Remedial Studies podcast

57:35

Well, robots, we're back, and this time we bring you a long awaited discussion on Sony's formal apology for *The Emoji Movie*. Miles Morales and the denizens of the Spider-Verse enable us to discuss animation, fandom culture, and the evolution of Nerdom as a popular identity. Talking points: We both forget that the Amazing Spider-Man movies happened; Donald Glover was robbed; polite racists; using animation to its fullest extent; the overshadowing of Jack Kirby; comic visual language; the age of superheroes; and, hey, stay safe robots.…

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Episode 41: 2019 Year in Review 1:11:34

5 years ago1:11:34

1:11:34

We return to you, sweet robots, bearing memories of a year past, and a hopeful look towards our future. Talking Points: A character development year; sweet tunes from the revolutionary bog; heavenly good television; Rachel's least surprising pick ever; they really just let a ten year old have to save the world; steel for humans, silver for monsters, coin for your Witcher; the blinding light of the fireside; that time Henry VIII's wives put on a pop concert; mortality on the riverbank; the impact of choice in an age of dragons; quality critical crafting; and, hey, we missed you.…

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Episode 40: Amy Stewart's "The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Accomplishments of Earthworms" 48:11

6 years ago48:11

48:11

This episode, we dive deep into the bowels of the earth to explore the life of one of nature's most fascinating creatures. Told from the perspective of an author bursting at the seams to share her thoughts and findings, this book helps us explore the ins and outs of science writing, literacy, and how both influence and are affected by the public. Talking Points: our individual experiences with science as a popular and academic pursuit; the aesthetic value of the natural; the trickle down economics of popular opinion; our inability to conceptualize the impact of something that seems so small; how differences of audience can impact the success of a work; the place of science writing in today's literacy struggles; and, hey, why aren't we funding more worm regeneration studies?…

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Episode 39: Amanda Lovelace's "the princess saves herself in this one" 48:29

6 years ago48:29

48:29

Hello, robots! Today, we're bringing you something a little different, a book of poetry that has caused quite a stir from the social medias to the blogs of academics who are always giving a Ted Talk in their own minds. Join us as we discuss what we look for in our books of verse, as well as why we find ourselves jumping to the defense of someone who's work is, apparently, easy to hate. Talking points: reliance on archetypal language to communicate power and self-understanding; coming of age in the time of evolving literary forms; the misconception that if one form is popular, then all others must be dead; the continued crusade against things young women enjoy; seeing ourselves in unapologetic and imperfect art; and, hey, is poetry like obscenity in that you only know it when you see it?;…

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Episode 38: Sarah J. Maas's "A Court of Thorns and Roses" & "A Court of Mist and Fury" 1:05:46

6 years ago1:05:46

1:05:46

We return, robots! As we kick off our summer programming, join us as we journey into the depths of Prythian, a land of fae and magic and well-executed romance tropes, that Hannah has been begging Rachel to get into for over a year. Will the prophecies of Hannah the Oracle remain true? You'll have to listen to find out. Talking Points: our longest and most giggly source recap thus far; what to do when there's only one bed; meaningful consequences even when that plot point has passed by; Phantom of the Opera understudies; dealing with trauma in a fantasy setting; the world building of a political, economic, and social state; how to pull off an actual love triangle, and, hey, sometimes the question isn't if you love someone, but how you love them.…

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Episode 38: Hannah Yells About Comics #2 22:42

6 years ago22:42

22:42

Join Hannah for a spoiler-free review of Jim Henson's *The StoryTeller: Sirens* -- "The Mermaid and the Fisherman" written by Bartosz Sztybor and illustrated by Jakub Rebelka. This episode reviews other reviews, wonders what it means to be "indie", and gets mad about the captured mermaid motif.

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Episode 37: Terry Pratchett's "Night Watch" 58:08

6 years ago58:08

58:08

The climax of characters old and new, and both at the same time, is the topic of today's Remedial Readalong. An ancient prophecy between friends is finally fulfilled as we travel back in time to an Ankh-Morpork without Commander Vimes, until now, on the eve of an ill-fated revolution. Talking points: being the hero you needed when you were young; actual, functional time-travel; cool monks; ties to other hopeless revolutions; keeping the Beast on a leash; not confusing a temporary lack of light with endless darkness; the anchor of a cigarette case; the culmination of almost thirty books' worth of writing; and, hey, who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?…

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Episode 36: Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman's "Good Omens" 48:19

