They Thought I Was You

The scores have been tallied... and today they are finally revealed.In this episode, we continue our scoring starting with Switching Goals and go through New York Minute, and we end up with a final ranking (sub category wins will be announced on our Instagram). Today we decide once and for all what is the BEST Mary-Kate and Ashley movie (proven by science).You can watch the video version of this ep, fill out your own score sheet, and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.Follow us!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the Show.

Since the beginning of this podcast, we knew this day would eventually have to come. We have spent the past 3 years becoming Mary-Kate and Ashley scholars, dissecting every movie front to back, talking to writers, talking to costars, talking to fellow Mary-Kate and Ashley fans, and leaving no stone unturned. And all that work has made us the most qualified two people on the planet to create the definitive ranking of every Mary-Kate and Ashley movie ever made. So we do what must be done. And because we are who we are, we do it in two parts. Since we knew this would be contentious, we approach this incredibly subjective task in the most objective way humanly possible: we score each movie in 10 categories (story, execution, characters, location, boys, fashion, music, vibes, lasting impression & overall), we add up our results, and the movie with the highest scores win. Science would be so proud of us.In this episode, we breakdown their first six movies from To Grandmother's House We Go through Passport to Paris. Next week, we'll give our results of the final 8 movies and reveal our definitive ranking, once and for all.You can watch the video version of this ep, fill out your own score sheet, and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.The unfortunate Vogue RankingFollow us!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the Show.

Continuing our trend of talking to people the internet introduced us to, our guest today is a fellow millennial content creator whose viral Mary-Kate and Ashley-related videos constantly pop up on our feeds. When we reached out to her, we learned that she also listens to our podcast, and we felt like we found our long lost doppelgänger at summer camp. We are so thrilled to be joined today by Mary-Kate and Ashley superfan and TikTok/Instagram influencer Madeleine Byrne!We ask Madeleine how she became a Mary-Kate and Ashley fan, which of their movies was her favorite, and which fashion era was the most influential to her. We also talk about Mary-Kate and Ashley's influence on our generation, how much different teen media is now compared to the 2000s, and why Mary-Kate and Ashley were so aspirational to millennials.Madeleine also drops a bombshell about the Mary-Kate and Ashley onscreen boyfriends that she dated IRL (fulfilling every MKA superfan's dreams), and we introduce her to our classic, unhinged game: Mary-Kate or Ashley.You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.Follow Madeleine!TikTok: @MadeleineByrneInstagram: @MadeleineByrneFollow us!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the Show.

A few episodes ago, we talked about Mary-Kate and Ashley's visit to TRL in 2004 to promote their upcoming film, New York Minute. In that TRL appearance, they were interviewed by a VJ who thought a picture they were in with Robert DeNiro was creepy. We were very confused by this, so we found that VJ on Instagram to get to the bottom of the story, which is why today we are joined by TRL VJ himself, Damien Fahey!We talk to Damien about how he became a VJ on MTV at such a young age, what made him dry heave every morning when he woke up to go to work, and how he became known as the guy who would refuse to go to Jennifer Aniston's birthday party. We of course dig into what he remembers about that fateful interview with Mary-Kate and Ashley in 2004 and why he made that weird comment about Robert Deniro. We also indulge our teenage hearts and ask what a typical day looked like in the life of a 2004 TRL VJ. Spoiler alert: we were not disappointed.We hope this interview sings to your inner pop-culture loving 2000s teenager like it did for us. Sending a HUGE thank you to Damien for coming on our show and not hating us for calling him creepy two months ago

This is it. The final episode of our final two-part review of a film starring Mary-Kate and Ashley.  This journey has gone faster than a New York Minute.Today we finish our review of the second half of the film and get a little bit deeper into how we felt about it. We unfortunately have to address the incredible misstep of Andy Richter's entire character, the uselessness of both Mary-Kate and Ashley's "love" interests, the awkwardness of the House of Bling, the incredibly well acted yet woefully unearned final fight between Mary-Kate and Ashley, and the palpable creepiness of Darrell Hammond. Of course, we also offer our own punch ups that we think could have saved this movie (except for Andy Richter's whole storyline, that just needed to go).Despite our misgivings, we (mostly Lani) still find parts of this movie that we genuinely loved. The fashion, the one-liners, the iconic Mary-Kate faces, and the perfect Bob Saget cameo ❤️ And at long last we finally figure out where New York Minute fits in the Mary-Kate and Ashley Universe... kind of.So put on your low rise jeans, hold your day planner close, and for the love of God, don't do any offensive accents, because it's 2024 and today is our last episode revisiting the 2004 classic, New York Minute.You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the Show.

We can't believe we're finally here. Our final Mary-Kate and Ashley movie review. And just like we suspected: it's a two part episode.On May 7th, 2004 (exactly 20 years ago today), Mary-Kate and Ashley's final film together, New York Minute,  was released in theaters. The movie had an impressive cast including Eugene Levy, Andy Richter, Jared Padalecki, Andrea Martin, Darrell Hammond, and the most 2004 cast member of all: Jack Osbourne. The movie follows Jane Ryan (Ashley) and her twin sister Roxy (Mary-Kate) as they venture into New York City on separate missions, bickering the entire way. Roxy is a rocker, and Ashley is a Republican, so they couldn't be more different! Chaos ensues.For today's episode, we start by remembering where we were 20 years ago when this movie came out and how we felt about it back then. We discuss what it meant for Mary-Kate and Ashley to have this kind of wide spread movie release and what we remembered about watching it for the first time. And since neither Becca nor Lani has seen this movie in the 20 years since, we talk about why we felt so nervous before pressing play.Then, we dive in deep. We get through about half of the movie in this review before going on a tangent about where New York Minute fits in the Mary-Kate and Ashley Universe, so make sure to tune in next week for part two! We hope you enjoy this beginning to the end of an era, and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO NEW YORK MINUTE!You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the Show.

On Saturday, May 15th, 2004, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen had a decision to make: they could either attend their senior prom or host the season finale of Saturday Night Live. As you probably guessed, they chose SNL.And as a consolation for missing their high school prom, Jimmy Fallon, Will Forte, Maya Rudolf, and Amy Poehler gave Mary-Kate and Ashley a miniature prom during their 5 minute monologue on the stage of Studio 8H. The rest of the night featured Mary-Kate and Ashley playing paparazzi, selling perfume, selling backpacks, spoofing The Swan, enduring Jimmy Fallon, and playing as angsty teens on home video.So today, Becca and Lani give their review of the episode sketch by sketch* and discuss what the significance was of Mary-Kate and Ashley hosting Saturday Night Live. We are also painfully reminded of just how long ago 2004 was with how wildly racist, sexist, and homophobic so many of the jokes are. At least there was one sketch in this episode that we both agree was utter perfection (can you guess which one?)We hope you enjoy this deep dive into this culturally significant moment in television and allow us to geek out over the construction of sketch scene (it's our expertise, after all). But most of all, we hope you join us in celebrating Mary-Kate and Ashley for successfully accomplishing the enormous feat of hosting this insanely difficult show on live television.  You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.If you don't have Peacock, watch (most of) the SNL episode here:Mary-Kate and Ashley Host SNL part 1Mary-Kate and Ashley Host SNL part 2Mary-Kate and Ashley Host SNL part 3Mary-Kate and Ashley Host SNL part 4Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com*We just learned that we missed the "Bloater Brothers" sketch during our review so here it is: bad sketch, but Mary-Kate and Ashley do a great job. And they look SO cute in 70s clothes & hair, OMG!Support the Show.

