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Which action movie franchise is better: Mission: Impossible or The Fast and the Furious? Journalist and podcaster Sam Sanders says the answer is The Fast and the Furious while writer Audrey Cleo Yap argues for Mission: Impossible. Audrey likes that the Mission: Impossible franchise centers on Tom Cruise, who she says is the last true action star. Sam prefers that The Fast and the Furious includes an exciting (and ever-expanding) ensemble and argues that the franchise is progressive and continues to evolve with each subsequent film. Ronald Young Jr. considers their arguments and renders his verdict in the debate over which franchise is better.

Follow Sam @samsanders on Instagram and Twitter, and Audrey @audreycleo on Instagram and Twitter.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

Sam Sanders, Audrey Cleo Yap, Ronald young Jr.

Ronald young Jr.  00:00

There are at least two non Marvel film franchises that consistently deliver high stakes action and crowd pleasing stunts. Both require saving the world. Both require beating bad guys driving fast cars and sometimes quippy lines. I’m talking about the Fast and Furious and Mission Impossible franchises. Mission Impossible starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, always choosing to accept the mission and Fast and Furious, starring Vin Diesel as Dominique Toretto, always in a race to save the world with his family. But which franchise is better, the death defying world saving antics of Ethan Hunt and the impossible mission force, or the mind bending and improbable spectacle of Dominic Toretto and the Fast and Furious family, we decide once and for all right here and right now on Pop Culture Debate Club, I’m Ronald young Jr.

 

Ronald young Jr.  00:59

So let’s meet our panelists for the day. Representing Mission Impossible is an incredible writer and multimedia producer who has written for Variety Glamor and the Atlantic. Hello and welcome, Audrey Cleo Yap.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  01:11

Hi, I’m so excited to be here. I would sing the Mission Impossible theme, but I don’t think we have it cleared so.

 

Sam Sanders  01:20

Interpolations are okay.

 

Ronald young Jr.  01:22

I was gonna say you just hit a dun dun dun dun. Also joining us, repping the Fast and Furious franchise, is a journalist and co host of the hit podcast Vibe Bheck, and the host of the SAM Sanders Show on KCRW. Let’s welcome Sam Sanders.

 

Sam Sanders  01:41

Can I sing, Charlie Putz, see you again.

 

Ronald young Jr.  01:43

Go for it. And do it right now. You won’t.

 

Sam Sanders  01:49

That song if I never hear it again. Anywho, still at the movies though.

 

Ronald young Jr.  01:54

Audrey, tell me your first memory of Mission Impossible. How does your relationship with them begin?

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  01:59

I think it has to be the first one in 1996 when I was, gosh, a toddler. Probably right, Sam? Yeah, and the first of all, the iconic theme, which I think was just sort of in the culture, just because of the TV show, but that scene, the sort of spot you know, him hovering above the computer like that. Yeah, iconic, iconic for me. And I think that was really, I mean, I had known of Tom Cruise. My dad is really big movie buff, so obviously Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise, but I think for Tom Cruise as an action star, as, like, for like, tween Audrey. That was, that was the moment.

 

Sam Sanders  02:47

I remember, when the movie was big, our middle school band, we played the Mission Impossible theme. And I was like, this song is great, because it was in like, a weird time signature, and it was like, weird, like, like, it’s actually a weird theme song, you know, yeah, so that I remember that I remember never loving the movies too much, because I was like, Well, we know the Tom Cruise is going to win. He always does, so, but I enjoyed the music.

 

Ronald young Jr.  03:13

Tell me, did you play any theme songs of Fast and the Furious? And what is your relationship with with that franchise?

