Embrace It with Lainie & Estela - Smashing Disability Stigmas

Good Bad Things: A Modern Love Story Breaking Barriers in Film

• Lainie & Estela from The Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation & Trend-ABLE Blog For People With Disabilities | Launchpad 516 Studios • Episode 63

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What if a film could be more than just entertainment, sparking a movement for positive change? Join us as we speak with Danny Kurtzman, the main character of "Good Bad Things," and the film's executive producer, Steve Way, to explore how this Apple TV release is doing just that. Together, we uncover the film's heartwarming impact as it champions love, dating, and the experiences of living with a disability. Amid Valentine's Day reflections, this conversation dives into the themes of inclusivity and representation, resonating with audiences of all backgrounds.

Embracing the beautiful complexities of modern relationships, "Good Bad Things" offers an engaging narrative that connects deeply with both disabled and non-disabled viewers. With insights from our guests, we celebrate the film as a modern-day love story that underscores the power of self-love and acceptance. Director Shane's artistic touch brings authenticity to the film's portrayal of friendship and romance, while the collaborative efforts behind the scenes aim to reshape societal narratives around disability in media.

Navigating the world of dating with a disability offers a fresh lens on authenticity and self-acceptance. In a landscape often dominated by superficiality, this episode highlights the importance of genuine connections over societal pressures. Our conversation reflects on personal experiences and the film's authentic depiction of disability and relationships, providing listeners with hope and encouragement. Through the power of storytelling, "Good Bad Things" serves as a reminder to embrace one's true self and forge meaningful connections beyond the screen.

Hosted by Lainie Ishbia and Estela Lugo.

Embrace It is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios.

For sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email to: embraceit@lp516.com

Subscribe to Embrace It with Lainie and Estela on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/embrace-it-with-lainie-estela-smashing-disability-stigmas/id1468364898


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Danny Kurtzman:

Yeah, we're all feeling very attacked and chaotic at the moment, but I think Steve and I just want to share our sentiment that it's not time for us to freak out and hide and run from this. We really feel like our community and the people we've been speaking to this needs to no longer continue. Change needs to happen now. Let's come together, let's fight, let's demand, let's show our power, and that's what we like this movie is. It's not really. It's not just a movie, it's a movement. We don't want this movie to be the end, all be all. It can be at least a 96 minute escape from the chaos. That's amazing, but if it can get us to come together and want to demand more change, then that's really what we want to do with this movie.

Estela:

Your film could not come at a better time. Literally, I know it saved me this past weekend from mental stress, so I want to personally thank you both for giving me that time. But I heard you say in another podcast that it's not checking out, we're checking in, and that film was an opportunity to check in a safe space. We haven't done our formal introductions yet, but we got to tell our listeners what we're talking about and who we're talking to.

Estela:

We just started off so strong. Everyone, welcome to our latest episode of Embrace it with Lainey and Estella, and we are already just diving deep into an incredible film called Good Bad Things, recently released on Apple TV and, I believe, a few other platforms, and we are here with the main character, danny Kurtzman, and producer on this film, another incredible actor in the disability community, steve Way. So welcome, welcome, welcome both of you, hi guys.

Danny Kurtzman:

Hi, thank you for having me Such a pleasure to have you on One minute.

Lainie:

You're on Apple TV, Danny, and then next you're right in front of me. How cool is that. I feel, like we've made it big with embrace it to have steve way and danny kurtzman on here I'm very honored and yeah, it's.

Danny Kurtzman:

It still doesn't feel real that we have our film on the home page of apple and beautiful and everyone's just so excited to watch it and been getting so many messages about just how it made people feel. So, yeah, just sharing the love, feeling the love. So yeah, just real special soak it all in.

Estela:

What has been some of that feedback so far, and when was the movie officially released?

Danny Kurtzman:

we are a week up today and it's available for rental and purchase and, uh, it feels like it's been out forever, because when you are involved in a project for this period of time, you feel like everybody's seen it. And then you get to this point and you're like nobody's really seen this movie yet and it's just been awesome. Just to be completely transparent, I go to, I get in my bed every night and just open up my DMs that aren't in my primary DM slots and I just start reading messages and start crying happy tears to sleep, because it's just like-.

