All February long we're talking about our favorite Netflix teen romcom movie series, To All the Boys I've Loved Before (sorry, Kissing Booth)! In part one we talk about our initial experiences with the movies, the source of comfort they were during quarantine, and get into the topics we plan to discuss in more depth throughout the month. Themes include:

 the history of love letters
 romance novels and romance readers
  self-efficacy in teen romance
  and more!

We also decided to take our customary quiz early, and this one tells us which To All the Boys boy is our soulmate. You can take it along with us here.

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To All the Boys I've Loved Before: First Date

We wrap up our Stranger Things discussion with a look at some of the literary inspirations for the show, such as the work of Stephen King and the Choose Your Own Adventure children's book series, as well as the interweaving of Dungeons and Dragons-style narrative storytelling with the ability for players to choose their own path. 
We also take the quiz to find out which characters we are, and you can take it here.
Links:
Fandom Wiki page on all the influences and references in Stranger Things
Article on the literary sensibility of the show
Exploring the agency of women in Dungeons and Dragons

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Stranger Things: Choose Your Own Adventure

Part 2 of our Stranger Things discussion dives into the DND lore, especially the monsters (because that's Erin's brand), from which the show draws inspiration (or even straight-up copies, it's a little murky). We also look at Stranger Things as a piece of nostalgia media, and discuss why viewing the past through such a rosy lens can be dangerous, especially when considering how the political and social messaging reads to a modern audience.
For further reading:
Every Dungeons and Dragons Monster Referenced
More about the Demogorgon
The Parks and Rec clip we referenced
More about Retromarketing and Pseudo-Nostalgia
Stranger Things is Copaganda
“Stranger Things and the Danger of Nostalgia” video essay by James Somerton
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Stranger Things: Make America Demogorgon Again

We are launching a three-part series dissecting your favorite 1980s-nostalgia-bait Netflix series (that Erin loves and Rhonda... doesn't love), Stranger Things! 
In this first part, we look at the unique placement of Stranger Things and its fandom within main stream pop culture. From the show's homages to DND and sci-fi/horror fans, to the recent evolution in the online fandom through social media platforms like TikTok. Yes, we're talking about the "Chrissy, Wake Up" TikTok remix song. 
We also give a very brief snapshot of other topics we want to explore in this series, like culture and politics of the 1980s, the dangers of nostalgia, and the fantasy creatures and magical powers depicted in the show.
Follow us on Instagram, I guess.

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Stranger Things: An Upside Down Fandom

Happy New Year! In this bonus episode we discuss trends we noticed in the media of 2022, as well as themes and through lines that emerged in our favorite works. From the more abstract like exploring characters' vulnerability as a strength, to themes that are almost genres in themselves, like Rich People Nonsense™. We also look ahead to things we're excited to watch in 2023, and give a quick peek at what's on the itinerary for Pop DNA this year!

Erin's Best of 2022:

 A League of their Own
 The Woman in the House…
  Couples Therapy
  Along for the Ride
  Reboot
  Paper Girls
  NOPE
  The Lost City
  Marry Me
  Bob's Burgers
  Better Call Saul


Rhonda's Best of 2022:

  Everything Everywhere All At Once
  The Invitation
  The Batman
  Catherine, Called Birdy
  Glass Onion
  Fire Island
  The Menu
  Andor
  House of the Dragon
  Severance
  Abbott Elementary


Books:

  Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne
  Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
  B*tch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke
  The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages by Katherine Harvey


Anticipated 2023 movies according to Rotten Tomatoes, and TV according to Entertainment Weekly

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BONUS: The Best of 2022!

As we wrap up our final Narnia episode we're asking the big questions: Was C. S. Lewis sexist? Or can we draw any feminist or female-empowerment messages from his work? What does feminism even look like in the context of a fantasy world where children go into battle with talking animals?
We also look specifically at The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a World War 2 story, exploring the story an as allegory for what was happening in the "real" world at the time it takes place.
And of course we took a quiz to find out which Pevensie kids we are, and you can take it here.
Check out The Feminine Ethos in C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia by Monika Hilder.
Follow us on Instagram, and join us in early January for our Best of 2022 Bonus!

