Hustlers was always going to be a tough sell. Based on the true story of a group of strippers who conned rich, white men, writer and director Lorene Scafaria found herself trying to sell it to... rich white men, who were less than enthusiastic about it.

The key was the involvement of Jennifer Lopez. Not only was it the casting of Scafaria's dreams, Lopez had the skill and connections to make the production a reality. She would also receive lavish praise for her performance as Ramona Vega, and the whole cast would achieve a newfound respect and admiration for strippers through the training they undertook to appear in the film.

While the movie didn't garner the accolades many thought it should have, it's a wonderful time capsule of the late 2000s fashion and music of the era, and the dynamic between Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez grounds it in heartbreaking reality.

Drain the clock, not the c*ck...

I would love to hear your thoughts on Hustlers (2019) !

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ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA

Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Livestream for the Cure 2023

I'll be appearing, alongside other amazing podcasters and content creators, in the 7th Annual Livestream for the Cure in May 2023 on Twitch! Together, we're aiming to raise $25,000 for the Cancer Research Institute, for a future free from cancer.