Empire Records' Rex Manning Day Explained

Empire Records is filled with catchy dialogue and references that might go over the heads of some younger viewers. Characters are noted for their similarities to Warren Beatty and Sinéad O'Connor, say things like "Wassup", and engage in ironic anti-establishment banter that's pro-Empire Records, which is itself an establishment. Empire Records did not change the movie game in any way, and it's slight compared to similar teen coming-of-age comedies, but it lives on in more ways than one, including through Rex Manning Day.

Who Is Rex Manning?

Rex Manning Is A Washed-Up '80s Pop Star

Rex Manning, played by Maxwell Caulfield, is a washed-up 1980s pop idol who comes to the Empire Records record store to hold an autograph signing session for his latest album Back with More. The staff of hip teens are less than enthused to have this over-the-hill singer taking up space in the store and let him know it. Corey (Liv Tyler) feels different and tries to seduce him, which ends in humiliation.

Related

10 Best Songs in Empire Records

Empire Records was a definitive '90s movie with an essential soundtrack for a generation, including songs by Dire Straits and Rex Manning himself.

Gina (Renée Zellweger), however, succeeds and does have sex with Manning, leading to a fight with Corey and Manning being asked to leave. Manning's arrival is the big to-do that everyone in Empire Records is worried about for the first half of the film, and it's his liaison with Gina that is the final straw in her brewing rivalry with Corey. Ostensibly friends, there's tension between the pair, and Gina taking Manning from Corey causes their resentments to spill out.

Rex Manning Day Is Celebrated On April 8

The Staff At Empire Records Dubs The Date A Holiday

As teenagers are wont to do, they immediately dub Manning's arrival as "Rex Manning Day", a performative act of celebration that's actually a way to mock him. The name has stuck though, and people on the internet still celebrate it on April 8, the same day Empire Records is set on, which also happens to be the day rock legend Kurt Cobain died. That's not a coincidence. Ethan Embry, who plays Mark, said that day was specifically chosen (via X),

"The reason we picked April 8th as the day to have the powdered/coifed Rex Manning visit Empire is because Kurt was found on the 8th of April, the day the music of the 90s lost its mascot.

#RexManningDay"

According to KnowYourMeme, the first instances of people outside the movie referencing "Rex Manning Day" came around 2006 when a user savejack posted an image on Blogspot of Rex Manning with the quote, "Marsi- I love you...you're one sexy biotch." Since then, more and more people have gotten in on the meme, posting favorite quotes from the film whenever April 8 comes around as a way to celebrate the cult movie.

Other Famous Movie & TV Show "Days"

Mean Girls, Miss Congeniality, And More All Have Special Holidays

"Rex Manning Day" is not the first real-life celebration to come out of a fictional day from a movie, the most memorable probably being Mean Girls' October 3rd, based on Cady's (Lindsay Lohan) excitement to tell Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett) the date. There are plenty more. Miss Congeniality Day is on April 25, based on a beauty pageant's misguided response to a question. Galentine's Day from Parks and Recreation is celebrated the day after Valentine's and is all about platonic female love.

What the day literally means is somewhat unimportant. The point of mock holidays like "Rex Manning Day" from Empire Records is to give fans a dedicated time to celebrate the movies and shows they hold so dear.

Empire Records is a 1995 coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by Allan Moyle. The film centers around a group of young employees working at an independent record store, grappling with personal issues and the potential corporate takeover of their cherished workplace. The ensemble cast includes Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, and Ethan Embry, who navigate the complexities of friendship and adolescence within a single day.

Director Allan Moyle

Release Date September 22, 1995

Cast Anthony LaPaglia , Maxwell Caulfield , Debi Mazar , Rory Cochrane , Johnny Whitworth , Robin Tunney , Renée Zellweger , Liv Tyler

Runtime 90 Minutes

Budget $10 Million