Lainie:

How cool is that.

Danny Kurtzman:

Yeah.

Lainie:

Before we even go in, because I know we're talking about this movie that we saw. But our listeners who are just here, welcome. And we're going to hopefully try to release this before Valentine's Day, because it's Valentine's Day week. So we're really going to rush it because we know how powerful this movie is when it comes to love and dating and having a disability. So let's back up and say or talk about Steve, you are, is it correct that you're the producer of this movie, but you're also an actor yourself?

Steve Way:

Yeah, I prefer a executive producer. Yeah, I love it.

Danny Kurtzman:

He was the one who was the only executive producer on Good and Bad Things. He was the only one I could ever imagine being executive producer on Good and Bad Things. He has carried our film from this post-production to where it is today, and he's now my closest best friend.

Lainie:

And how did you guys? Okay, so you both have muscular dystrophy. Do you have the same type of muscular dystrophy?

Danny Kurtzman:

I don't even know what you have. To be honest, I just think you're just like disabled, that's it. Who?

Estela:

needs labels.

Danny Kurtzman:

Who needs labels. Yeah, I know I have muscular dystrophy Again. I don't really know what to do with that, but I got FSHD facial scapular hematodystrophy Diagnosed at nine years old, early onset, and I don't know too much else. I just know I'm disabled and I just live my life that way. I've thankfully been getting more involved in my specific one recently with this film, which has been awesome with FSHC Society and MBA. But yeah, we can go into it. But with the film I didn't dive into specific things with disability because I think there's no need. We all are disabled. I think when we start labeling ourselves, it starts dividing us instead of uniting us, in my opinion. So we just gave my character a disability and let people just do what they wanted with that from Red Tooth, which is a form of muscular dystrophy.

Lainie:

Because this film was so amazing and awesome and someone who's listening, who's my age, in their 50s, married, might be like what am I going to get from this film? Because it's about dating and whatnot. Sometimes the label, so to speak, for people who have disabilities, it makes it relatable.

Danny Kurtzman:

Oh, I have muscular dystrophy as well. It's cool. We all have muscular dystrophy as well. And it's cool, steve got, we all have. Mostly we all have a muscular dystrophy on here, like my other co-producer, shane burkow's, got muscular dystrophy, like it's just been really special, yeah steve, tell us how this film happens like.

Estela:

Where and when was this idea born and how did it end up on our TV screens?

Steve Way:

Funny enough, I was not part of that process at all. Danny brought me on when the film was already done. He reached out to me with a lot of fire emojis, yeah. But he said, hey, for this, this film, I did an EP. Did you watch it? What's the vocal? I watched it. This was during the writers, after strikes. I had no work, so I watched it and immediately I saw the potential.

Estela:

I saw the potential.

Steve Way:

We saw how universal it was. You don't have to be disabled, you're not going to get into it. So we got out of Zoom. Two days later we had a go in, and then we spent the next six months prepping for our first festival, swaymas, and we won the two major awards.

Danny Kurtzman:

Wow.

Steve Way:

And we're like, oh shit, we got something here.

Estela:

Yeah.

Steve Way:

So we did a year-long international worldwide festival run and now we're on streaming for purchase and rental. Wow, and we did this in a year, which is unheard of.

Estela:

Absolutely yeah, it's like farm to table, like express lane no-transcript happened organically but I really feel like it was.

