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Swingers

 Swingers
type
TVTItem
 Swingers
label
Swingers
 Swingers
page
Swingers
 Swingers
comment
Swingers is a 1996 comedy-drama film directed by Doug Liman, starring Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, and Ron Livingston as three young actors living in Los Angeles in the mid-90s, generally hanging around and struggling to get their careers and personal lives going, all set against the backdrop of the brief swing music revival trend of the era.Favreau plays Mike, an aspiring comic from New York who has moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a career after being dumped by his longtime girlfriend at home and has been in a romantic slump ever since he arrived, and Vaughn is Trent, his cocky, charismatic, and occasionally obnoxious party animal of a best friend. Also part of their circle are Rob (Livingston), an aspiring actor having trouble finding a gig better than dressing as a cartoon character at Disneyland, Sue (Patrick Van Horn), whose name was inspired by his parents' love of the Johnny Cash song, and Charles (Alex Desert).The film begins with Trent persuading Mikey to take a road trip to Las Vegas, during which he quickly loses most of his rent money for the month in a futile attempt to impress a woman; Trent is more successful and manages to pick up a cocktail waitress working at the casino. After the pair returns to L.A., more adventures in the same vein follow, with Mike and friends going out to various clubs and parties around L.A. and trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to be cool and meet women. Eventually, things start to turn around for Mike romantically, if not professionally.The movie is considered a Cult Classic by many and is much-loved for its likable characters and extremely quotable screenplay. It was the first major success for Favreau, Vaughn and Liman and sent them on to the successful careers they continue to enjoy today.
 Swingers
fetched
2024-03-25T23:30:42Z
 Swingers
parsed
2024-03-25T23:30:42Z
 Swingers
processingComment
Dropped link to GoodFellas: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Swingers
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Swingers / int_1ba17583
type
The Ghost
 Swingers / int_1ba17583
comment
The Ghost: Mike's ex-girlfriend Michelle gets discussed a lot, but she never appears (and is only heard on the phone briefly at the end of the movie).
 Swingers / int_1ba17583
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1.0
 Swingers / int_1ba17583
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 Swingers
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Swingers / int_1ba17583
 Swingers / int_2fc395e6
type
Gambling Ruins Lives
 Swingers / int_2fc395e6
comment
Gambling Ruins Lives: Downplayed. Nobody's life gets ruined, but Mike does bet (and lose) his rent money at a $100 minimum blackjack table in a futile attempt to impress a couple of women early in the movie.
 Swingers / int_2fc395e6
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 Swingers / int_2fc395e6
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Swingers / int_2fc395e6
 Swingers / int_311bcac6
type
Beard of Sorrow
 Swingers / int_311bcac6
comment
Beard of Sorrow: Mike grows one at one point.
 Swingers / int_311bcac6
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1.0
 Swingers / int_311bcac6
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 Swingers
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Swingers / int_311bcac6
 Swingers / int_3684532f
type
Never Heard That One Before
 Swingers / int_3684532f
comment
Never Heard That One Before: Lorraine's response to Mike making fun of her name indicates it's not the first time.
 Swingers / int_3684532f
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1.0
 Swingers / int_3684532f
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Swingers / int_3684532f
 Swingers / int_3929e0db
type
You Need to Get Laid
 Swingers / int_3929e0db
comment
You Need to Get Laid: What Trent thinks Mike needs to get over his breakup with his ex.
 Swingers / int_3929e0db
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 Swingers / int_3929e0db
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Swingers / int_3929e0db
 Swingers / int_3a967286
type
Handsome Lech
 Swingers / int_3a967286
comment
Handsome Lech: Trent. He fancies himself The Casanova, though he strikes out too much to really qualify.
 Swingers / int_3a967286
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Swingers / int_3a967286
 Swingers / int_3dfeaa1c
type
Embarrassing Voicemail
 Swingers / int_3dfeaa1c
comment
Embarrassing Voicemail: Mike leaves various messages on a woman's machine, and repeatedly corrects himself by leaving new messages. She eventually answers the phone and tells him to stop calling.