We're counting down the days to New York Minute's 20th anniversary, but before we get there, we have to talk about another countdown that is unfortunately a touchstone of this era in Mary-Kate and Ashley's careers: the countdown to their 18th birthday.During the press tour for New York Minute in 2004, which opened just one month before the girls turned 18, the media became fascinated with a new trend of websites dedicated entirely to counting down the days, hours, minutes & seconds to when Mary-Kate and Ashley would become "legal." This type of discourse has been around since Hollywood has had child stars and 40-something creeps have had air to breathe, but one thing was different about 2004: the internet. As many of our sources mention, only a little over a dozen Mary-Kate and Ashley "countdown" sites were created, which by today's standards would hardly warrant a thought, let alone a news segment. But during the early days of the internet and with the world's most famous twins at the center of the story, this became a cultural fixation.Mary-Kate and Ashley even had to address this fixation themselves when they hosted SNL, with Mary-Kate signing off the show saying, "and remember, we're legal in 4 weeks!" So today, we're talking about what we remember about this time, how we feel about it now, and why why WHY does stuff like this happen? There are times when this topic gets difficult to talk about, so like for many of our podcasts during this time, please take care while listening.As promised, here are the links we talk about in this episode:Quick tiktokAnother tiktokAn old countdown websiteA gross forum from 2003Eminiem song "Ass like that" (MK&A part starts at 2:21)E! Online blurb from 2004Article written for The Pool in 2018 with a lot of research on the history of celebrity women's "countdown"sNon-countdown related videos:Regis and Kelly 2004The Today Show 2004Access Hollywood 2004Entertainment Tonight 2004MTV "Home Video" 2004You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

Today is the day we reckon with on of the most infamous Mary-Kate and Ashley interviews of all time. On April 28th, 2004, Oprah invited Mary-Kate and Ashley onto The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss their upcoming film New York Minute, to ask about their plans after graduation, and to address the rumors that had been hounding them in the tabloids.  And it's that last point that made this interview infamous. While Mary-Kate and Ashley calmly tried to cool the temperature on the tabloids' relentless speculations over Mary-Kate, Oprah bluntly asks the seventeen year olds their dress size. It's painful and uncomfortable, so much so that the clipped resurfaced on TikTok in 2021 and created such an uproar, that the full video of the interview is nearly impossible to find online anymore.So for this episode, we scrap together the pieces of this interview we could still find and discuss them in depth. We discuss the weird parts of the interview aside from "the moment," the difference between tacos in 2004 and 2024, and the cultural significance of Oprah in the early '00s (with a surprise guest appearance by our good friend, Jessica Charles). We also touch on Mary-Kate and Ashley's followup interview with Oprah in 2008, and the remarkable rate at which Mary-Kate and Ashley because two wise women in four short years.Here are the links we discuss:"Opening": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQn68nu_BbM&t=22sHow to tell them apart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eucwHCNimYCollege: https://youtu.be/5wbJfnbyjE4?si=hdnMNp65XUCMaU_qAllowance: https://youtu.be/bwG_zh2XWKU?si=Pc70FpuDrviR8XXRFavorite tacos: https://youtu.be/YKgSNRi-Ck8?si=bTDmOdnD4EhSv3BvTwo different people: https://youtu.be/r4_bX1ttaFg?si=35l0SYHcnZgf9YX0THE moment: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTUTbUW/Another NY Minute interview just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Koa4jVoX0NkVideo of MKA interviewing each other: https://www.oprah.com/own-oprahshow/the-olsen-twins-interview-each-otherOprah article summarizing the interview: https://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/millionaire-moguls/allYou can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

The countdown to New York Minute continues! And today, we're examining all the late night interviews and talk show appearances that Mary-Kate and Ashley did to promote their action comedy feature, New York Minute (excluding their appearance on Oprah, that will be its whole own episode). Many of these interviews happened just days apart, but watching them all in sequence feels like watching a lifetime go by. In their first interview with Letterman, they're poised, well trained, and eager to promote their SNL episode and upcoming film. The next day at their TRL appearance, they're goofier, loose, and casual, clearly trying to relate to their fellow teens. Then, while hosting  "25 hottest under 25," we see them hollow, bored, and aloof, seemingly trying to fit into the '"sexy" MTV aesthetic of the 00's. All of these appearances seem to demand something different from them, and on top of that they're also in the throes of graduating from high school, getting ready to host SNL, and somehow trying to celebrate an 18th birthday that the world keeps counting down to. To say they were under pressure would be a wild understatement.We discuss each of these appearances and what stood out to us, and also try to figure out if they knew before this press tour if they were going to be firing their team as soon as they turned 18, or if this grueling schedule brought them to that decision.We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to follow along with the videos we discuss, here are the links:Letterman, May 3rd 2004, LettermanTRL, May 4th 2004: Pt 1 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTNPUPC/Pt 2 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTNUYB4/Pt 3 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTFgnVP/Pt 4 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTNgpmc/ "Olsen Eye for the Video Guy" Jan 2004 (not NYM promo, but we're obsessed)Teen People's 25 Hottest under 25Rove Australia (just Ashley) June 2004VMA's, September 2004You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

We are officially on the road to New York Minute! In our next few episodes, we will cover the press & publicity tour that Mary-Kate and Ashley went on in 2004 ahead of their much anticipated theatrical release, New York Minute. And our first stop is the press that Mary-Kate, Ashley and their team didn't have much control over: the tabloids. In 2004, celebrity gossip magazines were at the peak of their popularity and ruthlessness: Britney Spears was dating Kevin Federline, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston were about to get divorced, and Paris Hilton was Hollywood's it-girl. The profits were white hot, and they had their eyes set on their next targets: the Olsens.Since this is an extremely delicate topic that we weren't thrilled about diving into, we decided the best way to approach it would be to go directly to the source. We purchased 6 tabloids from 2004 on eBay and thumbed through each one to examine *how* the tabloids talked about Mary-Kate and Ashley instead of dwelling on *what* they talked about, since we all know it was all trash. We track the progression of the stories, the sources they site, and the pictures they pull. We also contemplate the legality of talking about the sexuality of minors-- seriously, how is it legal?We also take care to burn sage before and after opening these magazines, being mindful of the dark energy they possess. Please take care while listening to this episode.You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

On April 29th, 2004, at 17 years old, Mary-Kate and Ashley received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And on February 14th, 2024, two thirty-somethings, Lani and Becca, finally visited it.Since Lani and Becca both live in Los Angeles and had somehow never gone to see the Olsen's star, we decided there was no better time than now for our podcast's first field trip. Located on 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, their star is in the primest of prime locations, on the same block as the TCL Chinese Theater and among megastars-- we could not have been prouder when we finally found it.When we get back to our studio, we unpack the physical and emotional journey we just embarked on.  We also discuss what the Hollywood Walk of Fame even is and why (and if) it matters to us and pop culture at large. And most importantly, we talk about what Mary-Kate and Ashley getting this star meant to us back in 2004, what we remember, and how we feel about it now.You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDo you have more information about the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the showSupport the show