Danny Kurtzman:

Just the purpose of this movie was to really have it be driven from us. The disabled community like it was. The original concept was my best friend, shane stanger, but I call him an ally, supporter and part of our community because he's been a part of my life for so long, just like Rami is with Steve, and he allowed me, with all support, to inject my disabled voice and story into this film and to just really tell that from an authentic lens. But yeah, we went and we targeted all the best disabled festivals out there. We did target other ones and we didn't really get into those, but that's okay because we ended up where we needed to end up. We premiered a role at Slamdance Unstoppable which focused on disabled filmmaking. We took down the grand jury and the audience awards there and then that rolled us into, I think, one of the most panical parts of our festival run, which is real abilities, new york fabulous festival that's held in new york city and the people at the top. They're just incredible human beings and it was one of the specialist nights I've ever had. I mean it was over like 50 disabled people in the audience. The energy was electric, emotional. It was over an hour-long Q&A done by Lawrence Carter, who's like the godfather, in my opinion, of our community in film, and then people just wanted to stay out of it.

Danny Kurtzman:

So we really leaned in the community constantly throughout the journey of this film. Even after that we're just like what do we do with with this? We don't need to go into the conversation of a studio. But we decided that we wanted to take it upon ourselves to keep pushing it and we hired this amazing individual called Annalisa Shoemaker, who's also disabled. She took us on and did a 51 theater AMC run where we sold out multiple theaters to really get the word out about the film. At that time, which was not that easy with no marketing budget, we brought on Shane and Hannah Burkow, who were just the individuals and voices of love and able love in our community and they championed us through all that. And then we're at this beautiful point where we have this movie out through rental and we're just calling upon our community again to help us get the word out, because it's just, it's gotta be us. This one thing.

Lainie:

We. I saw the movie, as I said, this weekend and it was just relatable to anybody, regardless of disability, but for those we don't want to give too much away because we do want people to download and rent it and absolutely watch it, and we're going to put all the information in the show notes. But the general gist of the movie is that a disabled man, danny, you have a roommate who's your best friend, who's also a caretaker informal caretaker, not a paid caretaker a friend who cares for you and who you care for, and you're navigating a little bit of the online dating world. So that kind of gives a little cliff note, little version. But, danny, how much is it based on your life? Is this your life or is it fiction?

Danny Kurtzman:

It's very much my life. That's my bedroom, where you see a lot of the scene shots. Yeah, it's my life. There's no spoilers I'm going to give away, since we declared that already, so I won't give anything away. There's one part and if you want to DM me later and ask me what the one part is, I'll tell you. But yeah, everything is coming from a experience of mine, all the way from, yeah, the, the main boy in the middle, and yeah, we just I could describe it as a modern day love story.

Danny Kurtzman:

Oh, it's a modern story with finding a partner, but it looks like you're dating what it's like with your parents, loving your parents and having your parents involved in your life and, as a young adult, friendship, love, caretaker, love and then, ultimately, the most biggest thing is self-love that those really can be as impactful as you want them to be, or they can be, unless you love yourself and allow yourself because as individuals, abled or disabled we we screw that up a lot we can destroy a lot of good in our lives ourselves without any exterior things causing it.

Estela:

I think that's the biggest love story of this all is just loving yourself and knowing that you are perfect and that you are worthy of anything that you want I love how diverse, like you said, the relationships are in this film because it's a love story about you and your best friend and there's just so much there, it's so rich and obviously the romantic love interest and then your parent, and I think it also speaks to like the dynamic between wanting and being independent and successful and then having to rely on people for physical support when you have a disability.

Estela:

And I also love I was telling Lainey earlier the artistic value of this film and just the way the scenes are shot and the slow moments that are just so powerful and they speak so loudly Things like you grabbing your phone and wrapping your hand around your phone in the morning in bed, and how a lot of times everyone misses if you're not living with a disability, because we don't see the extra effort that it takes to do a simple task. And as somebody myself who has hand weakness and a disability, I really appreciated that representation of just the simplicity of doing something as ordinary as grabbing your phone. So I wanted to celebrate just the artistic value of this film.

Lainie:

I love the scene in the bathroom. So many of us struggle with asking for help or taking help too. I have a husband in here who's disabled from temporary disabled from running okay, and it's, can I help you with it? Nope, I'm fine, I got it, I got it, got it. And it's can I help you with it? Nope, I'm fine, I got it, I got it, got it. And like when you have a lifelong disability, but when people come from a place of really wanting to help and then just let me help cause they're impatient, you know what I mean. And I loved that scene because your best friend, that your co-star, like he genuinely. First of all, he asked you, can I help? And then he you're like yeah, you know what I'm like, could you put the toothpaste here on this toothpaste? Yeah, that would be helpful that's special.