 Swingers / int_3dfeaa1c
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Swingers / int_3dfeaa1c
 Swingers / int_424d15ad
type
Love Hurts
 Swingers / int_424d15ad
comment
Love Hurts: One of the movie's major themes.
 Swingers / int_424d15ad
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Swingers / int_424d15ad
 Swingers / int_477bcc9f
type
Greasy Spoon
 Swingers / int_477bcc9f
comment
Greasy Spoon: The characters hang out at diners of this sort a few times.
 Swingers / int_477bcc9f
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Swingers / int_477bcc9f
 Swingers / int_4781adbb
type
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 Swingers / int_4781adbb
comment
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Trent, who's an obnoxious womanizer, but genuinely does care about his friends and tries to snap Mike out of his depressive funk.
 Swingers / int_4781adbb
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Swingers / int_4781adbb
 Swingers / int_5158df81
type
The Casino
 Swingers / int_5158df81
comment
The Casino: In one of the movie's first scenes.
 Swingers / int_5158df81
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1.0
 Swingers / int_5158df81
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 Swingers
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Swingers / int_5158df81
 Swingers / int_63b02752
type
Hair-Trigger Temper
 Swingers / int_63b02752
comment
Hair-Trigger Temper: Deconstructed with Sue. He frequently loses his temper with the others, who yell right back at him rather than cowering; the one time he threatens violence, by pulling a gun after exchanging words with some wannabe thugs in a parking lot, his friends immediately and realistically call him out for acting like an idiot.
 Swingers / int_63b02752
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Swingers / int_63b02752
 Swingers / int_70ff1328
type
Funny Answering Machine
 Swingers / int_70ff1328
comment
Funny Answering Machine: Inverted: it's not the answering machine message itself that's funny, it's the series of embarrassing messages Mike leaves in response to it that is.
 Swingers / int_70ff1328
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1.0
 Swingers / int_70ff1328
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 Swingers
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Swingers / int_70ff1328
 Swingers / int_7315fd38
type
Covers Always Lie
 Swingers / int_7315fd38
comment
Covers Always Lie: Actress Heather Graham is featured on the cover of the DVD, implying that she is one of the main characters in the film. In reality she only appears in a single scene.
 Swingers / int_7315fd38
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1.0
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 Swingers
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Swingers / int_7315fd38
 Swingers / int_8411ab92
type
Red Oni, Blue Oni
 Swingers / int_8411ab92
comment
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Trent and Mike have similar backgrounds and personal and career goals, but very different approaches to life; neither is right all the time and the two tend to pull each other away from their own respective worst tendencies.
 Swingers / int_8411ab92
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1.0
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Swingers / int_8411ab92
 Swingers / int_848153ef
type
Viva Las Vegas!
 Swingers / int_848153ef
comment
Viva Las Vegas!: Or as Trent puts it, 'Vegas, baby! Vegas!'
 Swingers / int_848153ef
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1.0
 Swingers / int_848153ef
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Swingers / int_848153ef
 Swingers / int_8aa92e8d
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Minor Flaw, Major Breakup
 Swingers / int_8aa92e8d
comment
Minor Flaw, Major Breakup:
 Swingers / int_8aa92e8d
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 Swingers / int_8aa92e8d
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Swingers / int_8aa92e8d
 Swingers / int_984763bb
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555
 Swingers / int_984763bb
comment
555: The phone numbers in the movie all make use of this convention.
 Swingers / int_984763bb
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1.0
 Swingers / int_984763bb
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1.0
 Swingers
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Swingers / int_984763bb
 Swingers / int_985e118a
type
Odd Couple
 Swingers / int_985e118a
comment
Odd Couple: Mike and Trent.
