They Thought I Was You

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A Brief, Spontaneous Ranking of Mary-Kate and Ashley's Movies Apr 19, 2022

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We made it to the end of season 2!
Season 2 was more exciting than we could have ever expected. We talked to Brigitte (THE Brigitte, the supermodel from Passport to Paris), a viral YouTube creator who met Mary-Kate and Ashley on a cruise, and an incredible collector and expert of all things Mary-Kate and Ashley. We've also connected with so many more Mary-Kate and Ashley fans and gotten closer our podcast's biggest goal-- proving that we are not alone ❤️
So as a terrifying treat, we decided to spontaneously rank all of Mary-Kate and Ashley's feature films that we covered this season: Billboard Dad, Switching Goals, Passport to Paris, Our Lips Are Sealed, Winning London and Holiday in the Sun.
We cannot stress enough how difficult this was and how unofficial this ranking is. We reserve the right to change our order in the future, and trust us, we WILL be ranking all of Mary-Kate and Ashley's films once we have finished them. But after finishing this golden era of MKA classics, we just couldn't help ourselves.
Let us know if you agree or if you hate us now! And before next season, don't forget to rate & review, tell your other Mary-Kate and Ashley fanatic friends about the pod, and catch up on any episodes you missed.
We're coming back for an epic season 3-- get ready!
Find us on Social Media!
Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou
TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/questions? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Winning London Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

Just over 21 years ago on March 27th, 2001, Mary-Kate and Ashley released their 3rd teenage fantasy travel film, Winning London, and winter wear would never be the same again.
Much to their nerdy fans' delight, this movie was about two twin sisters, Riley and Chloe's school trip to compete in the Model UN Championship in London, England. Not only would we finally see Mary-Kate as a type-A overachiever, but we also got to see Ashley as a free-spirited slacker. Mix this twin swap with a European backdrop and the cutest boys of any of their movies (fight me), and you have an instant Olsen twins classic.
Becca and Lani reflect on what this movie meant to us as tweens (spoiler alert: we were obsessed), how it holds up 21 years later, and dissect Riley and Chloe's character archs. We speculate over how much of this movie was an advertisement for their clothing line and TV show coming out later that year (I mean, they used the exact same names in So Little Time, c'mon), and ponder yet again whether or not Dualstar helped shield them from the exploitation that other teen stars like Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff experienced.
But most of all, we express gratitude for having this fun, wholesome, nerdy, (and sometimes horny) movie as tweens. It taught us to be ambitious, stay humble, and not be ashamed to order cokes at a teen club. Also, don't clean up after lost boys.
So go rewatch this comforting, feel-good, rainy day, crystal dove of teen films, and join us on this delightful trip up Abbey Road and down memory lane.
Watch Winning London here
(Courtesy of our Olsen angel @SimplyOlsen)
Find us on Social Media!
Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou
TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/questions? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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A History of the Mary-Kate and Ashley Dolls Apr 05, 2022

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In April 2000, Mattel released the very first of what would become the most successful celebrity fashion dolls of all time-- the Mary-Kate and Ashley dolls.
Becca and Lani knew these dolls were a part of the Olsen twins' history, but we didn't realize the enormous scope of these dolls' success until we started researching. We decided we needed to bring in an expert to educate us on all things MKA dolls, so today we are joined by Mary-Kate and Ashley superfan, expert and doll collector Derrick Dobson!
Derrick shares with us what the Mary-Kate and Ashley fandom meant to him growing up, how his sisters (gasp) destroyed his original Olsen collection and made him start over, and walks us through the history of these dolls from their inception to their final and unreleased dolls.
He explains how heavily involved the girls were in the styling and curating of these dolls in the first two years of their release, but how after 2002, their involvement wained and so did the quality of the product. We also discuss the press tour that Mary-Kate (who had just broken up with her boyfriend) and Ashley (whose business savvy was beginning to flourish) went on to promote these dolls on Donny & Marie, Rosie O'Donnell, and the Today Show.
Move over Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, because Mary-Kate and Ashley's dolls are about to blow you out of the water. And if any of you out there know where to find "It's Your Look" dolls, please message Derrick ❤️
Follow Derrick's Doll Collection:
@derricksdollcollection
LINKS WE TALK ABOUT:
Fashion Doll Retrospective, A History of Mary-Kate and Ashley's Dolls
Mary-Kate and Ashley First Doll Commercial
Mary-Kate and Ashley Spa Day Commercial
Mary-Kate and Ashley Curl & Style Doll Commercial (2003)
Mary-Kate and Ashley on Donny & Marie (2000)
Mary-Kate and Ashley on Rosie O'Donnell (2000)
Mary-kate and Ashley on the Today Show (2001)
Find us on Social Media!
Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou
TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/questions? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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7th Heaven: The Murphy Girls Mar 29, 2022