Danny Kurtzman:

You brought so much things like the first office. Yeah, like the details of those shots I met the other parts of the movies I wish I could take credit for them. I can't at all. Those are all Shane, shane everywhere. He's a beautiful director. This is his first movie. He's going to have an insane career ahead of.

Danny Kurtzman:

To just have that vision and stay in those moments with me and just watch those things unfold, like most editors, most directors, would have been like you got to get to the point. Get to the point, keep it moving, just let the camera sit not too much movement, and just let the people enjoy and get comfortable with Danny, which is just so beautiful. Brad Dyer, jason the movie, incredible friendship, heterosexual love stories have me that we experience as disabled people is something so powerful and unique and so deep in love that needs to be told over and over again because those are the real relationships that we build. And then laying to you the help thing, like where, steven, we had this movie, that we know what we can do with it and where we want it to be. And we got to this moment where we're like we gotta ask for help, like there's nothing wrong, like we can't get there and do what we want with this movie without asking for help and not doing it from a inauthentic way. It's just real.

Danny Kurtzman:

Okay, how can we work together? How can we help you? How do we align on this movie and what you have built in your voice to end up doing what we all want to do, which is create change now for our community, rewrite our own story, what it means to be disabled now, together, and we're all doing it. We're all doing it differently, but we're all doing the same thing. And and we all come together and if it's a movie, if it's something else, whatever it is, it's got to be something and we're just excited.

Estela:

We're excited for you. Steve. I want to take it over to you about your show Rami, and what that journey has been like for you and you play the other side of this as like the best friend to the main character, and what are some of the themes and things you found to be powerful in your show in your career so far all right.

Steve Way:

I think that's a journey that started in 2001, when we first met, when we became friends. And then, when we were 14 and we got into high school and we started making videos together and then that evolved into stand-up comedy and then acting, and then Rob began his show. Then the overall name is friendship. It's the complexities and the uncomfortable side of friendship. My character is not afraid to call him out. My character is not afraid to be real with him and just be like you're a fucking idiot, but from a place of love.

Steve Way:

I'm not attaching him. I'm just like bro, I love you, you're my brother. What are you? You doing when you're going down a bad path? And I think that's real friendship. Spoiler, spoiler. I think episode 8 of Atlanta City. I don't know if we got that far, not yet. Save it, it's the best.

Danny Kurtzman:

But anyway, atlanta City, I don't know if we got that far Not yet, okay, save it, it's the best.

Steve Way:

But anyway, robbie shows how great of a friend he really is and it's something that we don't talk about. But that's Robbie the person, because he allows me to tell these stories that we don't see anywhere else, and then Janet can attest to this. The most authentic stories are the most honest and it's the ones that people are afraid to tell because of just how American society operates. I'm so grateful for all of it, for Robin, for finding for me he wrote my part. The studio saw it. It was like great, I was going to play Steve and Robert Stevens was going to play Steve and I ended up having to audition for my own role.

Danny Kurtzman:

I didn't know this. I didn't know this.

Estela:

Wow.

Steve Way:

That was real.

Lainie:

Wow, and they said you did good as Steve.

Danny Kurtzman:

They approved.

Lainie:

They had a lot to compare to.

Steve Way:

Yeah, I was just Steve.

Estela:

What you just said right there is the ableism is real. You literally have to audition for a role to play a disabled person, meaning that for so long we've had abled-bodied people acting and portraying the roles of people with disabilities, and one of the many problems of that is that you're not really telling the authentic experience and story about disability. You are doubling down on the societal biases that have been behind so many of our barriers. Today and Lainey and I talk about this in our workshops you have the hero, you have the person who has to overcome their challenge or their disability. Then you have the charity case the poor me. I can't do anything for myself, I need help, I need money. And then what's the third one? Oh, you got the villain.