 Swingers / int_985e118a
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1.0
 Swingers / int_985e118a
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Swingers / int_985e118a
 Swingers / int_98aaf983
type
Comically Small Bribe
 Swingers / int_98aaf983
comment
Comically Small Bribe: As part of his deliberately cheesy pick-up routine, Trent promises the cocktail waitress a shiny 50 cent piece if she brings their drinks quickly.
 Swingers / int_98aaf983
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 Swingers / int_98aaf983
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Swingers / int_98aaf983
 Swingers / int_a1a1491e
type
Homage
 Swingers / int_a1a1491e
comment
One shot, of the guys sitting around the kitchen table talking about movies in their apartment, is a direct homage to Reservoir Dogs, followed by another homage as they walk out to their cars in slow motion.
 Swingers / int_a1a1491e
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Swingers / int_a1a1491e
 Swingers / int_a2492aff
type
Dogged Nice Guy
 Swingers / int_a2492aff
comment
Dogged Nice Guy: Mike.
 Swingers / int_a2492aff
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1.0
 Swingers / int_a2492aff
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Swingers / int_a2492aff
 Swingers / int_a4905771
type
Double-Meaning Title
 Swingers / int_a4905771
comment
Double-Meaning Title: "Swingers" refers both to the swing revival social scene that the characters are a part of as well as their promiscuous lifestyle.
 Swingers / int_a4905771
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1.0
 Swingers / int_a4905771
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Swingers / int_a4905771
 Swingers / int_a536f3a3
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Gender-Blender Name
 Swingers / int_a536f3a3
comment
Gender-Blender Name: Sue, in reference to the Johnny Cash song "Boy Named Sue."
 Swingers / int_a536f3a3
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Swingers / int_a536f3a3
 Swingers / int_a89b3504
type
Irrevocable Message
 Swingers / int_a89b3504
comment
Irrevocable Message: Mike leaves a series of increasingly embarrassing messages on the machine of a girl he's just met.
 Swingers / int_a89b3504
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 Swingers / int_a89b3504
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Swingers / int_a89b3504
 Swingers / int_a94eaaa4
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Odd Friendship
 Swingers / int_a94eaaa4
comment
Odd Friendship: Mike finds Trent obnoxious and Trent finds Mike mopey and depressing, but they are close friends.
 Swingers / int_a94eaaa4
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1.0
 Swingers / int_a94eaaa4
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Swingers / int_a94eaaa4
 Swingers / int_ab5677c1
type
Boy Meets Girl
 Swingers / int_ab5677c1
comment
Boy Meets Girl: Realistically and amusingly subverted; Mike meets several possible love interests early in the movie, but manages to screw things up with each of them thanks to his mopey state of mind and lack of dating experience.
 Swingers / int_ab5677c1
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Swingers / int_ab5677c1
 Swingers / int_b01abe4f
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Catchphrase
 Swingers / int_b01abe4f
comment
Catchphrase: Describing something good as "money" is the catchphrase of the entire group.
 Swingers / int_b01abe4f
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1.0
 Swingers / int_b01abe4f
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 Swingers
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Swingers / int_b01abe4f
 Swingers / int_b05f64f
type
Sensei for Scoundrels
 Swingers / int_b05f64f
comment
Sensei for Scoundrels: Trent employs some of this with Mike.
 Swingers / int_b05f64f
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1.0
 Swingers / int_b05f64f
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 Swingers
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Swingers / int_b05f64f
 Swingers / int_b54fe3ce
type
Classically-Trained Extra
 Swingers / int_b54fe3ce
comment
Classically-Trained Extra: Rob is a trained Shakespearean actor but fails to even land a job playing Goofy at Disneyland.
 Swingers / int_b54fe3ce
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 Swingers / int_b54fe3ce
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Swingers / int_b54fe3ce
 Swingers / int_bc74ef27
type
Berserk Button
 Swingers / int_bc74ef27
comment
Berserk Button: Sue pulls a gun on a group of guys after one of them calls him a bitch.