 

Sam Sanders  03:20

I remember Fast and the Furious becoming the thing I watched the first and the second. It was like, okay, movies. But I remember with each sequel, The mythology around the films themselves increased and the scope of the films themselves increased, and like, by the time they got to the fifth one, I was like, this thing is it’s growing bigger than itself. Yes, it’s like becoming something bigger than it began as like it began as a car movie, and it ended up as a superhero movie, like these characters with their cars ended up becoming superheroes with Marvel like powers. And so I became impressed with the way that it became bigger than the sum of its parts. And what made me fall in love with the series itself was a review that Wesley Morris of The New York Times wrote of the fifth film in the franchise. And he said, actually, the Fast and the Furious franchise is the most progressive action film series ever, because if you watch in every movie, there is a cornucopia of diversity. It’s true, everyone’s represented. It’s global. It is egalitarian, and you don’t see that too much. So then I’m like, if Wesley Morris, Pulitzer Prize winner endorses this, I’m really signing up for it. I’m in.

 

Ronald young Jr.  04:42

Let’s get to the debate. Audrey, we’ll start with you give me your opening argument. Why is Mission Impossible better than Fast and the Furious as a franchise?

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  04:53

It comes down to one man and one man only. One white man Ethan Hunt. Yeah. Ethan Hunt and that run, that karate chop run that he does, that is iconic. I think it’s hard to still find movies that are propelled by one actor, by one singular star. And I think the fact that Tom Cruise has been able to do that has been a huge feat, and so I think he is the last action star.

 

Sam Sanders  05:24

It all makes sense. It all tracks. But it’s hard to compare a franchise like Mission Impossible to the fashion the furious, because Mission Impossible is buoyed by one man who has the limitations and the beauty of fashion. And Furious is that every movie, that film expands like a popcorn cancer, and they add more people to the mix. And before you know it, Heaven miren is in there and Charlize Theron is in there with white lady dreadlocks. And you’re like, this movie is always gonna keep getting bigger and crazier, and that’s more exciting.

 

Ronald young Jr.  05:59

Give me more. What is your opening argument for Fast and Furious being better than Mission Impossible?

 

Sam Sanders  06:04

It is the only modern action series that matches the excess of Western late stage capitalism, and it is the only modern action film franchise that allows everybody to see themselves somewhere in it. It’s extremely interesting to see how this film series has morphed over time, more than a lot of other franchises, it rode the wave of where action films were going. As I said earlier, it started out as a simple car chase movie, and before you know it, you’ve got literally ludicrous. And Tyrese taken a car into space, it became a Marvel film, right? And so when I think of it that way, this is a film franchise that has changed and gotten bigger as it’s gone on, and it’s kept it modern and relevant, and on top of it, whenever it gets to feel like it’s too insane and too bonkers, they make it work, and I commend them for that. This film series should not work. It shouldn’t work, and yet it does. It does. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. It is the Rosetta Stone of understanding our relationship to modern action film, it contains multitudes.

 

Ronald young Jr.  07:24

Sam, is any of that hyperbole? Or do you actually believe that?

 

Sam Sanders  07:28

The Fast and the Furious is all about hyperbole? Hyperbole can be a beautiful thing. Give in to the hyperbole. Come on now.

 

Ronald young Jr.  07:35

Audrey, you spoke about it coming down to one man and one man only. Fast and Furious is more of a team sport. Can you talk about what are the advantages versus the disadvantages of working it as a group project in an action movie, versus it all coming down to one man army.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  07:49