Lainie:

The villain, but see okay, steve, in all honesty, I haven't watched your show, but I'm adding it to my notes right between all the Taylor Sheridan shows. I need to finish up. It's right there. It's right on the list. I'm like I'm on to Lioness, season two now. So I'm sorry, but it's going to be on the list.

Lainie:

But what you just said, estella, those media stereotypes Honestly, dani, in your movie you were like in all realness being. You represented all of them, because that's what human nature is Right. It's multifaceted. You are potentially going to watch this, are going to come away with. It is okay, especially our listeners here who say to themselves no one's going to like me, no one like. Why should I even? What do I put on my profile? Why would anyone want me? Maybe they're married, dating, never married. Maybe they're divorced and looking for a relationship and their disability has progressed or they have become disabled. But that's a constant theme. It's what I loved is that all the things that happen not all the things, but the scene where you're meeting for the first time okay and like all of us can relate to that. Is he gonna like me? What if he doesn't like me? What if he doesn't like me? What if he walks past me.

Lainie:

I was sitting in such, without giving any spoilers, are they gonna no show, are they gonna? I didn't know what was gonna happen. And then I was also relating it to myself. Oh, you said it in the movie, danny. People oftentimes don't look how they portray themselves. I went out with some guy who said he was at the time 40 and he was definitely 60. People lie. And so that brings me to when you're talking now like that.

Lainie:

I've seen the movie and people all over who are listening are going to see this movie. For sure they're going to pay the whatever it would be. Half the cost of one ticket to go to a movie is what it costs to buy this movie on Apple TV, If you can buy it or you can rent it. I rented it. I think it was like $6.99 or something, and Steve's show, which we're going to put in the show notes, is on Hulu, but Danny's movie and their Danny and Steve's movie is on Apple TV. It was less than the cost of one ticket to go to a movie and it was awesome.

Lainie:

But what it gave me for people who are in this world of should I put myself out there is it gives you encouragement, it gives you hope, it gives you all the things. And what it taught me the most is you don't know, you don't have to use your like. A lot of people use their disability as an excuse not to put themselves out there. It might be that the person doesn't like you because of your disability, or it could be because of five other, five thousand other reasons why you don't jive, why you don't have chemistry, and okay, I'm talking on and on, but I like that part.

Danny Kurtzman:

Yeah, it's not a spoiler, but that's probably. There's a shot in that scene and yeah, we all go through those dating things. And there's a scene where I am not comfortable showing my disability on the dating app. We've all been there. You've been on a dating app. You're disabled. Do you lean into it? Do you wait till you later? What's your deal? It's something we all go through. And then you ask the name of all your people to deal with this too. Like, how do I present myself? Is this the right photo? Do I look good? It goes through everything. The VFX that she puts in this is incredible in that scene. But there's in that first day, maddie, my prospective partner, and the girl I'm going on a date with. First, she comments on my hair first, and then there's a shot where she puts the straw from one glass to the next.

Danny Kurtzman:

I caught that that's my favorite shot of the whole movie and it's just when you want to find your person too much. We settle too much. We're like, oh, this person just likes me and I'm not finding anybody else, so I deal with everything else and just settle. Dude, that's the same people don't settle. Your bar is set high, you deserve everything and all of it. And when that thing like that happens and you don't have to ask when that genuinely just that person or individual does that for you you're like that's the moment probably give way a little spoiler, but you have to look for that scene. You gotta find that shot. When that happens. That's when the movie flips and you're like this is what you all should want to get this wall should have.

Danny Kurtzman:

We all will have it's's the feeling right.

Lainie:

It's the shared or whatever the word is for meant to be. But it's a feeling. It's not like some one thing. It's like she did that action that was meaningful to you. It's the feeling like, yeah, this person is worth my time and the settling.