 Swingers / int_bc74ef27
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1.0
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Swingers / int_bc74ef27
 Swingers / int_bf3c7344
type
Snooty Sports
 Swingers / int_bf3c7344
comment
Snooty Sports: Golf's inherent snootiness is used to establish the characters' everyman status. They are shown playing golf for recreation... but the course they play at is patchy and has dead grass, and they are shown to be bad not just at the sport but even at trying to keep count of how high their scores are.
 Swingers / int_bf3c7344
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Swingers / int_bf3c7344
 Swingers / int_c5ef2d50
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Cringe Comedy
 Swingers / int_c5ef2d50
comment
Cringe Comedy: A fair amount of the humor in the film is of this short.
 Swingers / int_c5ef2d50
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1.0
 Swingers / int_c5ef2d50
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 Swingers
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Swingers / int_c5ef2d50
 Swingers / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 Swingers / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: As with the homages listed above, there are quite a few, to Jaws, The Godfather, American Graffiti, and Rain Man, among other movies, not to mention nods to Johnny Cash, NHLPA '93 for the Sega Genesis, and You Bet Your Life. Trent calling Mike "the guy behind the guy behind the guy" at a casino is an obscure reference to David Mamet's Things Change.
 Swingers / int_c75df49a
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Swingers / int_c75df49a
 Swingers / int_c7853b1e
type
On the Rebound
 Swingers / int_c7853b1e
comment
On the Rebound: Mike is told that his ex's new relationship won't last, as it's just a rebound. Mike points out his relationship with her also started as a rebound.
 Swingers / int_c7853b1e
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1.0
 Swingers / int_c7853b1e
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Swingers / int_c7853b1e
 Swingers / int_ca4c3239
type
Romantic Wingman
 Swingers / int_ca4c3239
comment
Romantic Wingman: Mike's friends attempt to play this role for him with varying degrees of success.
 Swingers / int_ca4c3239
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Swingers / int_ca4c3239
 Swingers / int_d0f0a80d
type
One-Word Title
 Swingers / int_d0f0a80d
comment
One-Word Title
 Swingers / int_d0f0a80d
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 Swingers / int_d0f0a80d
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Swingers / int_d0f0a80d
 Swingers / int_e4bb68b8
type
The Charmer
 Swingers / int_e4bb68b8
comment
The Charmer: Trent, to the annoyance of Mike.
 Swingers / int_e4bb68b8
featureApplicability
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 Swingers / int_e4bb68b8
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Swingers / int_e4bb68b8
 Swingers / int_e7e558
type
The Oner
 Swingers / int_e7e558
comment
The Oner: A homage to The Oner in GoodFellas.
 Swingers / int_e7e558
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1.0
 Swingers / int_e7e558
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 Swingers
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Swingers / int_e7e558
 Swingers / int_efa2d938
type
Homage Shot
 Swingers / int_efa2d938
comment
Homage Shot: Tons, to various movies beloved of the filmmakers. One shot, of the guys sitting around the kitchen table talking about movies in their apartment, is a direct homage to Reservoir Dogs, followed by another homage as they walk out to their cars in slow motion. The guys entering a club through the kitchen entrance is an homage to a similar scene in GoodFellas.
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Swingers / int_efa2d938
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Swingers

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Swingers
hasFeature
Beard of Sorrow / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Classically-Trained Extra / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Comically Small Bribe / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Conversational Troping / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Dreaded Kids' Party Entertainer Job / int_5892c322
 Swingers
hasFeature
Embarrassing Voicemail / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Films of 1995–1999 / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Funny Answering Machine / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Gender-Blender Name / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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On the Rebound / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Pac-Man Fever / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Romantic Wingman / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Sensei for Scoundrels / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Snooty Sports / int_5892c322
 Swingers
seeAlso
Swingers
 Swingers
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Vanity License Plate / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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Viva Las Vegas! / int_5892c322
 Swingers
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You Need to Get Laid / int_5892c322