Attention ‘Empire Records’ Fans, Rex Manning Day Is Upon Us
Happy Rex Manning day!
Tomorrow is April 8, and that means one thing: it’s Rex Manning Day!
Don’t know what Rex Manning Day is? Say no more, mon amour. It’s only your new favourite day of the year. April 8 is the day it all went down in the 1995 film Empire Records.
It’s the day AJ decided to tell Corey he was in love with her at exactly 1.37pm. It’s the day Deb had a fight with Berko, exhibited some very worrying self-harm behaviour and shaved her head. It’s the day Lucas woke up outside the record store he worked at, only to remember he’d stolen $9,000 from the cash register the night before and lost it all in Atlantic City.
But, most important of all, it’s the day Corey decided to lose her virginity to an ageing popstar called Rex Manning.
The face of a man who is *definitely* worthy of Liv Tyler’s affections.
He’s your typical ‘80s pop sensation: an arrogant sleazeball with a smile as cheesy as his melodies. In spite – or more likely because – of his tremendous dowdiness, Rex Manning has managed to become a real-life cultural icon.
Manning’s big hit is ‘Say No More Mon Amour’, and though Empire Records only features a snippet of the film clip, a full version exists in on YouTube — complete with sensual dancers, inexplicable rolls of white fabric, endless hair-tossing and even puffier shirts. Observe:
So tomorrow, and on all April 8ths henceforth, take a moment to celebrate: blow out your hair for maximum volume, wear your shiniest, frilliest shirt, and turn the hammy ‘80s tunes up to 11 in honour of Rex Manning, the patron saint of musical cheeseballs. Oh Rexy, you’re so sexy!
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Lauren Ziegler is a music journalist from Sydney. You can argue with her about hip-hop on Twitter.