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The Chronicles of Narnia: Battles Are Ugly When Women Fight

This week on our Narnia journey we are diving in to all things magic. We discuss the differences between hard and soft magic systems, how magic is expressed in the world of Narnia, and how it compares to the magic in other fictional worlds. We also look at Narnia as a touchstone of fantasy fiction, its relationship with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and its influence on modern fantasy works like Star Wars and Lev Grossman's book series The Magicians.

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The Chronicles of Narnia: Deeper Magic from Before the Dawn of Time

This month we are talking about the best children's fantasy book series, The Chronicles of Narnia (and you can fight us on that). For our first glimpse into the wardrobe we share our first experiences with the series, favorite fan theories, and thoughts on various adaptations. We also definitively decide which order the books should be read, and preview the topics we plan to explore in the next two weeks of the series. Get your hot cocoa and your Turkish Delight, kick back, and get ready to go to Narnia with us!
Recommended Reading:
Clarification on Lewis' "official" reading order
Everything we know about the upcoming Netflix adaptations
Captain Hook fan theory


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The Chronicles of Narnia: Into a Wardrobe

One of our favorite things about The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window is that its long, ridiculous title is a perfect encapsulation of the genre it parodies, right down to the use of the words "girl" and "woman." The genre of course is the domestic noir thriller made popular in the past decade which we discussed last episode. 
But why is this genre so gender-coded? Why all the girls? What relationship does the genre have with other female-dominated literary movements, such as the mid-century gothic romance? And how do male-authored entries in the thriller genre, such as the works of Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King, differ from this newest iteration?
Recommended reading:
Works Parodied by The Woman in the House...
Why do so many bestsellers have "girl" in the title?
The Domestic Noir and the Gothic Romance
Take the (non-BuzzFeed) quiz

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The Woman in the House...: The Girl in the Mansion

This week we get into the history of parody, satire, and pastiche and how The Woman in the House... uses all three to comedic effect. We also look at the early thriller films that may share some DNA with the works The Woman in the House... parodies, and that have perhaps become parodies themselves.

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The Woman in the House...: Now That's What I Call Parody!

We found the Netflix limited series The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window (which we will hereafter abbreviate as The Woman in the House...) to be utterly delightful. So we are diving in to this series with an overview of some fun topics we plan to discuss, like the nature of parody as commentary, the evolution of the thriller and suspense genres, and of course Rhonda is going to bring in Jane Austen somehow...
It's going to be a fun time!

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The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window: How Do We Abbreviate This?

For our Podiversary/Spooky Season bonus episode, and as a coda on our discussion of Lovecraft Country as a work of Black horror, we decided to watch Jordan Peele's 2017 masterpiece Get Out and talk through it! Please enjoy this brilliant film with our (less) brilliant commentary. And Happy Halloween!

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BONUS! Commentary: Get Out (2017)

We wrap up our discussion of Lovecraft Country with a deep dive into the Lovecraftian monsters portrayed in the series and the journey the show creators took in portraying them. We also discuss the literary criticism theory of "death of the author," and how it applies--and doesn't--to readers' enjoyment and transformation of the works of Lovecraft and other problematic artists.
We also take a quiz to find out which Cthulhu Mythos deities we are.
I suppose if one wanted one could follow us on Instagram?

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Lovecraft Country: How to Kill a Racist Author

In part 3 of our Lovecraft Country series we look at the real-world realities at play within this narrative, from the historical setting of the 1950s to very recent discoveries in the psychology of fear and terror. 
Read this interview with Atticus actor Jonathan Majors about his thoughts on the series premiering in the midst of the 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests. 
Read this article on very new developments in how we understand how our brains process fear and memory.