Fast and Furious was always sort of an ensemble. It was all about fast fan, right? Sam like it was never and Ethan Hunt has always been the lone wolf guy, even in the very first movie, you’re not given a ton of context. You’re like, oh, he has parents, but even the parent story was just like, whatever. Like, I’m not that invested. So I think there’s obviously a lot more pressure on someone specifically Tom Cruise to level up every single one of these movies. And he has putting his life at risk. That man has some kind of death wish. I mean, scaling the birds, Khalifa, uh, whatever. What was it like throwing himself in a motorcycle and then parachuting off a cliff in nor? I mean, they have really put this guy through the pace. He’s put himself through the paces. He wants it to look this way so they’ve had to. So it really comes down to him. I think, Where, where, where? Fast and Furious has really excelled at being, you know, a team sport and being about family, like Mission Impossible didn’t really get into that until, probably after numbers three. You know, if you look at, let’s, let’s take Mission Impossible, one through three, one and two, they had no idea who Ethan Hunt was supposed to be. And number one, he’s sort of like, okay, he’s, he’s an agent for the IMF, and he’s trying to do this thing. And, like, it’s Tom Cruise, so you’re gonna watch, because he looks, you know, camera loves him, etc. Sorry, does these crazy things. And by number two, they tried to make him into this, like, Bond character. They tried to make it, and it was just so cringe. It was so cringe like he’s trying to romance 10 Dwayne Newton, like it was John Woo. And you know, as much as as much as one can adore John Woo and what he’s done for action cinema, that movie was all over the place. And then by three, you start to sort of see where the Ethan Hunt sweet spot is, and who he is as a character.

 

Ronald young Jr.  09:41

Sam, in terms of the that turning point when you talk about Fast and Furious going from racing movies to spy movies, can you think about like the one movie or the one film in which they make that switch where it’s like, we’re not racing anymore, now we’re completing message missions for the US government?

 

Sam Sanders  09:56

Yeah. I mean for me, it was like that moment when you realize that. Tyrese and Ludacris are in outer space. These were two dudes that were brought into the franchise to kind of be comic relief. And before you know it, they’re doing superhero stuff. And before you know it, everyone in this franchise is doing superhuman things. I like that. And so whichever movie that was, I want to say was six or seven, but what […] Okay, see all of them, so many, so many. But what I admire about filmmaking like that is that they just don’t care about rules. What makes the Fast and Furious franchise fun is that they’re always kind of coloring outside of the lines. When you try to, like, look at these films and the plot and the structure and make sense out of it, you can’t, and that’s part of the beauty of it. I think this film understands a few things. The more stars the better, the more cars the better. Make it global, make it diverse, and go back to themes of family. That’s the only rules they follow and they work.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  11:01

I think what I like, and what a lot of fans appreciate, what a lot of action fans appreciate about the Mission Impossible movies, is that there are more they’re not going to outer space that they are trying to sort of play within linear they it’s linear, but it’s also they are trying to play within these rules. I mean, I don’t know how they get the masks on so fast, like that. I’m still trying to figure out that I feel like breaks, bends the the time, space continuum. But yeah, I think you can sort of, at least from a production, filmmaking and viewer standpoint, like you can sort of sometimes see the stitches. You can see where they’re trying to do the practical events, like, if you are looking at Mission Impossible Fallout, you’re watching them do that HALO jump. It looks real because it was real because it was a risk for them to be flying around. And you know what if Tom Cruise slams into Henry Cavill midair, right? I think they’re really great at building up a palpable tension, whereas in fast and furious I’m sort of always overwhelmed, like more is more, but sometimes more is too much.

 

Ronald young Jr.  12:14

We’ll be back with more Pop Culture Debate Club after this break.

 

Ronald young Jr.  12:32

Sam, Audrey already spoke to a little bit about the practicality of the Mission Impossible stunts. I think what the two franchises have in common is that they’re all typically both films are based around one or two or three big stunt pieces that are kind of set and they kind of build the trailers around those. Sam help me understand, like, the appeal of a fast and furious stunt over that of a mission, impossible stunt, especially when you think of the fact that the each of them have these set pieces, and there are instances in which, in fast and furious they have driven off a cliff more than once. Speak to the strength of the Fast and Furious stunt making.

 

Sam Sanders  13:12

The Fast and the Furious. It’s stunt making and its action sync, its action sequences are in on the joke, which I love. They know it’s ridiculous, and they know that while you watch it, you’re going to laugh, but they want that, and that’s part of the appeal. Like it’s an action franchise that actually doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is ridiculous, and they would readily admit that I’m into that. Like, I if you’re gonna have a big blockbuster action movie, make it as crazy as possible. Why not make it so much more exciting than my everyday life that I have to laugh at its absurdity and outsizeness. I think that’s fun. I think that the entire franchise is coming to you with like a wink and a nod, because they are in on the joke that is the Fast and Furious franchise, and I find that to be slyly smart yeah.