Show notes

Mary-Kate. Ashley. And Simon in the middle??
On November 20th, 2000, the day before "Our Lips Are Sealed" was released on VHS, Mary-Kate and Ashley made their highly anticipated guest appearance on the hit WB family drama, 7th Heaven.
Centered around a minister and his hot family, 7th Heaven was the longest-running series in the network's history, and "the Camdens" were as wholesome as you could get. But for their 96th episode, Mary-Kate and Ashley (aka the Murphy sisters) would walk on set as... the bad girls.
And the press had a field day. Multiple news outlets ran features on how the 14 year-old twins would play "twin temptresses," "more bad than [Simon aka Aaron Carter] can handle." Lani, who had never seen an episode of 7th Heaven in her life, made sure to set her VCR to record this historic moment, and Becca, who was already a casual viewer of the show, made sure not to miss it.
So we rewatched this episode for the first time since that fateful day in the fall of 2000, and realized... our girls are barely in this episode! They're not at all the main storyline and hardly get any airtime until well over halfway through.
But as with all things Mary-Kate and Ashley, we'll take what we can get. Seeing them as "bad" girls is a delight, but seeing them as objects of the male gaze is... unnerving. We unpack what that felt like watching this episode as children, roll our eyes out of their sockets at Matt Camden's runaway bride, and puzzle over what 7th Heaven was in our culture.
Where can you go when the world don't treat you right? The answer is... this podcast.
CNN "7th Heaven" interview
E! News Daily "7th Heaven" interview
7th Heaven "Gossip" Commercial
Talking about their transition from film to fashion (Sept 2009, we mistakenly said 2014 in this episode):
MK&A Fashion Television Part 1
MK&A Fashion Television Part 2
MK&A Fashion Television Part 3

Find us on Social Media!
Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou
TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/questions? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Mary-Kate and Ashley Cruises w/ Rob Tanchum Mar 22, 2022

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Once a year starting in 1994 and ending (we think) in 2001, Mary-Kate and Ashley would set sail with a boat full of fans on a "Sail with the Stars" cruise. They would advertise these cruises at the beginning of all of their VHS tapes, and Lani and Becca dreamed of one day going. Sadly, it never happened for either of them. Which is why they were thrilled to finally talk to someone who was there, dancing and PJ-partying with Mary-Kate, Ashley and Lizzie Olsen. On a boat.
Today we are joined by our friend and writer/director/comedian/musician Rob Tanchum. Rob has not one but TWO photos with the Olsen sisters that were taken on their "To Russia with Love" cruise in the summer of 2000. Last year, Rob made a song inspired by these photographs called "Mary-Kate and Ashley," that became a sensation on YouTube, Twitter & Reddit.
Rob tells us all about how he SNUCK INTO THE CRUISE EVENTS with his frosted-tipped friend, got caught up in drama with Lizzie Olsen, and approached Mary-Kate and Ashley at the bar of the cruise ship with his peace sign necklace.
This conversation is the closest Becca and Lani will ever get to being on a Mary-Kate and Ashley Cruise, so hearing these stories were truly a dream come true. Enjoy!
Listen to Rob's song here
Watch clips from the cruise here
Vanity Fair Article on "To Russia with Love"
Follow Rob:
Soundcloud: Rob Tanchum
YouTube: Rob Tanchum
Instagram: @RobTanchum
Buy the Mary-Kate and Aaaaaaaashley shirt here
Find us on Social Media!
Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou
TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/questions? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Our Lips Are Sealed Mar 15, 2022

Show notes

On November 21st, 2000, nearly one full year after their cult classic Passport to Paris, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen released their second destination-inspired teen comedy, Our Lips Are Sealed filmed in Sydney, Australia.
Neither Becca nor Lani have revisited this movie since the year it came out. In our memories, this movie was the hippest, wittiest, most alternative, most daring, most ahead-of-its-time movie in the Olsen twins canon. We were sure that we'd rediscover this gem and prove to the world that it has been woefully overlooked in the culture of 00s nostalgia.
But then it was... not quite what we expected. This is absolutely an era where Mary-Kate and Ashley's style and swag was at an iconic, untouchable level. However, this movie struggles to live up to stars' magnetism, and the same writing team that hit a home run in Passport to Paris kept striking out in Our Lips Are Sealed.
So we break down the script, theorize that boys in this movie weren't actually love interests, disagree on scenes that didn't work, and celebrate their style that came to define the fashion trends of 2001 (as Ashley tells us in the DVD extra was completely intentionally).
At the end of the day, this movie is a joyful celebration of fashion, friends, and the down under, and we can't help but love it. After all, it's Mary-Kate and Allie. Ashley. Whatever.
Watch Our Lips Are Sealed here
(courtesy of SimplyOlsen's incredible Instagram bio)
DVD Extras:
Behind the scenes
Bridge walk
Fashion
Find us on Social Media!
Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou
TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/questions? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Are We Too Old for These Parties? Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