Subscriber-only episodeLast month, we received an email from our former podcast guest Deborah Dean Davis (screenwriter of It Takes Two) with the most amazing message:"After alllllllllllllllll these years I took down the It Takes Two film poster..........(sharp intake of breath) and PUT UP A NEW POSTER! The poster... the first poster got a little bit faded. It's still in the massive frame, etc. And you are the only people on the planet I would offer it to."We were tickled beyond believe, so we obviously said yes and set out to pick up the poster. Since we went during rush hour in LA, we had a loooot of time in the car, so naturally we felt it was a good opportunity to record an impromptu bonus episode.We hope you enjoy this episode as we sit in traffic and reflect on how our lives have brought us to this moment of becoming friends with the writer of our favorite movie.You can get more bonus material by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Welcome to our first interview of 2024! Today we talk with Viviana Rosales Olen  and Matt Harkins, the creators of THNK1994 and the masterminds behind the "Olsens Hiding from Paparazzi" museum and the Mary-Kate and Ash Tray.Viviana and Matt tell us about how THNK1994 was first started with a museum in the hallway of their apartment and has blossomed into an experimental pop culture empire. Their second exhibit in 2016, "The Olsens Hiding From Paparazzi,"  featured paintings by Laura Collins of Mary-Kate and Ashley literally hiding from cameras, which gave museum goes an eerie invasive feeling as they walked through the gallery. THNK1994 is now an entire creative agency which bridges the world of experimental art and pop culture trash in the most delightful ways.Of course, we had to dig into the nitty gritty of their fascination with our gals MK&A. We talk about what inspired them to feature Mary-Kate and Ashley in their second exhibit, how creating the museum changed their perception of them, and what they hope for them now.We hope you enjoy a trip into the bizarre and inspiring world of THNK1994 as much as we did. You can watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Follow THNK1994 on Instagram: @thnk1994Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDo you have a favorite picture of MK&A smoking? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

Subscriber-only episodeWe are SO excited to share our very first subscriber bonus episode with you! In this bonus series, we will be discussing Mary-Kate and Ashley adjacent, feminine-centric pop culture of the '00s. And we're starting with the film that defined the "Pink movie" genre for the past two decades: Mean Girls.Becca and Lani saw Mean Girls 2024 together this month, and as we stood by the fountain outside the The Grove AMC in Los Angeles discussing what we liked and didn't like about the film, we realized that everything we were talking about was deeply relevant to our podcast. Not only because it's based on one of the biggest movies of 2004, the same year we're currently talking about in Mary-Kate and Ashley's timeline, but also because its literally re-examining and re-imagining girlhood in the early 00s through a modern day, feminist lens. That's our expertise, babe! So here we are.It's impossible not to compare this film to the Lindsay Lohan classic film from 2004, so we discuss which changes worked, which ones didn't, and how the characters themselves have changed in this modern-day retelling. We also discuss the budget this film received, its marketing strategy, and how the Mean Girls Musical translated to film.We're so excited to bring this first installment of our bonus series, and we hope you enjoy! Subscribe and listen wherever you get podcasts here.You can also watch the video version of this podcast & get more bonus material by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

In July 2003, Vanity Fair, whether intentionally or not, put together the most monumental photoshoot in history. A photoshoot like nothing that had ever been done before and, dare we say, could never be done again.  A photoshoot so deeply iconic, every pop culture loving person still knows 20 years later: "It's Totally Raining Teens."On that fateful day in 2003, Amanda Bynes, Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff, Alexis Bledel, Evan Rachel Wood, Raven, Lindsay Lohan, and our gals Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, wearing metallics and soft pinks, posed for in the same room together for this iconic cover. The inside of the magazine was bursting with even more teens (and shockingly some twenty-somethings) including Brittany Snow,  Solange Knowles, Christina Milian, Shia LaBeouf, Bow Wow, Aaron Carter, the Harry Potter kids, Milo Ventimiglia, Jared Padelecki, Kaley Cuoco, and even more teens I'm too tired to name! It was literally raining teens! Every teen was also asked what kind of cell phone they used, if they preferred Britney or Christina, and how many Juicy Couture outfits they owned. It was the most 2003 thing that has ever 2003'd, and we are obsessed with it.Why did this happen? We may never know. But what we do know is that this little time capsule is one of the most important documents in modern history. So we read through every profile, contemplate every photograph, and much like we did in 2003, try to decipher secrets of culture and girlhood that we know this magazine holds.If you, like us,  have tragically misplaced your original hard copy of this iconic issue, you can read it along with us this link from Simply Olsen (our Olsen media lord and savior).You can watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Some other links we talk about: Lindsay Lohan reflects on the cover Hilary Duff reflects on ‘anxiety-inducing' Vanity Fair cover Evan Rachel Wood, The Real Story Behind That Iconic 'Raining Teens' Vanity Fair CoverFind us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDo you know if Juicy Couture sponsored the "It's Totally Raining Teens" issue? Do you know the correct way to pronounce "Ryan Phillippe?" Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

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It's the most wonderful time of the year— it's our end of year Q&A! Last week, we collected questions from you— our listeners, Patreon subscribers, Instagram followers, etc, about topics ranging from our favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley dads to what has been the greatest lesson we've learned since starting our podcast.We absolutely love doing these episodes, and this year, your questions were really something special. So special we couldn't them all in one episode. Classic us. Please enjoy this first part of our Q&A, and if your question didnt get answered, tune in next week for part 2!Thank you all so much for all your love and support this year. We're so grateful for this community, and we wish you all the happiest holidays and a wonderful new year!You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

"You know, anonymity is a luxury as well.” - Mary-Kate Olsen, 2023On Nov 17th, 2023 (that's right THIS year, just a few weeks ago) Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen sat down for an extremely rare interview with Financial Times Fashion to discuss their brand The Row and the meaning of "stealth wealth." We so rarely get a peak into Mary-Kate and Ashley's lives these days, let alone a whole snippet of a conversation between the two of them, so we jumped at the chance to do a whole episode on this article. In this interview, we get a glimpse into Mary-Kate and Ashley's approach to their business, their dynamic as adults, and a few secrets about their brand's Instagram and distaste for interviews. Most importantly, we learn straight from Mary-Kate and Ashley themselves how The Row is and always has been directly influenced by the careers they had in the spotlight (for better or for worse).What stands out the most from this interview is the strength that Mary-Kate and Ashley yield now as women. We can't help but gush about how continually proud we are of them, and how inspired we are that they've been able to take back so much control and power of their lives and careers. And my god, the quotes in this interview are ZINGERS!We hope you enjoy our deep dive into this exclusive interview (major props to the writer Jo Ellison for this impressive feat), and don't forget to read the whole interview in all its glory on Financial Times.You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsNext week's episode is a Q&A and we need YOUR questions!  Email us your questions (or a short & cute voice memo) at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comLinks we talk about:Gigi Hadid Fights Off Man Who Grabbed Her Outside Fashion Show Cara Delevingne Talks About 'Paper Towns' “That's not the truth, Ellen”: How Dakota Johnson won her birthday feud against Ellen DeGeneres Design TangentsExploring the creative processes & inspirations that drive change-makers.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Today, we conclude our conversation about Mary-Kate and Ashley's final direct to video film, The Challenge (2003).And if you know this movie, you know that the ending is what makes this film a piece of magic. Both Lani and Becca had parts of the surprise ending spoiled for them, so we thought we were prepared, but we absolutely weren't. We even thought we were prepared to talk about the ending, but we absolutely were not. So we cry as we talk about how Mary-Kate and Ashley knew this was their final film just for their fans, and how they gave us the sweetest sendoff we could have ever imagined. We HIGHLY recommend watching this nice warm hug of a film, so if you don't still have the DVD or VHS, you can watch by clicking the link in SimplyOlsen's Instagram bio (which we are forever grateful for).You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsOur producer Camara Rauen: @camararollinEmail us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