6 years ago48:19

48:19

This fortnight, the world is hurtling towards the End of Days, and dragging us all along for the ride. Join us as we revisit one of our favorite stories by two of our favorite people. Talking points: dread and hilarity at the end of the world; the semantic and literal distinctions between good and evil; what happens when two masters start blending their styles; updating Revelations for the 90s scene; the power of belief; the strength of the ensemble piece; the fallout of underestimating children; and, hey, you are not who you were born to.…

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Episode 35: Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" 51:51

6 years ago51:51

51:51

A fortnight has passed, and in this episode we're coming to America. Well, maybe not the America, but an America. Full of gods and miracles and the horror both bring with them. Join us as we road trip with the olds gods and the new. Talking points: this book is one long existential crisis; perspectives of space and time informed by one's geographical origin; what we're willing to sacrifice for normality and prosperity; you are what you worship, and you worship what you value; how this work has aged in a vast technological world; and, hey, it doesn't matter if you believe in us. We believe in you.…

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Episode 34: Dungeons & Dragons Extravaganza Palooza Spectacular 1:08:43

6 years ago1:08:43

1:08:43

At last! The long foretold of episode about our favorite table top roleplaying game is here! We just reached out second anniversary of playing D&D and we've been so affected by it that it warrented its own episode. Talking points: chance and collaboration in narrative; leaning into bad stats; several anecdotes about several campaigns; that time Hannah and Rachel played as fish cousins; the catharsism of in-character emotion; death by dice; changing base modules to suit your own desires; what effects watching and listening to actual-play shows has had on our own expectations; and, hey, maybe the real treasure was the friends we made along the way.…

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Episode 33: Terry Pratchett's "The Fifth Elephant" 1:03:14

6 years ago1:03:14

1:03:14

The fifth installment of our Remedial Readlong has arrived. Join us as we venture out of the familiar confines of Ankh-Morpork and into the wild unknowns of Uberwald, full of waring races, lessons on the fat economy, and existential dread caused by false binaries. Talking Points: Pratchett doing Pratchett things, aka sliding in deep psychological questions amid Jokes Galore; how characters are revealed once taken out of their usual environment; the importance of varied female characters; the comfort of seeing love in middle age; the false dichotomies that plague society; how things become things; the fury of good men; and, hey, maybe we don't need to become what we were made to be.…

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Episode 32: Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" 50:26

6 years ago50:26

50:26

This week we come to you from the year without a summer, as well as everyone's high school reading list, to bring you a tale of monsters and storms and Romantic woe. Believe us when we say that the opinions were flowing fast and loose this episode! #JusticeForElizabeth Talking Points: Victor Frankenstein's unhealthy coping mechanisms; the bonds between creator and created and how they mimic those of parents and their children; way too many Jeff Goldblum references; the Russian Nesting Doll theory of unreliable narration; how poorly the internet prepared Hannah to read this book; the nature of monstrosity and what it teaches us; the scientific adventures of a punkass undergrad; and, hey, why does no one talk about Elizabeth?…

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Episode 31: Netflix's "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" 52:06

6 years ago52:06

52:06

Sliding in a bit late, but we're still kicking. This episode we discuss the frankly delightful story of Lara Jean and her journey to find love off the pages of letters and romance novels alike. Talking Points: the state of modern romance; the neverending question of if genre readers need to be challenged; gender bending expectations of emotionally blindness; the importance of letting people live in their own stories; if we want to experience the joys of life, we must submit ourselves to the terror of being seen; our emphatic support of the fake-dating subgenre; and, hey, you're a sexy little Rubik's cube.…

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Episode 30: Deborah Harkness's "A Discovery of Witches" 46:39

6 years ago46:39

46:39

We return from our holiday break refreshed and full of opinions, ocassionally even ones that are relevant to the episode we're recording! Today we discuss the magical, indulgent, and, at times, confounding world of creatures found in the first book of the All Souls trilogy. Talking Points: vampire romance and the female gaze; the intertwining of science and magic; world-building and the need for internal sense; women as a discrete audience; sometimes it doesn't pay to read the book before the television show; why characters like Matthew Clairmont appeal to female power fantasy; the unequal scrutiny of female-generated media; and, hey, maybe don't excuse your boyfriend's murder habits all the time?…

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Episode 29: 2018 Year in Review 59:28

6 years ago59:28

59:28

Hi robots! Another year, another wrap-up of the media we enjoyed most while experiencing that particular unit of time. The fact that we've made it to a second-annual anything is, frankly, astonishing, and we thank you for hanging in there with us. No matter how big or small, we love knowing you're there. Talking points: spooky houses and the nature of ghosts; Japanese workplace anime ft. heavy metal; genre flexibility in science fiction audio drama; novels of family devotion and dementia; monster girls and readers who love them; science as philosophical and cultural touchstone; why we needed to go to Wakanda; post-apocalyptic fantasy for the geologically active; a break-down on the toxic culture behind stand-up; one chapter in the battle of robots vs fairies; and, hey, happy holidays!…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 28: The McElroys' "The Adventure Zone: Balance" 1:06:17

