A podcast about appreciating trashy media.
Jen and Rachel talk about the novel 14 by Peter Clines, and note how refreshing it is to take a step outside their comfort zone with a new genre. Topics mentioned include the existentialism of cosmic horror, the impact a good audio book narrator can have on a story, and how annoying it (usually) is when characters unexpectedly bone in media.
The first half is spoiler free, but the second half is spoiler-filled!
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Rachel and Jen talk about the similarities between The Lego Batman Movie and Holy Musical B@man. Topics include the best logical way to parody a character, how fans’ opinions can affect media, low-hanging fruit… and trying their best not to just sing the entire time.
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They’re back with a new name, and some mild technical difficulties with the intro and outro audio!
Jen and Rachel discuss the supernatural romance novel Fire in His Blood, which happens to be written by one of Rachel’s favorite authors, Ruby Dixon! Topics include the role of women in post-apocalyptic media, new interpretations of old tropes, and the reproductive anatomy of dragons.
Please note, this episode is NSFW, due to aforementioned dragon genitalia. And as always, caution: there be spoilers.
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Harlequin has a reputation for being melodramatic and instilling women with unrealistic expectations about relationships. However you might feel about this romance novel publishing company, you can’t say that they don’t know how to laugh at themselves.
They’ve recently come out with two new online commercials for their subscription service entitled, “Make a Date With Harlequin.” They feature regular women going on dates with archetypal romance novel heroes, like Vikings and cowboys.
And they’re hilarious.
Continue reading “Read our Rant: Make a Date With Harlequin”
Rachel and Jen compare the heroes, the heroines, and the mummies from the 1932, 1999, and 2017 versions of The Mummy. Including discussions of villains with complex motives, inaccurate depictions of ancient Egypt, sexist portrayals of female characters, dumpster fires, and shitty interns.
Includes spoilers for all three movies.
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Magic 2.0 is a series where I feel at home. It’s one of those things where you’re so familiar with a set of characters and a particular setting that it just makes you happy to immerse yourself in that world. In large part, this is because of the amazing work of Luke Daniels, who narrates the audio versions of the novels, but that’s a post for another day. Continue reading “Making the Filler Episode Work: “Magic 2.0””
Jen and Rachel talk about the first season of the Hulu original series, Harlots. Topics include (but are not limited to) the role of women in history, the fight for power, regaining agency, and eating pomegranate seeds.
First half is spoiler free, second half is spoiler filled.
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This blog post does not contain spoilers of any kind.
This week’s blog post was originally going to be a follow-up to my Riverdale post.
However, another show I watch has plagued my thoughts and emotions for this past week.
If you watch Geek and Sundry’s D&D web series, Critical Role, you know that show is so much more than what it says on the tin. Also, if you are up to date, you probably know why I haven’t been able to shake out of this vague emotional stupor. Continue reading “The Critical Role of not Spoiling Your Friends”
When I first saw the trailer for The Circle, I was intrigued. I didn’t necessarily think it was going to be an Oscar-worthy film, but I thought it could end up being a fun way to kill a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon.
It didn’t take long for me to become disappointed with the movie. Not only was The Circle chock full of themes and buzzwords intended to lure in millennial viewers, as I sat through all of the poorly acted character interactions and painfully obvious opinions about millennial lifestyles, I started to feel like I’d had this experience before.
It felt like a grouchy, skeptic, and right-wing uncle was trying to lecture me about how kids these days are ruining their lives with social media. Continue reading “The Circle: For Millennials! About Millennials! By… Old People?”
This blog post contains spoilers for the first half of the first season of Riverdale.
Full disclosure: I’ve never read an Archie comic in my life.
And, this isn’t a criticism. I love Riverdale. It’s addicting, and I can’t wait to finish the season.
I realize that Riverdale is meant to be an ensemble show. It’s probably the reason the title is Riverdale instead of Archie, after the comics from which it is born. However, it’s interesting to me that the titular character from the comics is (for me, personally) the least compelling character on the show. Continue reading “It’s a Good Thing Riverdale is an Ensemble Show”