It starts with a thump. Not a punch, not a kick—this thump is hips-on-hips, bodies in motion, skates slicing across hardwood with the confidence of a linebacker and the grace of a ballerina. This is roller derby, baby. And on this episode of The Adrian Moment, Ocean Murff and Jim Pullen don their metaphorical elbow pads and dive helmet-first into Whip It, Drew Barrymore’s underdog sports flick that zips, zags, and jabs its way into the coming-of-age canon.
This is a play-by-play from two guys who know the smell of stadium nachos and the sacred geometry of the underdog arc. Ocean recounts a real-life Rose City Rollers bout—600 strong in a Portland warehouse—and frames the chaos with a journalist’s eye and a fan’s heart. Jim’s got questions. About penalties. About player names. About why Lauren Much didn’t skate that night. And together, they break down not just the sport, but the spirit that keeps it rolling.
Of course, they tackle the film’s plot: Bliss Cavendar, the small-town Texas teen who trades pageants for pads and becomes Babe Ruthless. But they’re really after something deeper—the tension between expectation and ambition, the line between rebellion and identity, and the way a mother’s reluctant blessing can carry more weight than a gold medal.
They question whether the movie’s final bout matters as much as the heartbreak that precedes it. They wonder if roller derby’s fake-outs and body blows are a metaphor, or just a damn good time. And of course, they trade derby names—because how else do you honor a sport where every player is part athlete, part alter ego?
If you’ve ever felt torn between who you’re told to be and who you might become, if you’ve ever yelled “We’re number two!” and meant it with all your heart, this one’s for you. Strap in. This one hits like a Witch Slap and lingers like a bruised memory.