6 years ago1:06:17

1:06:17

It's time to discuss our first podcast of this show and who better to kick it off with then three kids and their dad rolling some dice to save the multiverse? Strap on your fantasy seat belts, because spoilers will abound in...The Adventure Zone! Talking points: I'm gonna be 100% real with y'all we do a lot of crying about Dungeons & Dragons in this episode; the magic of collaborative story telling; what happens when you let go of full narrative control; how podcasts can attach themselves to a time and place in our lives; bonding with family in the theatre of the mind; that time a major NPC died in our campaign and Rachel learned about the power of friendship; and, hey, did you name your *fucking* wizard Taako?…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 27: The CW's "Riverdale" 50:00

6 years ago50:00

50:00

This week we zoom in on a seemingly perfect American small town rocked by murder, teen drama, and the aftershocks of Christopher Nolan. Join us as we discuss season one of Riverdale. Talking points: this show is obviously the heir apparent to MTV's Teen Wolf; the anatomy of a gritty reboot; distrust of perfection in literature; if a show about normal people doing normal things viable in our time; trashy teens and the twenty-somethings that love to laugh at them; how the orignal comics were buckwild; the importance of timeless design (and when to back it up; debts to Twin Peaks; and, hey, who killed Jason Blossom?…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 26: Terry Pratchett's "Jingo" 48:09

6 years ago48:09

48:09

In the fourth installment of our Remedial Readalong series, we return to the the world of the Disc, caught in the middle of a fight over a spit of land in the middle of the ocean. What follows is a tale of patriotism gone mad, where seemingly harmless talk about some leads to war and ruin for all. But it's also a story about what can happen when good people choose to stand up and do something about it. Talking points: nationalism in fantasy setting; American involvement in the Middle East vs British Expansionism; extended metaphors about rockslides; quiet racism; the consequences of thinking a problem doesn't matter because it isn't yours yet; choices, time, and the deviations they can cause; that trademark Terry Pratchett anger (and wit!); and, hey, what is the difference between Us, Them, and Me?…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 25: Guillermo del Toro's "Crimson Peak" 59:30

7 years ago59:30

59:30

The most magical and spooky of days is upon us, listeners, and with it we bring you a long promised tale of love and horror, set amidst a house that has become a living thing unto itself. Prepare to indulge in some prime gothic heroine problems, and have a Happy Halloween! Talking points: setting as protagonist; Real Life Byronic Hero Tom Hiddleston; color in costumes and lighting; GDT continuing to know what we need; sex and the horror genre; what makes a ghost; supernatural versus mundane horror; the gothic plot formula in film; gendered fears in character and authorship; and, hey, why don't more people just lean into their tropes?…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 24: Michelle Mcnamara's "I'll Be Gone In The Dark" 49:21

7 years ago49:21

49:21

Just as a fair warning, this episode isn't very funny, because this book wasn't very funny. It's buckwild, really affective, and hits several nerves for us, though, so we think it's still important. Also...maybe don't listen to this one alone in the dark. Don't make our mistakes. Step into the light. Talking points: perpetual flapness; hopelessness in the face of overwhelming terror; series killer fandom; who we deem worthy of victim hood; are the real monsters human; why we keep telling ourselves the same bloody stories; the celebrity of anonymity; and, hey, is there a way true crime can ever be free from its exploitative premise?…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 23: Hozier's "Nina Cried Power - EP" 1:02:09

7 years ago1:02:09

1:02:09

It's not the waking, it's the rising. Our favorite fae prince turned folk singer has returned to us at last, and in his wake comes a sound that fits with the moment we're in, and, oh boy, do we feel some kind of way about it. Talking points: the four genres of Hozier songs; a microcosm of a vibe; protest as process, not just an event; Andrew Hozier-Bryne is the only person allowed to at us about this show; apocalyptic love and the interplay of rage and hope; the space been initiation and consummation; when an artist's standards for himself make you forget just how good he really is; and, hey, it's gonna be okay, robots. Indie Spotlight: @archive81…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 22: Tomi Adeyemi's "Children of Blood and Bone" 50:53

7 years ago50:53

50:53

We return to you after a brief hiatus to take you to the land of Orisha, and into the journey of a young woman seeking to bring magic back into a world that feels all too real. Talking Points: The limitations of empathy when it comes from places of privilege; is power only power when it's used as a weapon; the importance of stories other than our own; how Inan needed to be Zuko, but was too much of a Hamlet to pull it off; questions means nothing if you're not willing to answer them; how centrism ultimately favors the side of the oppressor; making the personal genocidal; and, hey, don't let anyone's ignorance silence your pain.…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 21: Terry Pratchett's "Feet of Clay" 59:00