On July 18th, 2000, You're Invited to Mary-Kate and Ashley's School Dance Party was released on VHS. It was the last installment of Mary-Kate and Ashley's "You're Invited" series, and the last half-hour video the twins would ever make.
The "You're Invited" series closed the chapter of the twins' childhood, and marked the beginning of a new era. So, to commemorate this milestone, we watched all of the "You're Invited" videos we didn't talk about last time: Mall Party, Ballet Party, Camp Out Party, Costume Party, Fashion Party, School Dance Party. We love them all.
Ok, no, we do not love them all. But watching them in sequence for the first time since childhood (some for the first time ever) was a fascinating journey. We recovered memories we had suppressed, grappled with the recurring unapologetically mean boys, unpacked the reasons why some of these captured us more than others, and discovered that Ashley and Mary-Kate's destiny as fashion designers was always in plain sight.
And much like the end of childhood, the culmination of this journey is jarring. In School Dance Party, the opening sequence is scrapped, the format is abandoned, and the outtakes seem to imply some deep frustration at best, and an existential crisis at worst.
So, come as you are, put some critters on your crackers and stop holding out on a homework party, because we're going to Fashion Junior High and figuring out the noise about boys.
The Row's Winter 2022 Womenswear Collection
Find us on Social Media!
Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou
TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Thoughts/questions? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Passport to Paris Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

On November 9, 1999, Passport to Paris was released on VHS, and changed the meaning of "direct-to-video" movies forever.
At just 13-years old, this was Mary-Kate and Ashley's first feature-length film as executive producers, and with it, they expanded their careers from performers to professional tastemakers, trendsetters, and style icons. For any teen that was obsessed with fashion, falling in love, and exploring the word, this movie was a perfect fantasy. This is why it became one of Mary-Kate and Ashley’s best known direct-to-video films and has continued to stay relevant, even today.
Today, we get into the nitty gritty of why this movie actually works, the complicating factor that Ally & Melanie were kind of mean girls, and the many many many reasons this movie will always have a beloved place in our heart.
Also, we knew this movie was bigger than us, so we called on our Instagram community to send us their Passport to Paris stories, and we share them in our very first "Mail Bag" segment! (Mail Bag is a real term, right?)
Thank you to everyone who sent in messages, and to Mary-Kate and Ashley for making the most perfect movie <3
LINKS:
Becca & Lani in Paris
Mary-Kate and Ashley "book" commercial
Passport to Paris commercial
Find us on Social Media!
Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou
Also, we're on TikTok now!
TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms

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Yvonne Scio (Passport to Paris) Feb 22, 2022

Show notes

Hey, you're Brigitte!
Duh, she just said that.
No, THE Brigitte. The supermodel!
No she's not... is she? Are you?
...I'm afraid so.
Talk about international relations! With Becca in Los Angeles and Lani in New York, we were able to Zoom into Italy to talk with the supermodel and the scholar, the very impressive woman, Yvonne Scio (AKA Brigitte from Passport to Paris)!
We were beside ourselves speaking with this incredibly glamorous multi-hyphenate about her experience filming Passport to Paris. She tells us how Mary-Kate and Ashley were precocious fashionistas at 12 years old, shares how nervous she was playing a French supermodel as an Italian actress in an American film, and finally answers our most burning question about this movie: why didn't they go INSIDE any of the French stores in the iconic shopping montage scene?
After moving back to Italy and becoming a mother (her 13-year-old daughter is now a Mary-Kate and Ashley superfan herself 🥺), Yvonne decided to make her own work and is now an accomplished director and producer (links to her work below). We were so incredibly honored for the opportunity to speak with her, and we hope you can feel the inspiration and pure ATTITUDE that we felt recording this interview.
Yvonne's projects:
Magic Moments, a documentary about Roxanne Lowit
Seven Women
Find us on Instagram!
Show: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Yvonne: @YvonneScio
Thoughts/questions? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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Switching Goals (w/ Still Got It Podcast!) Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to our very first Crossover episode! In Still Got It Podcast, host Celey Schumer revisits childhood-classic films to see if they "still got it," and it seemed only fitting that she would join us to discuss the next project on Mary-Kate and Ashley's timeline, Switching Goals.
(And before you come after us, we know Passport to Paris came out before Switching Goals, but based on their hair length and general maturity, we're pretty sure they filmed Switching Goals first)
And after our exhilarating Two of a Kind marathon from the last two weeks, watching this often overlooked TV family sports film was... interesting. To say the least.
Ok, we hated it. And we took no joy in hating it, but talking through this unfortunately lackluster feature with nostalgia expert Celey helped us swallow this difficult pill of a film. (And helped us appreciate Two of a Kind that much more.)
Find us on Instagram!
Show: @theythoughtiwasyou
Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Still Got It Podcast: @stillgotitpodcast
Celey: @CeleySchumer
Follow/Subscribe to Still Got It Podcast here
Did you love Switching Goals and want to tell us why? PLEASE email us (genuinely, we need your perspective) at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

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