On May 3rd, 2003, Mary-Kate and Ashley released their last direct-to-video film, The Challenge, marking the end of an era. Yes, the sisters would go on to star in New York Minute a year later, but that would get a theatrical release, have much higher stakes, and was generally completely different.Starting with the release of Billboard Dad in 1998, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, with their manager Robert Thorne and their company Dualstar, carved out a niche in low budget direct-to-video films for teen girls, which was then solidified by the massive success of their sophomore dtv film, Passport to Paris. Over the next 5 years, these movies would function as the anchor for their brand, creating a genre of teenage fantasy travel films, and endearing the twins and their style to girls (and some boys!) all around the world. Though the quality and success of these films waned towards the end of their 5 year run, they were still beloved by many and played a pivotal role in making Mary-Kate and Ashley the most powerful young women in Hollywood. And The Challenge, a film about two estranged twin sisters Shane and Lizzie competing on a Survior-esque reality game show in Mexico, was their last one (and they knew it would be).Months ago, we promised that as soon as the SAG-AFTRA strike was over, we would review this film for the podcast. When we made that promise, we had no idea the strike still had so many months left, and how difficult and painful this year would be. Watching this film now that a tentative deal has been reached was the greatest gift we ever could have been given, and you'll see why.And in typical Becca & Lani fashion, we had simply too much to talk about, so we had to break this episode up into two parts. So,  we present to you the first part of our conversation about Mary-Kate and Ashley's penultimate film. Their final Dualstar direct-to-video feature. Their love letter to us, their fans.We HIGHLY recommend watching this film before listening to this ep, and if you don't still have the DVD or VHS, you can do so by clicking the link in SimplyOlsen's Instagram bio (which we are forever grateful for).You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsOur producer Camara Rauen: @camararollinEmail us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

Happy Halloween! In celebration of our favorite holiday, we're playing for you the ENTIRE Halloween episode of Two of a Kind: Nightmare on Carrie Street (ep 6).Yes, this show was meant to be watched, but we think it actually works quite well as a little audio drama. We hope you enjoy the flawless writing and impeccable performances in this timeless show that is actually the best sitcom ever made.You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here."Nightmare on Carrie Street" was written by Fred Rubin, directed by Richard Correll and aired for the first time on Oct 30, 1998.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsOur producer Camara Rauen: @camararollinQuestions/thoughts? Email us at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

We are THRILLED to be talking this week about Mary-Kate and Ashley's appearance at MTV's 2003 Video Music Awards and subsequent Rolling Stone Cover (and never again about Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action).On August 28th 2003, Mary-Kate and Ashley made their second appearance at the MTV VMAs. For anyone who doesn't remember, this was a big year for the VMAs. This was the VMAs that opened with the notorious Britney Spears, Madonna & Christina Aguilera performance, and a tidbit that the history books don't mention is that Mary-Kate and Ashley were also there! They presented best pop video with David Spade, and every joke Chris Rock makes about them is as cringey as you can imagine. We also talk about their red carpet interview with SuChin Pak before the show, who asks them how they feel about Rolling Stone calling them "America's Fantasy," in their iconic cover that was coming out just a week later. In this interview and in the Rolling Stone article, Mary-Kate and Ashley walk the impossible tightrope of posing for a magazine with notoriously sexy covers while denying an awareness of their own sexuality amidst a barrage of reminders that America has started sexualizing them. We do our best to unpack this strange and unsettling time in pop culture history, and buckle up for the rollercoaster that is about to be our coverage of Mary-Kate and Ashley in 2003 & '04. We hope you enjoy this first chapter!You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.You can watch the full video of the 2003 VMAS here and read their Rolling Stone Article here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsQuestions/thoughts? Email us at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comSupport the show

We can't believe we're finally here. Over the course of the last two months, we've done something we never thought we'd do, something no one asked us to do, something we  were maybe never *supposed* to do. We watched every single episode of Mary-Kate and Ashley's 2001 cartoon, Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action.Today we talk about the last three surviving episodes of the series: episode 23 "Bad Hair Day, episode 24 "Horsing Around," and episode 26 "Tourist Traps." Since we only had three episodes left,  both Lani & Becca watch every episode and lovingly explain their ridiculously incoherent premises to you, so you don't have to watch them yourself. While describing Bad Hair Day, with probably the dumbest premise of them all, we get a bit melancholy. We realize we'll never see a new wacky and idiotic Mary-Kate and Ashley cartoon again (unless the abortion episode ever resurfaces from the ether), and that is a unique kind of sadness.We sincerely hope you enjoyed this brave & unpredictable journey we went on together. We truly had a blast, and we cannot WAIT to talk about something, anything else.Again, we INSIST, you don't have to watch this cartoon, but if you must, you can do so by clicking the link in SimplyOlsen's Instagram bio (which we are forever grateful for).And here's the link to the Two of a Kind interview we reference in the ep.You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comP.S. We will be going back to our bi-weekly schedule after this ep, so we will be back with a new episode on Oct 17!

This is our FOURTH episode about Mary-Kate and Ashley's cartoon, Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action. We're completely out of control!!Today we talk about episodes 12-15, 19, and 21, and we follow last week's format of taking turns telling each other what each episode was about. Admittedly, our brains start to bust a bit in this episode because hearing these bizarre plots over and over again made us start to lose our grip on reality. At least we can always know what to expect from on our favorite villains: Clive will eat cheese and abuse his butler, Rommy will make a technology to atone for her trauma as a repressed lesbian, and Rene La Rouge will concoct some cockamamy scheme for the sake of world beauty.Again, we really don't think you need to watch this cartoon series, but if you'd like to, you can do so by clicking the link in SimplyOlsen's Instagram bio (which we are forever grateful for).And you WILL want to watch our links to every Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action intro on our Instagram here and here.You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDo you want us to talk about Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action MORE? Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comP.S. Yes, we are still planning on keeping our bi-weekly schedule, but we simply couldn't let this MKA in Action series go on for months, so we're going to back to every week until it's done. We hope you enjoy!

