with her brother Alex Harms (who designed our podcast's tile art!) about watching It Takes Two as children, and what (if anything) he remembers about his sister being obsessed with Mary-Kate and Ashley.
We'll be back with a full episode next week!
Find us on Instagram!
Show: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Alex: @harmstudio
Want to send us a Mary-Kate and Ashley memo or anecdote from your childhood? Email or send us:
theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Full House pt 2: The One Where Michelle Dies Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

Lani and Becca watched both parts of the Full House season finale, "Michelle Rides Again" — and wow, what a trip. (Or should we say... fall??)
We talk about how refreshing it is that the adults for once care about a missing child, yet still don't take Michelle's head injury as seriously as they should. Lani tries to describe the strange experience of watching Full House for the first time decades after it aired as a huge Mary-Kate and Ashley fan, and Becca realizes that this episode unconsciously influenced her senior prom dress.
We review every nook and cranny of this Full House two-parter, so buckle up and don't fall off your horse! Seriously, don't, it could lead to a very serious head injury.
Sad Full House
Becca's & DJ's Prom Dresses
VH1 Driven Documentary: Mary-Kate and Ashley
Celebrity Profile: Mary-Kate and Ashley
"‘Full House’ Not Enough for ABC Pot : Television: The long-running, Top 25 show has fallen out of step, giving way to programmers and advertisers pushing for hip, young viewers."
-LA Times May 23, 1995

Find us on Instagram!
Show: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/suggestions? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Full House pt 1: Attics and Basements Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

We've been so caught up in Mary-Kate and Ashley's production company, videos, albums, merch, TV movies and specials, Fun Club and entourage, that we've barely even covered the twins' most notable credit: portraying Michelle Tanner on Full House.
Becca finally gets to share what Full House meant to her as a kid. Lani, who shockingly didn't watch the show, somehow remembers the attic and basement. Then we speculate over why this very popular show was cancelled so abruptly.
Next week we'll be reviewing the show's finale: Michelle Rides Again (Part 1 & 2), so find yourself an HBOMax password, and get ready to dive in!
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VH1 Driven Documentary: Mary-Kate and Ashley
Celebrity Profile: Mary-Kate and Ashley
"‘Full House’ Not Enough for ABC Pot : Television: The long-running, Top 25 show has fallen out of step, giving way to programmers and advertisers pushing for hip, young viewers."
-LA Times May 23, 1995
Dualstar Entertainment Group LLC --Jill Zimmerman (now Collage) still on board!
Behind The Row: Meet Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen -- Jill Collage became the PRESIDENT of Dualstar in 2010 🤯
Fun Club "Carrying Case" that's just Ashley's face twice
Find us on Instagram!
Show: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Are you Robert Thorne and want to set the record straight? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Mary-Kate and Ashley's Fun Club Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

In 1993 (or '94; it's unclear), Mary-Kate and Ashley's management team created "Mary-Kate and Ashley's Fun Club," the twins' first official fan club. The promo for this club ran at the beginning of each of their videos and promised that every registered member would receive a precious box of rare Mary-Kate and Ashley collectibles.
So in today's episode, we unbox the Fun Club. Or, at least, we unbox what's left of the Fun Club folder that Lani found in her parents' basement, including original photos, posters, magazines and a couple extra memorabilia that send us down a rabbit hole of nostalgia.
We also theorize that Mary-Kate and Ashley created their own cinematic universe that targeted nerdy girls, we once again have an existential crisis over the fact that we were brainwashed, and we speculate over whether or not the twins actually had fun as children.
SOURCES FROM THE EPISODE:
Fun Club Source
Mary-Kate and Ashley's Fun Club Commercial
Mary-Kate and Ashley's Roller Blade Poster
Find us on Instagram!
Show: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Were you also a Fun Club "official member"? Email us at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com!

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Our First Interview: John Forster (The Case of Thorn Mansion) Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

Previously, on They Thought I Was You: Lani revealed to Becca that she impulsively emailed John Forster, the Grammy-nominated musician behind Mary-Kate and Ashley's first two albums, Our First Video, The Case of Thorn Mansion, basically all the music we've reviewed thus far — and invited him to be on our podcast.
And much to our delight, this week we're joined by John Forster himself!
John shares with us the the writing process for the music, what Mary-Kate and Ashley were like at six years old, and how the experience impacted his life. We also ask him the burning questions we've had for the past four episodes: What made Thorn Mansion so magical? How do six-year-olds record an album anyway? And why did they drop "Jelly" from the Peanut Butter and Jelly song??
HUGE thank you to John Forster for being our first interview guest. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it.
SONGS & VIDEOS we discuss:
Our First Video, "Brother For Sale"
Our First Video, "Peanut Butter"
The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley Theme Song
The Case of Thorn Mansion, "B-U-T-T Out"
The Case of Thorn Mansion, "Bravery"
The Case of Thorn Mansion, "Funky Musicology"
The Case of Thorn Mansion, "The Ghost Song (No Such Thing)"
The Case of the Logical i Ranch, "Nothing To Do"
The Case of the Logical i Ranch, "Lotta Rocks"
The Olsen Twins Mother's Day Special
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: Our First Video
Find us on Instagram!
Show: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/suggestions? Send us an email at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Actually, it was a morally complicated time! In this episode, Becca and Lani open one of the most iconic chapters of Mary-Kate and Ashley's career: The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley.
"The Case of Thorn Mansion" and "The Case of the Logical i Ranch," the first two direct-to-video productions released in the twins' Adventures Of series, were filmed during a hiatus from Full House and in between their two feature-length TV Movies for ABC. We discuss the immorality of working child actors this hard, while also basking in the glory of Mary-Kate and Ashley's truly inspired performances at 7 years old. We also fawn over the legitimately catchy songs and the sheer brilliance of "Bravery."
BONUS: Is Mary-Kate spooky? Did Ashley actually hate doing all of this? Why was Old Man Thorn's granddaughter SO hot?
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The trade commercial we watched:
Mary-Kate and Ashley Rare Promotional Video (1994)
SONGS from this episode:
The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley Theme Song
The Case of Thorn Mansion, "Bravery"
The Case of Thorn Mansion, "Funky Musicology"
The Case of the Logical i Ranch, "Nothing To Do"
The Case of the Logical i Ranch, "Lotta Rocks"
Find us on Instagram!
Show: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/suggestions? Send us an email at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Double Double Toil and Trouble & How the West Was Fun Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