7 years ago59:00

59:00

Hail and well met, citizens of Ankh-Morpork! We've reached the third installment of our Remedial Readalong series, and if you thought our good buddy Terry had run out of punches to pull, well...if you've done the reading you know how wrong you were. Join us as we journey back to the city full of turmoil, intrigue, existential crisis, and buddy cop comedy! Talking points: We're so messed up about this book, you could make a drinking game out of it; Uncle Terry piling on the facets of cultural and self-inflicted oppression; what, if anything, puts the artificial in artificial intelligence; how terrifying it is to be free; what it means to be constructed and not born; dwarven gender expression in the workplace; we can't get over that there's a vampire named Dragon; and, hey, who decides when a person is a person?…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 20: Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda's "Monstress" 51:12

7 years ago51:12

51:12

For our big 2-0, our teeth and claws are ready to shred as we bring you a story of women and the monsters who reside in them. Talking points: this comic left us Straight Up Messed Up; the nature and impact of time and betrayal; the old gods and the new wars; Plath's figs; the importance of seeing the Other in fiction; the job prospects of cats; why can't the world just be art deco; Kippa is the cutest moral compass; and, hey, we say this a lot but PLEASE read this comic immediately. Shout-outs this episode: @lithappenspods and @loadedlitpod…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 19: Norman Jewison's "Moonstruck" 54:56

7 years ago54:56

54:56

Once upon a time in Brooklyn, where the moon lights up the sky with reckless romantic possibility, we bring you the story of love both as it is and as it could be, fueled by brutality, gentleness, and the raw, unstoppable power of 80s Cher and Nicky Cage. Talking points: the longest summary segment yet (but we promise it's all necessary); how a spread in character age lends legitimacy to romantic subplots; love as a gendered power struggle; bringing the operatic to the cinematic; heightened setting and grounded character; Nicolas Cage's arms; and, hey, why do men chase women? Our indie creator spotlight this episode falls on Michi @RequiemPluie.…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 18: The Wachowskis' "Jupiter Ascending" 59:57

7 years ago59:57

59:57

It was a dark and stormy night, when your loyal hosts sat down to discuss a film that...well. It was something. Through sparse and disjointed plot, effects galore and spectacular, and a love interest straight out of novels we would have written in middle school, we bring to you a story of media not objectively good nor groundbreaking, but worthwhile just the same. Talking points: Spectacle over story; how to know someone is a villain by their economic views; if bees are the most trustworthy insects; how turning the camp up to eleven is a good thing; you are greater than the sum of your genes; a five minute Christopher Nolan roast; sometimes it's just not that deep; and, hey, you don't need a reason to like things.…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 17: Terry Pratchett's "Men at Arms" 50:43

7 years ago50:43

50:43

The second installment of our Remedial Read-along series has arrived. Did you do your homework? The Anhk-Morpork Night Watch hope you have! Well, maybe just Corporal Carrot. Talking points: allegories of the inhuman and inhumane in fantasy; how to tell when a throne isn't real gold; when is a weapon more than a weapon; can triggers ever pull themselves; unequal treatment under local law enforcement; how are we supposed to handle it when Terry gets too real; and, hey, what the heck was that dog subplot?…

Remedial Studies

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Episode 16: Anaïs Mitchell's "Hadestown" 51:29

7 years ago51:29

51:29

On the road to Hell there was a railroad line, and two ladies waiting for a train. Come with us way down under the ground as we dive into Anaïs Mitchell's musical vision of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and it's world of gods and men. Talking Points: the cycle of seasons, trains, and stories; call, response, and reprise; the interplay of the mythical, personal, and political; why is it human to look back; can love truly flourish without trust; and, hey, why do we sing it anyway?…

Remedial Studies

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REmediaL STUDIES, Episode 15: Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" 54:05

7 years ago54:05

54:05

In this episode, we break down *Outlander*: a sexy, action-packed historical romance classic. We'll discuss romance as a genre, pronounce Scottish names very badly, and take a long detour to talk about country music. Talking Points: the inversion of romance tropes, Brexit, violence on screen, villainy, the Female Gaze, our complicated relationships with country music, and the excellent, grounded writing of Diana Gabaldon. Content warning: physical and sexual assault…

Remedial Studies

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REmediaL STUDIES, Episode 14: Hannah Yells About Comics #1 24:23

7 years ago24:23