Yes, we are still on our journey through Mary-Kate and Ashley's 2001 cartoon, Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action. We did not intend to do more than a single episode on this show. This is what Mary-Kate and Ashley do to us.Today, we talk about episodes 7-12, but instead of us both watching every episode, we decided to tag-team it. Lani took the odd numbers and Becca took the even, and we take turns describing each episode to each other. We ended up having WAY more fun telling the stories of these episodes to each other than we did actually watching the show, and only get through four of the ten episodes we had planned on talking about. This has been the most bizarre turn in our Mary-Kate and Ashley deep dive, and we wouldn't have it any other way. We are also joined by our "producer*" Celey Schumer who listens from the peanut gallery and adds incredibly valuable information, like informing us that New Zealand actually gets cold, and the title of Lindsay Lohan's 2002 spy movie. We hope you enjoy listening to these bizarre cartoon plots SO much more than we enjoyed watching them. If you still insist on watching the full MK&A in Action series, you can do so by clicking the link in SimplyOlsen's Instagram bio (which we are forever grateful for).You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDid you work on this show and want to tell us some hot BTS goss? Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Today we continue our journey watching Mary-Kate and Ashley's fourth and final television series, Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action.In this episode, we review episodes 2-6, and we also give a brief history of the cartoon series. We go over the myriad merchandise Dualstar created before it knew that the cartoon was a failure (including action figures, bed spreads, birthday party favors, etc), and the original pitch for the show as Mary-Kate and Ashley as crime fighting movie stars.Then we dive into our review of the first quarter of this show to see if our predictions from the pilot were true. We discuss the surprisingly complicated themes of the episodes, including the shaming of women who want to wear makeup, the consequences of having a stolen childhood, the importance of diversity, and not letting your insecurities create bad behavior towards others. Despite these deep & interesting topics, these episodes were not very good at all. Except for maybe the beginning of Episode 6, which Lani forgot to watch.Watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Watch the full MK&A in Action series by clicking the link in SimplyOlsen's Instagram bio (which we are forever grateful for).Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDid you work on this show and want to tell us some hot BTS goss? Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Incredible news!!! Ashley Olsen and her husband Louis Eisner had a BABY!! His name is Otto Mozart Eisner, and we are absolutely thrilled for them and Mary-Kate (AND Lizzie!!) for becoming aunts. We also think Otto is the cutest name ever, and will referring to him as Otto Olsen whether that's his full name or not.But also, the biggest story here is how Ashley managed to keep an entire pregnancy and birth completely hidden from the public until months after her baby was born. Though she is mostly out of the spotlight now, she is still an incredibly famous woman with many people still invested in her every move (including the paparazzi). Even rumors of a pregnancy would've caused a frenzy, but Ashley somehow managed to circumvent all of that. She moved into this new phase of life in complete privacy, which is something she was never given while she was growing up, and something she (and everyone) deserves so, so much. Most importantly, she was able to escape the impossible scrutiny that emerges when celebrities go through pregnancy in the public eye. We discuss how Kim Kardashian basically had to apologize for having a human body when she was going through her first pregnancy, and how Jessica Simpson faced similar criticism with her last. We really had no idea how we would make an entire episode out Ashley's secret pregnancy, but it turns out, we had A LOT to say. We hope you enjoy, and most of all— congrats to the Olsen/Eisner family!Watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Ashley Olsen and the Power of Perfect Silence by Raven Smith: https://www.vogue.com/article/ashley-olsen-pregnancy-perfect-silenceFind us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsAre you a publicist and want to be on the pod?? Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Come on, let's save the world-- AGAIN!On October 20, 2001, Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action premiered on the ABC block Disney's One Saturday Morning (according to Wikipedia, but we know it from ABC Family). The show was the first and only animated television series starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and featured the twins fighting crime around the world with their robot dog, Quincy.  Neither Becca nor Lani ever watched this show, mainly because it was marketed towards little children, but also because it didn't seem very good. Now, we see if we were right.Today we talk about the pilot episode, "SPF 5000," which we both watched for the very first time.  And let's just say... we had some disagreements. Becca came at this review more level headed and Lani, being overworked and sleep deprived, was way more amused by the entire episode than any 30-something watching a Mary-Kate and Ashley cartoon should be.We discuss our initial impressions, our hopes and fears for future episodes, and even figure out this cartoon's place in the greater Mary-Kate and Ashley Universe. We also share our recent experiences at the Taylor Swift and Beyonce concerts, and explain why this episode isn't about the Barbie movie.So strap into your government funded airboat and pack your stinky ass cheese, because we're going on a cartoon ride for the next few weeks, and its gonna get weird!Watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Watch the full MK&A in Action series by clicking the link in SimplyOlsen's Instagram bio (which we are forever grateful for).Get the Mary-Kate and Ashley mugs we use in the podcast at EZinkDESIGNS's Etsy storeFind us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsWas this cartoon your favorite thing Mary-Kate and Ashley did??? Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

What is your favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley podcast doing watching a Hilary Duff movie?! First of all, don't come at us, second of all, of course we are.During our deep dive of Mary-Kate and Ashley's When in Rome (2002), many of our listeners pointed out to us that we *needed* to watch The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003). Not only did it come out just one year later and take place in the same city, but it also follows the Dualstar movie formula to a T. So we did the unthinkable: we reviewed our very first project with absolutely no involvement from Mary-Kate or Ashley. And yet, Mary-Kate and Ashley's influence is all over this movie. Mainly, the premise that Lizzie travels to a foreign country and falls in love with a boy (ALSO named Paolo!!), but even the wardrobe, mopeds, fashion montages, sightseeing montages, and the inexplicably identical strangers has the Olsen Twins written all over it. In fact, we think it would have been better *as* a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie, so naturally, we retroactively rewrite the movie for them and make it way, way better.We also bring back one of our favorite games, "Acting Tracker," but this time, instead of comparing Mary-Kate and Ashley's acting performance, we compare Mary-Kate, Ashley and Hilary Duff's performances in these two movies (and generally).*This podcast was recorded July 9th 2023, before the SAG strike began. We stand with SAG and the WGA while they negotiate for a fair contract.Watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsHave other Mary-Kate and Ashley adjacent projects you'd like us to talk about? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Ciao! Bellissimo! Rigatoni! Today we travel to Italy, but not only that, we also travel back in time to 2002 when Mary-Kate and Ashley posted their virtual diary of their European travels on mary-kateandashley.com. And we read every single entry. Mary-Kate and Ashley's trip first starts in Venice where they buy towels and etched glass, then they fly to Florence where they shop at the Prada and Dolce & Gabbana outlet stores (because they're just like us!), then of course to Rome to film their infamous classic, When in Rome and encounter an Italian labor strike, and finally they end their trip in London with a full press tour of their clothing line.  While it's adorable reading about the things Mary-Kate and Ashley ate, the tourists attractions they visited, and all the times they popped, we were surprised these diary entries had a glaring omission-- their boyfriends! We've all seen the pictures of Mary-Kate and Ashley on the streets of Rome with their beaus during the filming of When in Rome, and yet they never come up in the virtual diary. So we go back and look at the photos of them and their boyfriends in Rome that our pal Derrick Dobson shared with us, and we examine why people thought these were "controversial" at the time. We hope this episode gets you excited about your summer travels, and also makes you think twice about whether someone is holding a beer or a can of Pringles! Watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Video we talk about: Behind the Scenes of When in RomeFind us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us questions at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Hello our beloved listener/learns-- we're back!!Today, we're soft launching our new season with a mini episode all about When in Rome's alternate ending. This was shared with us after we recorded our When in Rome episode, which is tragic because this ending changes everything. We could have talked for 5 hours about it, but we kept it under 30 minutes because we know you all have BBQ's to attend, fireworks to watch, and cute food to eat.So please enjoy this bite-size ep, complete with what we've been up to, what to expect from us this summer, and some hot hot tips on upgrading your morning coffee routine. Watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us questions at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Happy Birthday, Mary-Kate and Ashley!! To celebrate this national holiday, we decided to do the most exciting thing we've ever done-- host a real life birthday party for Mary-Kate and Ashley ourselves! And unlike the time Becca was a child and saw the commercial for "You're Invited to Mary-Kate and Ashley's Sleepover Party" and thought she was literally invited, this time you actually are!We sent a call out on our Instagram and invited our friends from Patreon to join us virtually to celebrate, and we had an epic party with folks joining from around the globe. We ate cookies with Mary-Kate and Ashley's faces on them, played Dualstar MadLibs, and even brainstormed our own fantasy Mary-Kate and Ashley movie, "Once Upon a Farm," which we're pretty sure is legitimately great.We also sent Mary-Kate and Ashley birthday wishes for the future and gratitude for all they've done and given to us personally through their decades of work. Hosting this party really showed us how much of a positive impact they had on so many of us, and it was truly heartwarming to hear everyone's stories about how these women touched their lives.So assuming Mary-Kate and/or Ashley are reading & listing to this right now-- THANK YOU for being the heroes that you are, and we hope you have the most amazing day!Want to participate in the next Mary-Kate and Ashley party? Subscribe to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsEmail us questions at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Today we watch what (we think) has been collectively agreed upon by Mary-Kate and Ashley fans as their worst movie. The movie that for some singlehandedly ended their Mary-Kate and Ashley obsession: When in Rome. On November 26th, 2002, When in Rome was released straight to DVD and VHS and followed Charli (Mary-Kate) and Leila (Ashley) as they interned for a top fashion designer in Rome, Italy. Where they came from, how they got there, and why these two sisters share a highly competitive internship we may never know, but we DO know that they get to share a boarding house with other interns, and they are HOT.But that doesn't really matter because their boss is trying to sabotage them and so is one of the other interns, but that doesn't matter because the rich fashion designer saves them. But he wants THEM to save his nephew, and they want HIM to date their other boss, but Mary-Kate wants to kiss an Italian boy and Ashley wants to prove herself, so they concoct a plan to get back at their enemies by making clothes.So, as you can see, the plot is a little hard to follow, but we do our best to talk through this movie that we  barely recall seeing as children. We talk about the reasons this movie lacks the magic of the other ones, the ways it could have been better, and applaud the moments that sometimes work (like the entire third act, as Lani claims).Ultimately after watching this movie and its undeniable dip in quality, we realized there's still so much to unpack about this era of Mary-Kate and Ashley's careers. We'll be taking a break for the next few weeks, but when we come back, we're determined to dig even deeper into this often overlooked era (basically late '02-'03, because one year is a lifetime in Mary-Kate and Ashley years).So slip on your pin striped button down, flat iron the hell out of your entire head of hair, get your chunky belt and your clunky clogs, because today, we're going to Roma!Watch the full video version of this podcast by subscribing to our Patreon here and watch When in Rome on our angel SimplyOlsen's magical link here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsWas When in Rome your favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley movie?  PLEASE tell us why: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Last episode, we used the Wayback Machine to take a deep dive into marykateandashley.com. We clicked through the clickboards, sent a web-based email, and learned all about the hot new "fash" tips and best highlights for your hair (not the kind you're thinking). But after recording our episode, we realized there was one link we didn't click: the full transcript of a Q&A with Mary-Kate and Ashley themselves (?!).So today, we do a dramatic reenactment of the entire chat, with Becca playing Mary-Kate and Lani playing Ashley, of course. We're reminded of chaotic early internet chat rooms as we try to decipher this absolutely unhinged transcript, and our hearts bleed for the fans who cleared their entire schedules (and surgeries) to be present for this mayhem.Things also take a dark turn when one fan asks how much Mary-Kate and Ashley weigh, which influences several other fans, who had previously been asking how Mary-Kate and Ashley do their hair and their favorite stores to shop at, to also ask how much they weigh, and creates a mob of preteens demanding to know their weight. Much to these fans' dismay and our relief, Mary-Kate and Ashley never reveal their weight or their personal emails.This is one wild trip, so we hope you're ready! And most importantly, we hope you saw the 1999 film Superstar, because it comes up. A LOT.Click through the website we visit here and watch the full video version of this podcast by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsWere you part of this chat and want to tell us your story? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

