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‘Shampoo’ With Bill Simmons, Cameron Crowe, and Sean Fennessey

December 9, 2025 · Shampoo (1975) · Comedy · Drama · 2:11:17 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 40:03Discusses the planned epilogue showing everyone's life still a mess in 1975, and Ashby's perspective that everyone was selling out - the upper class doesn't care about anybody
Cameron Crowe▶ 39:51Is Warren Beatty's character just emotionally and spiritually dead and has given up - is he too a sellout?
Sean Fennessey▶ 40:42Notes that Nixon's resignation 10 days after the film's release provided the real-life epilogue they needed

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:52George makes peace with Lester scene - where they bond over complaining about women and housekeeping
Cameron Crowe▶ 1:01:51The stare down bistro scene with Nixon getting reelected, Jackie getting drunk, and all the interlocking relationships
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:46The scene where Lester and George bond near the end, discussing women and revealing their attitudes

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:23The LA portrayal and how hairdressers like John Peters gained power through relationships with celebrity clients connected to powerful people
Cameron Crowe▶ 1:15:37The psychological dynamics of George's intimate relationships through hairdressing and how he understands people's feelings in that vulnerable state
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:14:04The casting choices and meta-Hollywood elements, particularly Carrie Fisher (Debbie Reynolds' daughter) representing generational change, and the focus on hairdressers as intimate power brokers in Hollywood culture

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:38Hairdressers were the original podcasters

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:31She gets the Dion Waiters award for Best C-Check

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:39The 'I'd like to suck his cock' scene - thinks it's too crazy and that the character was too classy to do that
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:25:01Julie Christie's drunk acting performance - criticizes her portrayal as unconvincing

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:06Paul Simon soundtrack being corny and weird, Carrie Fisher revelation about Warren Beatty trying to get with her, Warren Beatty's overacting in the crying breakup scene
Cameron Crowe▶ 1:30:26It's the least rewatchable of Hal Ashby's three-picture run despite being the most successful
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:29:42Jay Robinson's overacting as Norman, the salon owner character who pushes it too hard

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:31John Cazale — John Cazale for Johnny Pope
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:33:39John Cazale — John Cazale could do Ascot Commercial Director

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:35:57Warren Beatty — Yes for Warren Beatty - Shampoo is his Apex Mountain
Cameron Crowe▶ 1:35:34Warren Beatty — Agrees it's Shampoo - Beatty was more 'feral' and had his teeth in it more than later films
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:34:34Warren Beatty — Questions whether Beatty peaked higher at Heaven Can Wait or Reds instead of Shampoo

Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:17Yes for Robert Towne (Chinatown back-to-back run), no for Goldie Hawn, no for Jack Warden, yes for Triumph Motorcycles as character, yes for late 60s party scenes with Russell Hammond Topeka party as apex
Cameron Crowe▶ 1:37:22Agreed on party scenes, describing the Topeka party as a good party where everyone's having a good time and Russell participates like he's one of them
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:37:10Russell Hammond in Topeka, Kansas 'Golden God' party scene

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:39Valets get cars too quickly at the party, motorcycle mysteriously appears at last party when he arrived by car, Denver wanting to trade for Frank Cushman when they had John Elway, Dorothy quitting with health benefits and a child, timeline issues with getting from Monday Night Football game to divorced women's support group meeting
Cameron Crowe▶ 1:46:48Defends the movie's choices - suggests parallel universe for Jerry Maguire issues, argues Dorothy's move fits the theme of unexpected people showing up when you need them, jokes about divorced women's group going late because 'they have problems to work through'
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:46:13Reacts dramatically to the motorcycle inconsistency ('Should we delete this episode?'), suggests maybe someone brought the motorcycle over, agrees Dorothy was inspired to quit despite the risks

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:49:28Lee Grant — Lee Grant (who actually won the Oscar) or the script
Cameron Crowe▶ 1:49:12Suggested Best Supporting Actor for the guy doing Indian chant at bistro or woman's reaction at table during Jackie's explicit comment

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:54:01Everyone sells out
Cameron Crowe▶ 1:54:28Jill represents that there's a way out of the sellout generation - optimism and hope can triumph, showing what a 70s woman could be with more control and independence
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:54:12The movie represents the highest arc of ending where everyone loses, like an acid burn takeaway similar to how Jaws changed movies

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:56:07Warren Beatty — Beatty

Movies Referenced (46)

Jerry Maguire (1996)

15 mentions · Cameron Crowe, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 22:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Almost Famous (2000)

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cameron Crowe, Sean Fennessey▶ 0:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harold and Maude (1971)

5 mentions · Cameron Crowe▶ 3:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Foul Play (1978)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 37:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Being There (1979)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cameron Crowe▶ 42:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Parallax View (1974)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 19:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Two Jakes (1990)

3 mentions · Cameron Crowe▶ 49:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

2 mentions · Cameron Crowe▶ 1:18:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chinatown (1974)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 47:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Coming Home (1978)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 44:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Days of Thunder (1990)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 48:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

Warren Beatty

63 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cameron Crowe, Sean Fennessey · Known for Reds, Heaven Can Wait▶ 3:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hal Ashby

19 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Cameron Crowe, Bill Simmons · Known for In the Heat of the Night, Harold and Maude, Being There▶ 3:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Wilder

3 mentions · Cameron Crowe · Known for The Apartment, Some Like It Hot▶ 28:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Dante

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Innerspace, Gremlins▶ 8:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Iyi Tubi

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Ex Machina, World War Z▶ 44:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jean Renoir

1 mentions · Cameron Crowe · Known for The Rules of the Game▶ 1:55:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ruby Stillwater

1 mentions · Cameron Crowe · Known for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story▶ 25:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Castle

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:22:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Woody Allen

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Annie Hall, Manhattan, Deconstructing Harry▶ 32:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (66)

Goldie Hawn

28 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cameron Crowe, Sean Fennessey · Known for The First Wives Club, Private Benjamin▶ 14:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Warden

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cameron Crowe, Sean Fennessey · Known for 12 Angry Men, All the President's Men, While You Were Sleeping▶ 6:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry O'Connell

18 mentions · Cameron Crowe, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Stand by Me▶ 22:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crazy Town

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cameron Crowe, Sean Fennessey · Known for Something's Gotta Give, Saving Silverman, Orange County▶ 39:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julie Christie

14 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Don't Look Now, Fahrenheit 451▶ 13:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Seagal

9 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Under Siege 2: Dark Territory▶ 1:12:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carrie Fisher

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cameron Crowe, Sean Fennessey · Known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi▶ 1:00:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Nicholson

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cameron Crowe, Sean Fennessey · Known for Chinatown, As Good as It Gets, The Departed▶ 13:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Simon

6 mentions · Cameron Crowe, Bill Simmons · Known for The Graduate▶ 11:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Debbie Reynolds

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Singin' in the Rain▶ 1:14:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lee Grant

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for In the Heat of the Night, Mulholland Drive, Damien: Omen II▶ 51:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meg Ryan

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail▶ 1:31:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Robert Towne

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Cameron Crowe · Known for Chinatown, Mission: Impossible, The Last Detail▶ 3:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 52:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruce Springsteen

2 mentions · Cameron Crowe, Bill Simmons · Known for Blinded by the Light, The Wrestler, Philadelphia▶ 1:27:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Schrader

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for First Reformed, The Card Counter▶ 1:35:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