Call for Comments: Breaking Down The Romance Genre

From Hannah: Way back on Episode 24, we talked about the concept of genre in general: Why is genre occasionally a dirty word? What are the rules a piece of fiction has to follow to be considered a member of a particular genre? How useful is this concept in understanding a work? So I want…

Call for Comments: How did Nancy Drew get good?!?

From Mav: Long time listeners will know that I frequently say that Riverdale is the best show on television. I do love the show. But the honest truth is, Riverdale fulfills a very specific niche of absurdist, hyperrealistic, postmodern, storytelling. And as I’ve mentioned on recent episodes, I think it’s the pinnacle of what it…

Call for Comments: Humanities vs. STEM — Dawn of Nerdom

From Katya: There’s a generic assumption in academic circles that the humanities are embattled — for funding, for prestige, for influence within the university, etc. — against the BBEG of STEM. STEM is stealing our students. STEM is stealing our funding. STEM is gnawing our legs off (for science!) As you might guess, I don’t…

Call for Comments: The Return of Serialization II: Electric Boogaloo

From Hannah: On our 170th show back in July of 2021, we (finally) took a deep-dive into the concept of serialization. We discussed everything from (some) of the history of serialization, the economics, the question of “wholeness,” serialization and the Internet … but we also left a lot of questions unanswered. Which, to be fair,…

Call for Comments: Box Office Game 2022

From Hannah: Well, to borrow Mav’s words from this year, this year will continue to be … weird. It’s the end of the year, so it’s once again time for us to do our movie picks for the annual fantasy box office episode. If you’re new to our show, every year we play a game…

Call for Comments: Tinker TAILOR Soldier SPIES

From Monica: While everyone else attends cinemas this holiday season for Live Action Spideyverse or The Matrix: Again, I decided to rope my fellow co-hosts into watching a slightly less anticipated franchise new release, The King’s Man. If this is the first you’re hearing of this movie at all, it’s probably because you’re getting it…

CFC: Cards, Baking, Music, Shelf Elves & Other Holiday Traditions

From Katya: Sometimes I think being a scholar of culture boils down to constantly recognizing that, actually, it absolutely is that deep. Pretty much all the time. We were talking about seasonal cultural practices that we found interesting. Mav brought up sending Christmas cards as a tradition that made him feel like he was celebrating…

Call for Comments: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (For Cheesy Movies)

From Hannah: Thanksgiving is officially over, so we can finally, finally indulge in the sentimental, silly, and surprising seasonal specials that channels like Hallmark have made a holiday staple and streaming services like Netflix have, perhaps, perfected. Mav and I have made no secret of our love for these amazing works of art in past…

CFC: So, Is “Sexy” Just A Television Genre Now?

From Mav: Regular listeners know that I adore the Riverdale (some people are saying it’s the best show on television!). You might have also heard me mention that I love Nancy Drew or The 100 or all of the Arrowverse shows. Basically, I love the CW TV formula. Everyone is pretty… everyone has abs… everyone…

Call for Comments: WTF Is Up With Eternals?

From Hannah: Marvel’s newest movie — Eternals for those of you who don’t care about the MCU — debuts this weekend. And it’s making headlines for being first in a lot of things in terms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (some way more important than others). Critics don’t seem to love Marvel’s latest entry, at…