 

Ronald young Jr.  14:08

Audrey, if you have to limit yourself, if you have to walk into a room, especially when you have the intentional, organized chaos of something like a fast and furious you’re at the movie theaters you’re looking at, both argue for me, the the the wink and the nod of the big Hollywood stunt in a Fast and Furious movie, versus the technical prowess of a Mission Impossible movie.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  14:30

Something I really appreciate about the Mission Impossible movies is I think they have gotten down those iconic set pieces, those iconic stunts, to a science, and they’re and they’re good at putting him in the trailer, and then they’re getting good at at amping them up, surprising you at the in the third act with these things, like, there’s that whole train sequence and dead reckoning that I was like, Whoa. Where did that come from? I thought he was just gonna, I thought he was just gonna find a cliff to motorcycle off of and parachute onto the train. And now we get a whole train sequence and they’re falling, like, that’s cool. Um, I think, if so, I think if you want to, like, Sam was saying, a bit more of a linear, singular action experience, you go to the Mission Impossible movies.

 

Sam Sanders  15:16

Oh, yeah. And I think, yeah. And it’s fair to say that, like, pound for pound, the Mission Impossible, movies will stand the test of time better. I think if you ask me, in 50 years, which movies are better, I would say mission impossible, but I think the Fast and Furious is a better time capsule of like, where we are as a culture right now.

 

Ronald young Jr.  15:34

Well, how do we how does that end up like, let’s say you’re teaching history in the future, and you have.

 

Sam Sanders  15:39

If I’m teaching a history class with the Fast and Furious is part of the syllabus. Do not pay tuition. Do not it’s a free class, baby.

 

Ronald young Jr.  15:50

But if you feel like, I mean, based on your argument, if you’re talking about, like, late stage capitalism, and using this as a time capsule to encapsulate that, like, do you think? You think no part of Fast and Furious endures beyond this time period that we’re in?

 

Sam Sanders  16:05

I think, is like a case study of how to do an action franchise in this era of media. It’s a wonderful case study. It like, because it’s like in this moment in which there’s so many things clamoring for your attention, the metric for success is not how good the art is. The metric of success is how much attention can you get. And like the Fast and Furious movies, understand how to get eyeballs in this distracted moment. And so that is commendable. That doesn’t make for a cohesive movie, but it means that I’m watching, you know, and laughing viewers of the Fast and Furious movies, they know they’re not going to watch a great movie. They’re going to watch an entertaining spectacle. And like the filmmakers, know that the audience knows that everyone knows the bargain here, this is ice cream. It is not of Michelin starred meal, and that’s fine.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  17:08

Whereas Mission Impossible, I feel like is popcorn with just like a drizzle of truffle.

 

Sam Sanders  17:15

Oh, okay, I like that. I like that.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  17:20

Truffle oil, which is a really truffl, right? Like, it’s just.

 

Sam Sanders  17:23

If you get the expensive truffle oil, it’s really.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  17:25

It’s not that […]

 

Sam Sanders  17:28

We love Trader Joe’s.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  17:29

Costco. It’s the Trader Joe’s truffle, gotcha.

 

Ronald young Jr.  17:34

We’ll be back with more PCDC after this break.

 

Ronald young Jr.  17:52

So it’s impressive that both of these franchises have existed over a long period of time. Mission Impossible, debuting in 1996 Fast and Furious, debuting in 2000 but over the period of time, they have had a lot of staying power where it comes up through 2023, in terms of expansions, where to go next, Fast and Furious, building more of a world, I would say, than Mission Impossible, which is kind of staying in the same tracks. By over the world. We don’t see any spin offs with that. Audrey, how much more runway do we have with the Mission Impossible franchise?