In the late 90s, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen launched one of the most epic websites of all time: marykateandashley.com. For today's episode, because of a wonderful tool called The Wayback Machine, we were able to travel back in time to visit this website in all its glory.In typical They Thought I Was You fashion (or shall we say "fash"), we thought we could cover every iteration of this iconic website throughout the years, from its launch until it went defunct in the 00s, in just one episode. Then, we landed on a snapshot of the site from August 22nd, 2000, with almost all of its graphics still in tact and a ton of links still clickable, and we realized there is waaaay too much to talk about in one single episode. So today, we spend the entire episode unpacking this one moment in time-- this precious summer of 2000 before Mary-Kate and Ashley entered high school-- and how it was reflected on Mary-Kate and Ashley's website.There is so much more here than we expected -- fashion tips, fitness advice, chat rooms, calendars, ecards, web-based emails from Mary-Kate and Ashley themselves,  CLICKBOARDS (?!), a newspaper simulator, an entire virtual magazine dedicated to their dolls -- the list quite literally goes on and on.  We click through as much as we physically and emotionally are able to, and unpack how precious and bizarre the early internet was.So weave in some beads & ribbons to highlight your hair, put on your Mary Janes and get that summer denim halter top out from the back of your closet, because we're visiting August 22nd, 2000, and it is one wild ride.Click through the website we visit here and watch the full video version of this podcast by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDid we miss your favorite part of Mary-Kate and Ashley's website? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER: We had an audio malfunction while recording, so the quality of the audio in this episode isn't great. But the conversation is, so please bear with us!On October 27, 2000, Mary-Kate and Ashley released their first video for PlayStation, Mary-Kate and Ashley: Magical Mystery Mall. They already had some success with their Gameboy games The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley  and Get a Clue, and Dance Party of the Century  for PC, and this game ushered in a wave of games for more advanced systems.Neither Lani nor Becca has a PlayStation, so we couldn't play this game ourselves, but luckily we found a playthrough of the entire game on YouTube. So today, we review this game from its promising opening scene to its nonsensical final game. We also talk about how companies poorly marketed video games to girls in the early 2000s, the prevailing tendency to make low-quality games for girls, and how that fed into the toxic gaming culture of following decades.Ultimately, there are parts of Magical Mystery Mall that are genuinely lovable and hilarious like any good Mary-Kate and Ashley movie, and parts that completely missed the mark and left us disappointed and frankly a little sad. But most of all, even through the terrible graphics and cringeworthy soundbites, Mary-Kate and Ashley's je ne sais quoi that makes everything they touch turn to gold still comes through.You can watch all of the playthrough and the full video version of this podcast by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDid you play Mary-Kate and Ashley's video games? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

We have finally come down from the high of having one of the best conversations of our lives with Jane Sibbett two weeks ago, and we are back this week to talk about serious business: Mary-Kate and Ashley's enormous power in 2002.Today, we're talking about a feature "Downtown 20/20" did on the Olsens in February 2002. This caught our attention a few weeks ago when we were researching our Young Hollywood on Late Night episode and because this interview actually reveals a lot about Mary-Kate and Ashley's business at this time. Mainly in what Robert Thorne says to Connie Chung: the girls could not fire him.This comment sent us on a tailspin, and we talk about the implications of what exactly that means, and how it conflicts with the "we make all the decisions" narrative they were pushing during this era.  We also discuss the ridiculousness of Connie Chung's questioning whether Mary-Kate and Ashley "going the Britney Spears route," when at this point in history, Britney Spears was starring in Crossroads and dating Justin Timberlake-- a relatively uncontroversial time for the pop princess. Finally, we discuss why everyone was obsessed with speculating when Mary-Kate and Ashley would break apart, because the world doesn't have "much of a need for 35 year old twins." And we're so proud of them for proving those naysayers wrong.You can watch all of the 20/20 segment and the full video version of this podcast by subscribing to our Patreon here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsAre you Meghan Trainor and want to record an episode with us? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.comAnd for those A+ students that want to prepare for next week's ep: Mary-Kate and Ashley's Magical Mystery Mall Playthrough