Danny Kurtzman:

To give it away, though that was not in the script. Wow, it's Jessica Parker Kennedy being Jessica Parker Kennedy. Wow, beautiful human being ever being herself, seeing me as an actor and a friend of hers and love interest in this movie to genuinely doing that for me.

Lainie:

Wow.

Danny Kurtzman:

It exists everywhere. Jess is one of them are very grateful to have the movie along with brett dyer. They are just the most insane co-stars and I would never have been able to pull this movie off as a first-time actor in a leading role, without them. Yes, incredible.

Estela:

You and you just maybe first love the movie even more because that moment is genuine. And two, you basically just described what Lainey and I talk about so many times. That was a green flag Right In that moment.

Lainie:

Or not a flag. We did a whole episode on red flags, so now we're like what's the green?

Estela:

Yeah, so I think showing people the green flags as well. Steve, I know you have to run, Steve maybe you could share maybe one green flag, one red flag and then what you really hope the community comes away with from this film and from your show.

Steve Way:

Oh man, one red flag, one green flag. I think I did it. To tell you, I'm probably not the best judge at that, I think, when it comes to flowers with the dating.

Lainie:

I'm pretty horrible at it and I will be the first to admit that.

Steve Way:

But honestly, I think it's someone who is just not open to the idea of just getting to know someone with a disability. I always tell your friends, women I date if it's ever too much for you, just tell me. I will never fault you for that. It's not your fault. I know it's a lot, I get that. But I think there's a difference between that and then just being like you can't walk, so what value do you have? I've had mothers of women I've dated say he's disabled, so how can he provide for you? How can he take care of you? Put him in a hospital, ignore the fact that their daughter just said oh, I like them, makes me happy. It's that very one-dimensional thing that I'm afraid needs to be disabled and it's those tropes and stereotypes that we're dismantling. So I think, in some of the interests that comes with that great fight, a woman who likes wrestling.

Lainie:

I love wrestling like actually watching wrestling or actually wrestling yeah, any woman with strong arms, yes.

Danny Kurtzman:

I love that. Thank you very much. You think so this guy is. Just the amount of women in this guy's life is yeah, it's insane. I've done it for a year and a half and he's had what? Three or four girlfriends already. It's ridiculous. All toxic as hell. But this you know what I like, so yeah they have strong arms, daddy, yeah, they have strong arms oh, they have strong arms, but they also have strong early days. I don't know or red flags or red flags.

Steve Way:

In my opinion, okay, so I will see myself out.

Danny Kurtzman:

Yeah, you go out with Rami. Thank you thank you. You go out with Rami, thank you you go out with Rami in Brooklyn tonight, you go break a leg amazing. Good luck, good luck love you call you later, thank you, steve, we love you too yeah, I don't even know if I'm going to be able to answer these questions.

Danny Kurtzman:

Yeah, I just call them. Trust me, you got feelings. Think like it's just. Yeah, I just can't trust your gut. Feelings are everything. That's.

Danny Kurtzman:

The only thing we can really know is the absolute truth, and just communication is key.

Danny Kurtzman:

There are also just things that also work.

Danny Kurtzman:

Yeah, we have media is very powerful and for however long I can even think of, media has written our story on what it means to be disabled, and that story is very big and it's very strong, and when you become disabled or you enter this world as disabled, you immediately have no kind of choice but to accept that as your story, until hopefully now and that's what my I hope to do here.

Danny Kurtzman:

But yeah, we accept these stories and then we go into dating and then it becomes red flags on red flags because we immediately tell ourselves that we are not worthy, that we always have to muster up more to make this person want to stay around, that we're always just growing up and we're never going to be good enough. And that's not the truth, and when you enter that into a relationship, it's never going to result in love or happiness for you. So, like all I gotta say is do you and focus on you and enter into any relationship knowing that you are worthy and that you can. That person is lucky to be with you because if you don't, there's just going to be endless amounts of red flags. It's never going to end and you're going to be the reason for those red flags.

Lainie:

Plain and simple wow for people who are like on these actual dating apps.

