STAN

🗡️ I am the rock against which the surf crashes. Nothing can break me. 🗡️
Our angelic guests Abby and Ronnie (from @DragonsintheDetailsPod) lead the conversation on Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series. We get into the depth and complexity of fantasy world building, the frustrating societal tendency to denigrate media and literature intended for women, the positive impact of elevating relationships written for the female gaze. Tangents include…
The unfortunate series of events that led to all the teen stars of game of thrones witnessing me have a panic attack
The ‘clean’ vs ‘dirty’ boy dichotemy
The underrated ecstasy of organised fun!
You can find more of Dragons in the Details on their website: https://www.dragonsinthedetails.com/
 
This is our season finale! If you enjoyed it, share with a friend or give us a good review/rating. Until next time! 

🦸 Avengers, Assemble! 🦸
Our terrific guests Taylor and Katie (of the @sistersassembled podcast) lead the conversation on Captain America and the wider Marvel universe. We get into the suggestive homoeroticism of Cap & the Winter Soldier, how franchise IP has harmed (or ultimately helped? 🤞)Hollywood, and how the Marvel Universe earned the derisive nickname the ‘M-She-U.’ Tangents include…
the craftsmanship of good fanfic
the impossibility of balancing school, work and creative pursuits
the quintessential girlhood of ‘off campus’ and ‘heated rivalry’ club nights
You can find more of Sisters Assembled on their website https://sistersassembled.com/

🎶 Don’t stop believin’ 🎶
Our magical guest Maria leads the conversation on Glee. We get into what it means to be an intense and off-putting teen, balancing educational moments with realistic character development in television, and the heartbreak of the Glee curse.
The true value (if any) of single sex education
The death (and hopeful resurrection!) of earnestness
Justice for annoying girls!

🌠 Kiss me, beneath the milky twilight 🌠
Our astounding guests Andrene and Joel (from Rewind Rewatch podcast) lead the conversation on She’s All That. We talk about the damaging 90s romcom tropes, how that period laid the foundation for the fraught gender relations we’re experiencing today and weighing the costs and benefits of monoculture vs various internet subcultures.
Tangents include…
The audacity of men claiming they’re ‘protecting our girls’ as an excuse to start political riots (spoiler! they’re not x)
The cultural legacy of WWE’s insanity
The tornado of American cultural diplomacy (and ignorance) for my younger self to watch the psychological warfare that was a teen movie and think it looked like a good time
 
You can find more of Andrene & Joel on their...
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/rr90spod
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/rr90spod
 
Our advertising partner was Artmuse
https://www.artmusepodcast.com/

✨ thank u, next ✨
TW: eating disorders
Our lovely guest Lillie leads the conversation on Ariana Grande. We get into the long term impact of child stardom, the era of Tumblr ‘thinspo’ and the double standards in considering women’s personal lives and relationships far more heavily in evaluating their art than we do for men.
The (vanishingly) redeeming qualities of reality TV
The surprising allure of the relationship NDA
The endemic infantilisation of celebrity
You can find more of Lillie on her..
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@newswithlils?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newswithlils/?hl=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newswithlils
 
Shameless media's commentary on Ariana Grande: 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4IFPC8RDWXwUd2DpxJMlsO?si=b04c226e6df04ff1
 
"What if we're not actually worried about Ariana Grande" by Liz Plank: https://lizplank.substack.com/p/what-if-were-not-actually-worried
 
Our advertising partners this week were 
Sisters Assembled: https://sistersassembled.com/
ArtMuse: https://www.artmusepodcast.com/
 
 

🍮Thank you for being a friend 🍮
Our marvellous guest Mandy Kaplan (from Make Me a Nerd podcast) leads the conversation on The Golden Girls. We get into whether the Golden Girls was borne from genuine interest in telling the stories of older ladies, or opportunistic tokenism, whether social issues ever gain meaningful traction through fictional media and how GG set the tone for comedic writing structures yet to be successfully imitated.
Tangents include  
How soon in the relationship it’s acceptable to propose to your S/O
Why Menopause remains a taboo
How social media has, counterintuitively, forced celebrities to be far more private in their interactions with fans
You can find more of Mandy on her...
Website: https://www.mandykaplan.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO6MWAz0fVsksspysLp2hEIUbBRNZ3UXw
Or watch her movie '30 Days of Sex to Save Your Marriage" on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/en-gb/movies/633202/30-nights-of-sex-to-save-your-marriage
 