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Lovecraft Country: Historical Fears and Fictions

TW this week for discussions of racism and racialized trauma
Lovecraft Country sets out to give us a transformed or reclaimed vision of the horrors invented by the racist author H. P. Lovecraft, centering the very people that Lovecraft himself would have marginalized. How successful is the series at achieving this goal? 
We explore different perspectives on how horror as a genre has been used to comment on societal issues like class, economics, and especially race, and how Lovecraft Country and other works of Black horror fit into this discussion.
Follow us on Instagram, it will be like we're not even there!

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Lovecraft Country: Racism is the Real Horror

Happy October and welcome to our Spooky Season discussion of the HBO series Lovecraft Country, based on the novel of the same name. In part 1, as usual, we give you an overview of the topics we plan to explore in-depth in the coming weeks. A few of those topics are:

 The psychology of fear and why we like horror
 The horror genre as a medium to comment on race and racism
  "Death of the Author," and how we can reconcile and transform the artistic works of terrible people

We also want to bring a little levity so Erin will definitely be geeking out over the creature effects as Rhonda fangirls over the historical costuming. We hope this will be a great time!
Follow us on Instagram for some sporadic supplementary content.

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Lovecraft Country: We Need A Moment

We wrap up our Gilmore Girls Revisited series this week with look at the pop culture sensibility of the show, from ASP's reference-laced writing style and her approach to character and story, to the show's impact on subsequent pop culture and references in other media.
Like, remember when Mindy watched Gilmore Girls with Danny's mom on The Mindy Project and described seemingly alt-universe storylines? Just one of the many ways the show has worked its way into the cultural zeitgeist.
We also reveal the results of our "Which Character Are You" quiz; Erin is a Paris sun, Lorelai moon, Kirk rising and Rhonda is a Rory sun, Sookie moon, Lane rising. We don't actually know how astrology works, but that sounds right.
Follow us on Instagram I guess. 

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Gilmore Girls (Revisited): Oy With the Poodles Already!

This week we dig in to Gilmore Girls' relationship with politics, identity, privilege, and morality. We explore the parallels in the American political climate between the original run of the show and the premiere of A Year in the Life, look at some of our favorite moments when the characters discuss politics, and wonder how Rory feels about Hilary Clinton now...
We also take a deeper look at the choices both Rory and Lorelai make that may cause viewers to stop rooting for them, as well as the show's shortcomings in failing to acknowledge their place of privilege, and the complexity in the idea of the "unlikable female character." (Also, Rhonda admits her most toxic trait is liking Rory throughout the whole series, even when she's horrible.)
Watch the YouTube video Why everybody hates Rory Gilmore by Kierra Loves TV.
Follow us on Instagram and we'll never bother you!

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Gilmore Girls (Revisited): Women of Questionable Morals

Jane Austen once referred to small towns as "a neighborhood of voluntary spies," and she easily could have been talking about Stars Hollow, Connecticut.
This week we're diving in to the similarities between the writing of Jane Austen and Amy Sherman Palladino, from their explorations of class conflict, to their portrayals of the interior lives of women, to, of course, their small town settings and how these microcosms of society inform their characters' stories.
We also look at the element of both Austen and ASP's work that seems to get the most attention: the romantic relationships. How does Gilmore Girls use the romances to develop its characters? And is there really a healthy romantic relationship on the show? (Spoiler: not really)
Follow us on Instagram if you dare!!!!

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Gilmore Girls (Revisited): Love, Lies, and Spies

We're kicking off Season 5 with a return to the town of Stars Hollow!
Long time listeners may already know that our second episode EVER was about Gilmore Girls (though we don't recommend listening to it, it sounds pretty terrible). So we thought it was long past time to return and talk about everything we missed!
In part 1, we talk about some general thoughts about the original run of the series and A Year in the Life, how our relationship with the show has changed over the years, and some favorite episodes and moments. 
We also give an overview of the other topics we plan to delve into in this series, from pop culture connections and creator Amy Sherman Palladino's other works, to a psychological look at how the show portrays various romantic relationships, to its positioning as a literary successor to the works of Jane Austen, plus more! It's gonna be a great month!
Follow us on Instagram. We're trying, we really are!

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