Lainie:

I know you're not you don't claim to be an expert. You're not an expert, but you made a movie. You have experience like how do you like? Maybe a big red flag is like people who are who want to date someone to like I don't know a dating app. He puts they because too many people have fetishes, and I don't even know. I really don't understand, but I understand he's five feet tall and like people he doesn't want to just date someone who thinks that they're getting, has an idea of what they want, and maybe they're practicing with something, or I don't know. I don't know what the word is. I'm practicing with something or I don't know as a, I don't know what the word is. I'm messing this all up, but you know what I'm saying.

Danny Kurtzman:

Yeah, I mean, we're in an interesting time and education is key and there's no wrong questions. You are curious and you have questions, ask questions and, foremost, from disability to what you identify as a human being in the dating world. Uh, but yeah, in terms of apps, don't do it because it's just what you have to do it because you want to do it. Um, they're not fun. I'm not gonna lie. Like, even when you do enter it with power and confidence, then you're you're going up against already ableist algorithms that aren't going to benefit us. I see it all the time and am I on them? Yeah, do I see it as? Like, this is what I'm going to end up finding somebody Like, if that happens, cool. But ultimately, like, just be you. Like you see somebody that you run into on a dating app that happens to have their like handle for instagram, or you meet someone out just like, just go say hi, and instagram and dms are my best dating app. Because you find someone that I feel like I connect to in the real world or even connect to on their profile on the dating app. Like, I will take it into my own power to say, hey, this is who I am. My Instagram represents me better than this app does and if you're interested, we should talk. That's kind of what I do in my dating world when I was. When I do that aggressively right now. I'm just again very busy with the movie and that's my love first and foremost, and I don't have time to be doing all the other stuff. But yeah, that's how I look at it. They can. We live in a society that deals with we, we measure things on likes and matches. That's bullshit. That's not how we should be doing these things. And don't get into that mix. Don't allow them to swoop you into that, because it's only gonna end up in red flags and toxic stuff.

Danny Kurtzman:

Do it for you, do it because you want to do it and if you find someone that kind of makes you feel those little things like let's get back to the OG love stuff. Like then, when you get the butterflies, when you see someone, you're like that person's sexy or you know that person's got this energy about them, then say it, tell them like and they can. It's not like you're being pervy or weird, like you can say it in a genuine way, like I love your energy right now. Let's talk and if the person takes it off as aggressive, that's what then? That's them like. You're not ultimately being aggressive. So just say say hey, I like what you do, I like how you dress, I like who you be, I like your passion or heart. Just say it and I promise you from my experience, that comes off as sexy that comes off One hundred percent you just saying that right now I'm like right there, I'm in, can't confident, confident dude.

Lainie:

I'm in, can't confident, confident dude, not really in. You're like the same age as my child and I'm married. Like that is. That's the best is when someone is just like confident as hell and comes in and as you know what you're really like honestly, your energy is contagious, or I am. I find your laugh like beautiful and you and that's hot, I think so you guys can all pay us what you would pay the dating app.

Lainie:

We'll take $150 via Venmo no, just kidding Danny for the movie, for people who want to see this movie or maybe they don't know that they want to see this movie why should someone see this movie?

Danny Kurtzman:

Wow, I actually I've had so many interviews and that actually hasn't come up like the way you just worded that. Why should people come see the movie? Even I've been saying it's more than a movie, it's a movement. I am a huge lover of film and television. I'm a huge fan of arts. I watch movies all the time, like wanting to either escape or relate or feel something. And a lot of the time we do get disappointed in the way things are represented or the way things are done. Our film's just real. It's just.

Danny Kurtzman:

It was two best friends who came together with no initiative. We're not like, hey, we're going to sign on with X, y and Z and we're just going to make this thing, this huge thing, like we just wanted to do something special together that will live forever. It resulted in this beautiful movie that a lot of people are being impacted by, that people are connecting to, and it's not just one part of the movies. Everyone has their little thing in this movie that they're like that's or that and that's just so awesome. And if you do love this movie, if you do end up going to watch it and rent it or buy it, share it. Text the person you think about when you're done with it and you're like either you gotta watch when you're done with it and you like either you got to watch this or this made me think of you and then go, like it maybe connects with you.