Continuing our journey through the early projects of Mary-Kate and Ashley's career, we finally arrive at Dualstar Entertainment Group's first feature films: Double Double Toil and Trouble ('93) and How the West Was Fun ('94).
Unlike Dualstar's previous releases, these films had the financial and creative assistance of ABC and are, surprisingly, high-quality films! (By '90s children's film standards.) We talk about the many similarities and differences between the two, and our own memories of watching these movies as children. (Lani cried. While watching as an adult.)
BONUS: Between these two movies, NY and LA, cats and dogs, and Cloris Leachman and Martin Mull, which is Mary-Kate, and which is Ashley?
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Find us on Instagram!
Show: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/Suggestions? Email us at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Dualstar Pt 2: Mother's Day Special & Our First Video Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

After inking a deal with ABC for $10 million, Mary-Kate and Ashley’s production company, Dualstar releases its first two pieces of media: The Olsen Twins’ Mother’s Day Special, and Our First Video.

Lani shares her experience watching the Olsen Twins Mother’s Day Special – a Carol Burnett-style variety show from 1993 hosted by the twins featuring Tim Allen, Louie Anderson, and Joey Lawrence – in 2021. Becca dives into the twins’ first direct-to-video tape, aptly named Our First Video. Unbeknownst to both of them, a lot of the same performances are in both.

BONUS: The twins were long scrutinized for being “untalented.” Were Mary-Kate and Ashley bad actors, or did they do a pretty good job considering they were just two kids thrust into the spotlight at 6 months old? Find out on our new segment: The Acting Tracker.

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The Olsen Twins Mother's Day Special
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: Our First Video
Mary-Kate and Ashley's Fun Club Promotional Commercial
Thoughts & Suggestions? Email us at:
theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com
Find us on Instagram:
@theythoughtiwasyou
@beccaroth
@laniharms

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To Grandmother's House We Go and Dualstar Entertainment Group Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

The journey to child stardom continues with the twins' feature film debut: To Grandmother's House We Go. It's...not a good film. Yet this scrappy TV-movie hit gave them (read: their lawyer, Robert Thorne) leverage over ABC to found Dualstar: the multimillion dollar production company.
Was Robert Thorne an angel or a devil? Did Dualstar shield Mary-Kate and Ashley from Hollywood's worst? Or did it exploit them and stunt their growth as young actors? And why was the media predicting their "inevitable" train wreck when they were just 6 years old?
There's a lot to unpack here. That's why it's a two-parter.
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SOURCE MATERIAL:
VH1 Driven Documentary: Mary-Kate and Ashley
Celebrity Profile: Mary-Kate and Ashley
TV Guide: Full House's Tycoon Tots
Dualstar Production Company
Mary-Kate and Ashley's Fun Club
Behind the Row: Meet Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (Vogue 2011)
Thoughts & Suggestions? Email us at:
theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com
Find us on Instagram:
@theythoughtiwasyou
@beccaroth
@laniharms

Support the show

Mary-Kate and Ashley: The Truman Show Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Mary-Kate and Ashley were just 6 months old when they had the audition that propelled them to stardom. Learn how Hollywood producers coerced the twins' mother, Jarnette "Jarnie" Olsen, into trapping her daughters in a real-life Truman Show situation — beginning with that fated Full House audition.
We also unpack the dangers of celebrity and the parallels between the Olsen twins and teen pop stars. And, of course, we play our favorite game: Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera, Billie Eilish & Finneas, Dave Coulier & John Stamos — who's the Mary-Kate, and who's the Ashley?
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SOURCE MATERIAL:
VH1 Driven Documentary: Mary-Kate and Ashley
Celebrity Profile: Mary-Kate and Ashley
PRESS APPEARANCES:
Lifestyles of Little Stars
Mary-Kate and Ashley present at the Emmy's
Mary-Kate and Ashley on Arsenio Hall 1991
Mary-Kate and Ashley on Regis and Kelly
Olsen Twins on QVC
Mary-Kate and Ashley Good Morning America
September 2010 issue of US Marie Claire, Mary-Kate saying they were “little monkey performers” and ‘I wouldn’t wish my upbringing on anybody.’
Thoughts & Suggestions? Email us at:
theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com
Find us on Instagram:
@theythoughtiwasyou
@beccaroth
@laniharms

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