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  18:25

I think that’s a good question for Tom Cruise, honestly, how much more can that man’s body he Oh, hey, the man is like, what? Six? He’s in his 60s now. And actually, a lot of the great action stars from that era, they’re in that age bracket like AARP, I think it has as much runway as Tom Cruise can run down with his arms still, just like chopping going, you know, at full speed. It’s because it’s so singularly focused on this one character and this one actor’s ability to play that character, they’re gonna have to hand off that mantle at some point. I’m sure they’re already talking about that. I don’t know. Maybe Tom Cruise will live to be 101 he’ll still be doing motorcycle flips off a cliff. So who knows, but it has, I think, the Mission Impossible world, the impossible mission force, like, look, it started out as a TV series in what, like the 60s. So that world, that idea of this spy force that goes off books, doing crazy things to save the world, that that templates not going to go away, that universe is not going to go away, but the Ethan Hunt of it all. I mean, I would think it has maybe a decade more, maybe. And that’s being very generous.

 

Ronald young Jr.  19:55

Sam let’s, I mean, we brought up ages. So I want to, I want to share a few before you tell me about the future of. Fast and Furious. Tom Cruise is currently 62 here’s an interesting trivia fact. Liam Neeson starred in the first taken at age 55 in the first taken, to be clear, wow. At age 55 which kind of we kind of know where that goes over the span of time. There’s two more take kids. He’s in several other action movies. It kind of becomes this, like bankable action thriller star after that, so there might be more runway. And I agree with what you’re saying, Audrey in terms of for Ethan Hunt versus the franchise itself. But speaking of the franchise, Vin Diesel is 57 how much more runway do we have in the Fast and Furious franchise?

 

Sam Sanders  20:38

But don’t you realize that the Fast and Furious franchise can survive without Vin Diesel. This is the beauty of the franchise. They can bring in whoever they want. Paul Walker died, they kept going. Think about it, one monkey, don’t stop no show. And the makers of the Fast and Furious know that. And I think you know with they brought in the rock, they brought in Jason Statham. There are all kinds of male action stars that would love to take the helm of this franchise, and the Fast and Furious people know it, as long as the cars stay wild, you can plug in any number of muscular leading man. Seriously, I don’t think you need van to keep it going.

 

Ronald young Jr.  21:16

Before we get to closing arguments. I want to ask both of you think in your brains about the script and dialog of both of your films.

 

Sam Sanders  21:24

I refuse. I can’t do that. I don’t want to hurt myself.

 

Ronald young Jr.  21:33

Well, do a light, ccan Sam and tell me, is there a line or bit of dialog that stands out to you as kind of the classic franchise line of Fast and Furious.

 

Sam Sanders  21:45

Without fail, at some point in the movie, they’re at a table, eating together, celebrating a win, mourning a loss, and someone always talks about family. You don’t turn your back on family, even when they do, no matter where you are, whether it’s quarter mile away or halfway across the world, you’ll always be with me. It’s like, it’s just family. Just googling. It’s like, 25 best quotes about family in the Fast and Furious franchise. They just like, glom onto family. Our family just got bigger.

 

Ronald young Jr.  22:18

Can you do it as the Vin Diesel? Can you do it with the Vin Diesel, gravel, please?

 

Sam Sanders  22:23

Today we’ll put our family on a path to real power. There’s so many you’ll never be able to break my family. I’m going down the list, just like a family Dom build it right, you take care of it. It’ll live beyond you. Like this is the whole like family is eternal, and they like the references the family are always so freaking corny, but it works because everyone has ideas of family, and it means something to you.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  22:49

The audiences cause fast fam, like they call themselves a fast fam. So yeah, I think that the that is, that is the theme [….]

 

Ronald young Jr.  22:56

They call themselves that, or is that something that that universal, took advantag.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  23:01

Probably a little bit of both.

 

Ronald young Jr.  23:04

Audrey, what about Mission Impossible is there, are there any iconic lines or dialog that you think summarize the franchise?