Yes, you read that correctly. Today we're talking to THAT Jane. The queer icon of Friends. The terrible, fabulous villain of It Takes Two. Ms. Clarice Kensington herself, whom we absolutely adoooooore, Jane Sibbett.We were thrilled to sit down with Jane and talk about her career and positively iconic roles in projects that shaped our childhood. Jane told us about her early work on sitcoms like Herman's Head (which, according to Wikipedia,  is what she's "best known for"), and how that role eventually led her to her groundbreaking character on Friends. We gush over her portrayal of Carol Willick, who she could have played as a two-dimensional lesbian ex-wife for the punchline. But instead, Jane played her with love and depth, portraying a grounded lesbian marriage on prime-time television, at a time when that was not widely accepted (and could even get you blacklisted).And of course, at the same time she was changing the hearts and minds of a nation on Friends, she was also terrorizing two twin girls at Camp Callaway as the stepmom we loved to hate in It Takes Two. We tell Jane about how watching this movie as an adult made us feel for Clarice and the pressures she was facing as an unmarried woman of a certain class, but Jane admits her approach to Clarice was much different than her role on Friends. She also shares her experience working with Mary-Kate and Ashley on set, and her biggest regret with them a few years later on the set of Friends.Finally, Jane tells us about how the intensity of paparazzi and the media surrounding the cast of Friends made her decide to move to Hawaii after the show ended, where she began to produce and create documentaries, which eventually led her to the work she's doing today as a spiritual healer. We were so blown away by Jane's love, kindness, poise, openness, and general aura as a human, and we hope you are too. Watch this full interview by subscribing to our Patreon here.Follow Jane on Social media!Instagram: @janesibbettMore about Jane's work: janesibbett.comIt Takes Two behind the scenes videos:Part 1: https://youtu.be/IldhSovlTb8Part 2: https://youtu.be/hQNuQ3hJQjk Part 3: https://youtu.be/BYKl-LNmjIY Part 4: https://youtu.be/93FFHXGfqPM Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsAre you a producer and want to help us make It Takes Two: Back from Tibet? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Two weeks ago, we talked about Mary-Kate and Ashley's appearance on Jay Leno in 2002, and we noticed a pattern. Every talk show host who ever interviewed Mary-Kate and Ashley (with the exception of Rosie O'Donnell) always did a terrible job. They always ask them if they have boyfriends, they never ask them serious questions about the projects they're working on, and the conversation is almost always painfully awkward. So we decided we needed some context, and see how late night hosts talked to other young women in Hollywood around this time.Turns out, it's not just a Mary-Kate and Ashley problem! Today, we watch interviews with Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Hayden Panettiere from the early 2000's. We also watch more recent interviews with Millie Bobby Brown, Sadie Sink and Charli D'Amelio to see if this these problems persist today.The most striking thing we noticed is how the hosts talk to "the scary girls" (i.e. Britney, Lindsay, and Paris) vs "the good girls" (Hilary, Miley, Hayden & MKA). The scary girls are truly punching bags that hosts take pleasure in making uncomfortable, and the good girls are constantly warned not to turn into "one of those scary girls." The pressure is always put on the young women not to succumb to the dangers of the industry-- never the media considering the problem might be themselves.You can watch all the interviews we talk about on this podcast, and the full video version of this podcast by subscribing to our Patreon here.The videos we watched:THENHilary Duff on Jay Leno (2003)Paris Hilton on David Letterman (2007)Britney Spears on Jay Leno (2003)Miley Cyrus on 20/20 (2007)Hayden Panettiere on The View (2006)Hayden on Jay Leno (2007)Lindsay Lohan on Conan O'Brien (2004)Lindsay Lohan on Jay Leno (2006)NOWSadie Sink Roundtable (2018)Millie Bobby Brown on Jimmy Fallon (2017)Charli D'Amelio (2020)Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsAre you Jay Leno and want to explain yourself? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

We hope ya'll are ready for this one. We had the tremendous honor of speaking with the actress who played one of the most tragic characters in American cinema (or at least in the Mary-Kate and Ashley Universe). Today, we speak to Holly Towne, aka Lyndi, from Getting There.Holly Towne is actually our very first guest who was also a Mary-Kate and Ashley fan before getting cast in one of their movies (the actual dream). Holly tells us about the magical moment when she landed the role, gives us an exclusive story on how the movie was rewritten because of her, and gushes over how wonderful Mary-Kate and Ashley were to work with.Holly also opens up to us about her struggles playing characters like Lyndi, who she often got typecast as throughout her career. We unpack the harmful ways movies & media treats "airhead" characters like this, and the unfair ridicule they receive from other characters. This conversation takes us to depths of #JusticeforLyndi we had no idea we'd reach, but are so grateful for uncovering.Huge thank you to Holly for being so open during this interview. We were moved by her vulnerability and so, so excited to see where her next chapter takes her

Happy Valentine's Day! And what better way to celebrate the day of love than with the thing we love the most-- Two of a Kind!Today, we're jumping out of our timeline to go back and review Two of a Kind, Ep 15 "No Man's Land" (aka the Valentine's Day episode). Last week, Lani corrected Becca's memory of this episode saying that Ashley's sports date was with fan favorite Pokey Valentine. However, after watching the episode, it turns out the sports boy was actually named Eric. In the spirit of forgiveness (the true meaning of Valentine's Day), Becca reconciled with Lani and they were able to enjoy this absolutely perfect episode of television.We also go off on a few tangents, the positives & negatives of binge-watching television, the absolute magic of sitcoms and their wacky characters, and once again, why Two of a Kind was so much better than So Little Time.And even though he's not actually present in this episode, we're naming this episode "Happy Pokey Valentine's Day" because we think it's cute. We hope you enjoy!Watch the episode: Two of a Kind, Ep 15 "No Man's Land"Subscribe to our Patreon to watch the full video version of this podcast here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDid you invent the name Pokey Valentine? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

We're continuing our journey through 2002 with a type of episode we haven't done in a while-- unpacking a Mary-Kate and Ashley interview and its implications in their larger treatment in the media! Today we're talking about Mary-Kate and Ashley's appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote Getting There... weird!In 2002, Mary-Kate and Ashley were simultaneously outsiders and leading forces in Hollywood. The way Jay Leno awkwardly asks them about school, boys, and driving is a prime example of how mainstream media really had no idea what to do with Mary-Kate and Ashley. At the time, they were making their own content, had their own self-contained brand, and operated almost entirely outside of the Hollywood studio & television network system. The Hollywood Reporter named them the "most powerful young women in Hollywood," and yet, Jay Leno himself struggles to ask them a single question about their career.To give us some context, we decided to also watch Jay Leno's interview with Kelly Clarkson in 2002, just a few months later. Sure, Kelly had just won American Idol, a dark-horse reality show that became a global phenomenon, so maybe it's not a perfect one-to-one comparison, but she was just 5 years older than Mary-Kate and Ashley at the time, and Jay Leno seems to have no issues asking her questions about her experience & career.You can watch their Tonight Show appearance in 2002 and the video version of our podcast by subscribing to our Patreon here.Kelly Clarkson on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2002Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsAre you Jay Leno and want a rebuttal? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

We're jumping backwards in our timeline just a bit to revisit a topic that will always be on our minds: the Mary-Kate and Ashley cruises. And today, sharing her truly remarkable experience on Mary-Kate and Ashley's 2000 cruise on the Baltic Sea, we are joined by the one and only Chloe Schildhause.Chloe first shared her cruise story in 2014 in an article for Vanity Fair and has recently turned that article into an experimental short film. We were so excited to have her on the podcast to dig into more details about her truly bizarre experience being called out by Mary-Kate in a Q&A, scaring Mary-Kate and Ashley out of a McDonald's in Estonia, and ultimately having a private lunch with them and 4 other girls.Hearing the details of Chloe's emotional roller coaster on board the MS Maasdam with the Olsen twins made us realize that the ultimate dream of going on a cruise with Mary-Kate and Ashley was maybe not all that it seemed. With neither Mary-Kate and Ashley nor their 200 fans (who were desperate to be their best friends) having a clear understanding of the boundaries that were supposed to be followed, it's no wonder these trips ended in heartbreak for many kids just like Chloe. This conversation still has us thinking about the many layers, complexities, and dangers of para-social relationships, and we are so, so grateful to Chloe for talking with us.Subscribe to our Patreon to watch the full video version of this interview here.Links from Chloe:Instagram- @chloishArticle- At Sea with Mary-Kate and Ashley, and 200 Other Olsen Super-FansShort film- Olsen: The True Story of a Cruise with Mary-Kate and Ashley OlsenFind us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDo you have a story about meeting Mary-Kate and Ashley? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