Danny Kurtzman:

Go do the work on yourself and also go do the work in this community, because I'm talking to people who are building I'm built a platform and a voice that is making a difference, and I'm just kidding this community and I love it so much and I'm so proud to be disabled, but there are people that have been doing this way longer than I have and they're just incredible human beings. Go find them, go find their voice, go find their platform, go follow them, go subscribe to their YouTube channel, go buy their book, go listen to their podcast. Go buy their book, go listen to their podcast, because there's so many talented people in our community actors, writers, directors, whatever it is. So if you love our movie, it's just the beginning, because this movie wouldn't be what it was if it wasn't for all those other people. I hope you go find all of them and, yeah, just feeling the love right now. So thank you.

Estela:

Yes, you are like medicine for the soul and heart. Today, I know for me personally, I'm sure for Lainey, and I think, mission accomplished. I think you have created something that will live forever, that will move us forward closer to where we all want to be, and I want to personally congratulate you. We want to personally congratulate you. We want to personally congratulate you. We want to say thank you, you are a phenomenal actor. There's nothing but a success ahead for you and Steve and the rest of the people involved in this film.

Lainie:

Absolutely so, dani. This is only our second tape recording of 2025. We're a little behind, but our goal is to ask every single person, which we did most of, what does embrace it mean to you.

Danny Kurtzman:

Well, for me, specifically, just to love my fullest self and don't run away from it or shy from it just because things from the outside are making you feel like you need to be quiet or need to change, because we all were created for a reason and I think we just need to, and it's easier said than done. It took me 33 years to embrace this 20 something being disabled, that it took me to embrace it and I did the work. I found a coach who's also disabled. His name's Carson Tuller. Again, these are the people who are doing the work. Go find him on Instagram, go find his website. He is the most beautiful individual I will ever meet. He changed my life and he helped me embrace it. He helped me really love my disability and love myself and listen to my gut and tell me this is not your story, this is not your truth. Go rewrite your own story, rewrite your own truth. And the moment I did that, this movie happened.

Danny Kurtzman:

Steve entered my life. I've been on a journey like no other and it's only the beginning. So I am embracing it to the moon right now and I hope, I hope this kind of gets people to at least embrace a little bit of themselves or start that journey, because it's a journey. It's never easy. You don't just wake up and be like this is me fucking you? No, it takes time and you gotta get comfortable. There's many times where I don't embrace myself. I hopefully I don't let that last too long. But I do it and again, I don't shame it, I don't run away from it. I'm allowed to sit in those disempowering states and then hopefully get rid of them. But yeah, embrace.

Lainie:

Love it and people can reach you. I'm assuming Instagram. You've referenced Instagram a few times. They'll go into your, not your lead DM box, but your second DM box. You can put them into the primary box, depending on who they are.

Danny Kurtzman:

They DM me and I will likely. I will definitely respond. I've been doing my best. I'm a little busy right now, Pretty amazing.

Lainie:

You must be getting a lot. This is a major movie on Apple TV. You guys, we're with the star, danny Kurtzman, and you guys, we want you to check it out. We're going to put the links in. We're going to market this all over because, very much, you are helping our community in so many ways, so many, countless ways. Plus, you really made Estella's weekend. She's been very sad about the world and you made her smile and it's worth it. People, you pay it back by watching it, because Estella loved it. She loved the art, she loved the camera angles, she loved the rawness of it, and so you got to check it out, yeah, so follow danny kurtzman, d-a-n-n-y-k-u-r-t-z-m-a-n.

Estela:

And also good, bad things on instagram and find your way to this movie and then share with everyone you know and then do the work basically.

Lainie:

Yeah, and I love the title. By the way, the title's awesome Good, bad thanks, Very cool.

Danny Kurtzman:

All right cool. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Lainie:

Thank you, bye everyone, thank you.