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  23:11

Yes, and I, and I actually wrote it down. It’s from, oh, it’s from Fallout, the sixth Mission Impossible movie. And it’s very simple, it’s very straightforward. And I think it sums it all up. He has the detonator.

 

Sam Sanders  23:36

Mike, he has a detonator.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  23:38

I mean, I can’t think of any like, actually truly iconic mission, impossible lines.

 

Ronald young Jr.  23:42

Because the point is the action. I mean, there’s a time where he yells, mission accomplished at Vin Grimes is like, did you actually just say mention.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  23:51

Other than the you know your mission, if you choose to accept it, but that that was from, that was from the TV series that that’s iconic. There you go, if your mission, if you choose to accept it. I actually wanted to bring up one one thing before we get to final arguments. If this is okay, I think Mission Impossible has had a more enduring and lasting impact and influence on on the culture writ large, just with these little things, if you know your mission, if you choose to accept it, the theme, you know, even just dropping the phrase mission, impossible, like is this mission like we, we it has sort of seeped into the culture for so long. I wonder if that’s a an, you know, a relic from the original series. But when we talk about the enduring impact of of these franchises, just in everyday culture.

 

Ronald young Jr.  24:41

Let’s close it out. Sam, bring it to a close. Why like fashion and furious ultimately, why are we choosing that over Mission Impossible?

 

Sam Sanders  24:50

Mission Impossible is a film franchise. The Fast and the Furious film series is an idea. And a gamble and a celebration of absurdity, hyperbole and excess, that’s it.

 

Ronald young Jr.  25:08

I like it. Audrey, close us out. Mission Impossible over Fast and Furious.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  25:13

Tom Cruise, karate run Tom Cruise, karate run Tom Cruise in the Burj Khalifa. Tom Cruise, doing crazy stuff. Tom Cruise doing more crazy stuff, the Mission Impossible theme, uh, General iconicness. Um, you know, if you want to go in and have a good time, you want a little truffle on top of that popcorn, I think you’re going for a Mission Impossible.

 

Ronald young Jr.  25:37

I like it. Okay, are y’all ready for my ruling?

 

Sam Sanders  25:43

Sure, let us have.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  25:46

Like, adjudicated at the end.

 

Ronald young Jr.  25:49

I mean, it’s a debate. There’s gonna be a winner.

 

Sam Sanders  25:52

Let’s do it.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  25:53

Oh my gosh, I already know who the winner is.

 

Ronald young Jr.  25:56

It’s very interesting, because, you know, when we do these it’s typically, it’s 111, each of you has a side, and I’m the neutral one that you move. So we could turn this into a two one. These are two franchises that I’ve seen every single minute of. They have spanned my entire life. Oh, I’ve seen every single minute of it. I think a lot of what I like about Fast and Furious can be summed up in the fourth and fifth movies. Those two movies are fantastic to me. I think they, they kind of did a very good job of managing the spectacle and the fun and kind of putting it together on a mission to move forward. They took characters that we liked and they put them on missions that made sense. So people that were good at driving that could also do other things, if you allow them. Which I think was good, my relationship with that franchise began to sour. The first time that I saw the rock push a missile with his hand on the ice in order to divert it from one place to another, that’s where it began to sour. Which, which I understand is part of the spectacle, but that’s where it began to sour.

 

Sam Sanders  27:02

When it comes normal superheroes, they have superhuman powers, right?

 