You asked, we answered. Well, some of you never asked, but others of you have insisted for months that the Mary-Kate and Ashley books are a very important part of the Mary-Kate and Ashley Universe and have been begging us to talk about them. So today, we read our first Dualstar book, Mary-Kate and Ashley Sweet 16: Getting There.After reading this book, we realize this was a very chaotic book to read first. But since we just finished reviewing Getting There (the movie) for our podcast, we wanted to dive into this right away while the movie was still fresh. And a listener tipped us off that this book isn't just a retelling of the movie, but a meta, behind-the-scenes look at the "making" of Getting There.And that's... kinda right. This book (the fourth of the "Sweet 16" series) is an alternate universe Mary-Kate and Ashley who were randomly scouted to be in a movie and filmed the exact same Getting There movie that we watched, but with a completely different alternate-reality cast & production team.This book is wacky! And we unpack it as best we can, from the singing Elvis lovegrams, to the terrible manipulative friends, and even a confirmation that Ashley meeting Charly in the diner was, IN FACT, a gay romance scene!We hope you enjoy (and can keep the timeline straight) as we dive into our first of what we're pretty sure will be many book review episodes. Subscribe to our Patreon to watch the full video version of this podcast here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsWhat book do you want us to read next? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

We cannot believe we kept this interview a secret for an ENTIRE month! It has been absolutely excruciating, and we are so relieved and incredibly excited to finally share our special guest this week. We had the honor of talking with everyone's favorite annoying neighbor, Mary-Kate's best unrequited love, and the sweetest pony-loving, guitar-playing, lobster costume-wearing guy, Larry Slotnick himself, Jesse Head.Jesse tells us about how he first got into acting, the magical experience of being cast in his first sitcom, and his genuine love and admiration of Mary-Kate and Ashley, and what spending a year on the set of So Little Time was actually like. He also shares with us his devastation when he learned that the show was cancelled, how heartbreak pulled him away from acting, and his journey to where he is today.And we finally get an answer on our most burning question: was the second half of So Little Time actually supposed to be the second season?Jesse tells us about it all in this interview that we still can't believe happened. We hope you feel the same magic listening that we felt recording!Subscribe to our Patreon to watch the full video version of this interview here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsFollow Jesse Head: @jessej0hnheadCheck out his art: @arto.botAnd yes, we are STILL looking for photos of Ashley's wedding. If you have leads or want to send us a question about this interview, email us at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

We're BACK for Season 4 with an episode we did not plan on doing. But when one of our girls is in the news, we have no choice but to drop everything. And last week, we got some big news... Ashley Fuller Olsen got MARRIED!But of course in true Olsen fashion, details about the matrimony are not widely available. And since we respect our girls, we tried our best not to speculate, but instead talk about what we know-- her husband's name (Louis Eisner), the very limited 50 guests that attended in LA, and the date that it happened (Dec 28th, a new date to commit to memory). The one time we do allow ourselves to speculate is on the discussions between Louis & Ashley that must have happened to create Ashley's iconic machete photo from 2021.We also talk about the media's treatment of Mary-Kate's wedding years ago, and predict if the same type of "cigarette bowl" rumors will start again with Ashley's wedding. And we get sidetracked as Lani digs herself into a hole she'll never be able to get out of about what age a woman "should" get married.We'll be back next week with the interview we intended on dropping today, and trust us, you're not gonna want to miss it. But until then, the BIGGEST congrats to Ashley & Louis! We're so happy, we're barely offended we weren't invited!Subscribe to our Patreon to watch the full video version of this podcast here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDid you have details on what Ashley wore to her wedding??? Email us at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

As we come to the end of the year and Season 3 of our podcast, we thought we'd do something we've never done before-- a Q&A episode with YOUR questions.We asked our listeners, Instagram followers and Patreon subscribers to send us questions about the podcast, Mary-Kate and Ashley, or us personally, and you came THROUGH. We got so many truly fantastic questions like which MKA film would we like to rewrite the most, what era would we most like to be friends with MKA in, and do we think they're aware of our podcast ☠️We had so much fun answering these, even if some of the questions made us fight. But hey, that's the mark of a good Q! We're so grateful for everyone who submitted questions, and every listener who has supported us this year. We quite honestly couldn't and wouldn't do this without you, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts.We'll be back with new episodes (and reveal our secret interview!!) in January :)Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDid you have a question we didn't answer in this episode? Email us at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Today we conclude our two-part epic journey discussing Mary-Kate and Ashley's sixth direct-to-video full-length feature film, Getting There, about Mary-Kate and Ashley's misadventure getting to to the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.Picking up right where we left off with the gang stranded at home for a third time, in this episode we get to see them finally leave California. We discuss the absolute horror it would be to lose your sister on a Greyhound bus, our theory that their female friend Charly might have originally been written as a boy, the film's uncomfortable socioeconomic disconnect from reality, and the wild things we thought we heard because of the terrible diction in so many of the lines in this film.We also break down in excruciating detail just how much money these teens poured down the drain on this botched road trip, and decide once and for all: is the fun Getting There, or is the fun just... there?So zip up your Chanel ski suit, get in your private jet and leave the chaperones behind because today we're skiing with Alex Reisher (who is NOT, in fact, a real Olympian)!Subscribe to our Patreon to watch the full video version of this podcast here.Rewatch Getting There in @SimplyOlsen's instagram bio that deserves a Nobel peace prize.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDid you think this film was totally HYPE? Email us at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com

Today we talk about the film this podcast has been waiting for. The film that divides Mary-Kate and Ashley fans around the globe. The film that made some some of us double down on our MKA obsession and some of us take a step back. Whether you loved it or hated it, chances are you never forgot it. Because it's not about the journey, it's all about GETTING THERE.On June 11th, 2002 (we finally looked up the release date), Mary-Kate and Ashley released their 6th direct-to-video feature film, Getting There. This film follows Kylie (Mary-Kate) and Taylor (Ashley) who are sweet 16 and licensed to drive. They set out on a road trip with their friends to see the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, but of course, everything that can go wrong does go wrong.Famously, this was one of Becca's favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley movies as a tween, but Lani admitted that she barely ever watched it. So this discussion is a juicy one, as we pick apart this movie beat by beat, examining Mary-Kate's extremely complicated and not-so-fun relationship, discussing Billy Aaron Brown's omnipresence in the MKA Universe, figuring out how they tried to pass Toast off as a character remotely resembling a person, and demanding justice for Lindy! We simply have too much talk about for this movie, so we had to do it in two parts. Next week when we reveal who we think Ashley's love interest in this movie really is, what we *finally* think of their friend Jenn, and decide whether or not we actually like this movie!So put on your beanie, polish up your red mustang convertible, and don't you dare stop for food, because today is Part 1 of our epic conversation on this 2002 classic.Subscribe to our Patreon to watch the full video version of this podcast here.Find us on Social Media!Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyouTikTok: @theythoughtiwasyouBecca: @beccarothLani: @laniharmsDid you think this film was totally HYPE? Email us at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com