What Is Rex Manning Day? Everything To Know…

Well, First Of All, Happy Rex Manning Day

It’s officially Rex Manning Day, so stop talking, my love. It’s a joyous occasion that serves as a yearly reminder to defy gravity and embrace uncertainty. Rex Manning Day is a significant occasion to remind you why life is worth living, whether that means announcing your love for the girl you have been crushing on (preferably by 1:37 pm exactly), risking it all on a roll of the dice, shaving your head, losing your virginity, or doing any of the above. So take hold of your couch cushion and use that aberrant behavior to shock, shock, shock, shock.

The made-up day is an inside joke that has crept into the collective consciousness among fans of the quirky 1990s movie Empire Records. The movie takes place in a single day, during which the staff of an independent record store must band together to fight against the corporate takeover of their store and its conversion into a dead Music Town franchise. They also have to deal with a gun-wielding shoplifter, a forgotten pop star and his fans, their owner who denigrates them, and their issues. Thanks to a timeless soundtrack, great acting, and an all-star ensemble that includes Renée Zellweger, Liv Tyler, Anthony LaPaglia, Ethan Embry, Debi Mazar, Rory Cochrane, Johnny Whitworth, and Robin Tunney, the movie—which was originally a box office flop—has become a cult favorite.

Who Actually Is Rex Manning?

Then, who is Rex Manning exactly? He’s the fictitious 1980s adolescent idol turned embarrassed has-been, played by Maxwell Caulfield, who visits Empire Records to sign autographs in support of his new song, “Say No More (Mon Amour).” The lyrics, which start with “Oh Rexy, You’re so sexy!” are cringeworthy and full of innuendo, yet the song is a really popular hit. Caulfield, a stage veteran and possibly best known for Grease 2, takes on the song’s lead vocals. The accompanying music video features terrible attire, awkward dance steps, and an awkwardly positioned four-poster bed on the seashore.

Rex is antiquated and corny, openly despised by the majority of the other characters in the movie…and maybe even by himself, given how brittle his ego is and how worried he is about his declining reputation. A select group of moms and campy queer men who are his followers confront the star every time they meet and welcome him about how irrelevant he is. Rex sleeps with her closest friend Gina (Zellweger) after treating his one true fan, Corey (Tyler), cruelly and leaving her in tears, and then he’s forced to leave the business in shame.

Thematically appropriate, an impromptu “Save the Empire” concert by Gina and Berko (Coyote Shivers) is what ultimately raises the necessary money for the Empire Records store, not Rex Manning’s arrival. In order to relieve himself of the burden, Mitchell (Ben Bode), the store’s owner, sells the store to Joe (LaPaglia), the manager, for a low price. They can then genuinely exist without “the man.”

When Is Rex Manning Day Celebrated?

Every year on April 8 (the day the film is set), people commemorate Rex Manning Day as a way to honor Kurt Cobain, who was found dead on that same day in 1994—a year before the film was released. Since Cobain was a trailblazer in the early 1990s, music lovers and misfits worldwide lost their mascot with his death. Donning a fluffy blouse and freshly styled hair, Manning embodies the tasteless mainstream pop music that a corporate retailer would be delighted to feature. On the other hand, Cobain’s authentic grunge persona fits the workers at the eponymous store.

It’s the ideal day to celebrate coming of age by paying tribute to the original youthful spirit and to appreciate an alternative creative vision. What better excuse to commemorate Rex Manning Day this year than the fact that 2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of Cobain’s passing?

Rex Manning Day In Empire Records

Considering how out of date the movie is now, the internet’s obsession with it and its message is one of life’s delightful ironies. In a world where everything is always online, fans swarm to media channels controlled by mega-corporations and billionaires to reminisce over a film whose core message was to live for yourself, damn the guy, and resist selling out to a corporate entity. Maybe as a result, the movie’s message is more relevant now than it was when it first came out. Empire Records is a rallying cry for alternative culture, encouraging each of us to “always play with our minds” and to not let society’s limitations hold us back. 

It’s a triumphant celebration of nostalgia, maturation, physical media, and enjoying the moment. Whatever way you choose to celebrate, remember that every day has 24 useable hours, and you don’t have to feel obligated to explain your work to anyone.