Ronald young Jr.  27:05

That’s exactly it. They started to switch in a way that I don’t know that I felt, that I enjoyed. I kept watching, but I don’t know if I felt I enjoyed, yeah, with Mission Impossible. Been with it again the whole time since I was a child, until now, in my mind, I block out that second one entirely. I go from one to three, and three is absolutely the rebirth of Ethan Hunt. It follows the trail that he set in one, we ignore two completely, and again, three and Ghost Protocol two of probably the best mission of possibles, in my opinion. Moving forward, it gets a little bit more messy as it continues, and a little bit more confusing, in a way that these movies are existing at the same time the new Daniel Craig Bond movies are where I’m checking into each one of these franchises, saying, Where am I finding the ways in which they hold each other up, support each other in the way that they divert from one another. When it comes down to this argument today, I feel like, on the one hand, I think the popcorn with the truffle oil is a perfect example of what a Mission Impossible movie is the same crowd that will go see the Fast and Furious franchise will go see the Mission Impossible movies. But they’re supposed to be rewarded with this technical prowess, this old man running with the with the karate chop arms every movie, he has to be in a full out sprint. It’s in his contract somewhere. I’m convinced they’re definitely charmed by that. But what they’re doing, at Fast and Furious is just throwing slop at us over and over again in this way that is ultimately a Pollock painting. You know what I mean, where it’s just like this could be a mess if I were looking at for some reason, I can’t stop looking at it. I can’t I’m looking at it and now it’s millions and millions of dollars, it’s addictive. You’re absolutely right. So I think, Sam, you did a very good job of convincing me that they are doing this on purpose. That’s what’s happening, and because of that, yes, I have to give it to you. The Fast and Furious is the better franchise.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  28:56

But I want to be clear.

 

Ronald young Jr.  28:57

I want to be clear. I don’t think it’s better. I do not think it is better. I think Sam argued his point better in this discussion. If I still have a choice as a fan, I still want to go see Mission Impossible as the franchise, because I feel like that’s actually what I want to see.

 

Sam Sanders  29:14

As I said earlier, they’re better movies. No lies there. They’re better movies. But what’s, the bigger and bolder idea you’re saying?

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  29:24

You’re saying that for sure, I will still go see a Fast and Furious movie, though. Okay, good, good. It’ll be and you’ll go see a Mission Impossible movie, right?

 

Sam Sanders  29:38

Of course, oh yeah.

 

Ronald young Jr.  29:39

With all of that said, Audrey, where can the folks find you?

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  29:44

Oh my gosh, you can find me on social, on the social medias @AudreyCleo on across all platforms, and also on Instagram. I am @Audrey_writing.

 

Ronald young Jr.  29:58

Love it at Sam. Where can the folks find you?

 

Sam Sanders  30:01

I am @SamSanders on all platforms, except I don’t know what my Tiktok handle is. I’m gonna be doing Tiktok it’s fine. And then my shows publish every week. You can catch vibe check from Sirius every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcast, and you can catch the Sam Sanders show every Friday, wherever you get your podcast, and on YouTube, and if you’re in LA, it’ll air on the radio, on KCRW, on Fridays and Saturdays. The Sam Sanders Show is a new one that I launched last month. It’s chat talk show all about the entertainment we love and obsess over. I think you’ll enjoy it.

 

Ronald young Jr.  30:39

Congratulations, Sam. I was really proud to hear that show came out and you deserve a show. You deserve a show with your name on it in that way. So congratulations.

 

Sam Sanders  30:45

Thank you so much.

 

Ronald young Jr.  30:47

ank you both for being here. This has been great.

 

Audrey Cleo Yap  30:49

Thank you so much for having me.

 

Sam Sanders  30:50

Thank you for having me. This was so much fun.

 

CREDITS  30:58

Thanks again to Audrey Cleo Yap and Sam Sanders. There’s more Pop Culture Debate Club with Lemonada Premium. Subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content, like Sam Sanders and Audrey Cleo Yap talking about how they first became friends. Subscribe now and Apple podcasts.  Pop Culture Debate Club is a production of Lemonada and the BBC.   It’s produced by Jamela Zarha Williams, Kryssy Pease,  Dani Matias and me, Ronald young Jr. Our mix is by Noah Smith. Rachel Neel is VP of new content. Our Senior Vice President of weekly content  and production is Steve Nelson. Commissioning editor for the BBC is Rhian Roberts. Executive Producers are Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Jessica Cordova Kramer.   Follow Pop Culture Debate Club, wherever you get your podcasts.