Our promo partners are: 
This Week in Fandom History...
Website: https://www.thisweekinfandomhistory.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xGvniPbUmmrucPsLkM2VG
and 
Rewind Rewatch...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/12TwAG0oAhwUppSt4DpGES
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rewindrewatchpodcast?si=FD1-RKtS064ScbfJ

🧇 Friends don’t lie 🧇
Our effervescent guests Emily Jaye and V Arrow (of This Week in Fandom History) lead the conversation on Stranger Things. We get into the genius of the film references, how Stranger Things defined its own format and exemplified cross-genre writing, and whether Steve Harrington is the blueprint for the perfect redemption arc. Tangents include….
- Justice for Barb! (And other non-charismatic responsible teens!)
- Racism and misplaced moralising in the fandom community
- Our hypothetical reactions to encountering spicy fanfic about a character we’ve played
 
You can find more of This Week in Fandom History on their...
Website: https://www.thisweekinfandomhistory.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xGvniPbUmmrucPsLkM2VG
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinfandomhistory
Our promo partners are Rewind Rewatch: https://open.spotify.com/show/12TwAG0oAhwUppSt4DpGES?si=b09fe4d7d92944c8
and
Sisters Assembled: https://sistersassembled.com/

🔮 “There’s no such thing as psychics” 🔮
Our cracking guest Crystal Watanabe (aka @pikkotheeditor of the Rom Com Detectives) leads the conversation on The Mentalist. We get into the dubious value of the slow burn romance, the safety of watching chaotic characters from a distance (and the relief that they don’t exist in our real lives!) and the benefits/dangers of relying on one narrative thread to carry the story through seven seasons. Tangents include….
The work that goes into maintaining a fandom community, and how much it can bring back to you
The value and fulfilment of finding media that inspires you to create something if your own
The seemingly universal fascination with true crime and supervillains
 
You can find more of Crystal on her….
Website: https://pikkoshouse.com/
Instagram & Threads: @pikkotheeditor
Podcast: https://www.romcomdetectives.com/
 
You can find our advertising partners…
Lived Through That
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNlFnYxb4B1ULbd49JxKqIC7ox0NAFAtH
 
This week in Fandom History
Website: https://www.thisweekinfandomhistory.com/

⛰️ Kid, you’ll move mountains! ⛰️
Our accomplished guest Amy leads the conversation on “Oh, the places you’ll go!” by Dr Seuss. We get into whether personal achievement and the ‘solo hero’s journey’ are responsible message to impart to our children, whether ‘the waiting place’ serves as reassurance or a cautionary tale and how overconsumption has enabled some truly insane movie IP merchandise. Tangents include…
The uncomfortable moment of self-identification when consuming a satirical piece (is this f**king play about us!?!)
The ‘iceberg rule’ that soothes the humiliation ritual of content creation
The audacity of Amy’s ex-husband, who sent her an itemised bill for their honeymoon during their divorce
You can find more of Amy on her: 
Personal Website: https://cultureconcierge.co/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnPvGnGmqUQzI2Mm-m9zaalZVtTRIcc6Y_DHD0Tmdz0EzAeazhBeMvLKggJPE_aem_iNu4nUPdy2dFk3wCqSTKpQ
Collective Website: https://thecultureconnectors.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amydaroukakis/

Our ingenious guest Isabella leads the conversation on David Letterman. We get into the death of late-night television (and its resurrection in weird Youtube shows?), the necessary ingredients of a legendary comic and the evolution of the press junket, not necessarily for the better. Tangents include…
The special quality~ that comedy agents are searching for at festivals
The impossible balance between finding inner peace and producing good art
The nightmare that is Hinge in Dubai/LA
You can find more of Isabella Charlton on her
Website: https://isabellaiscomedy.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabellaiscomedy/
FCC’s equal time rule explained: https://www.britannica.com/question/What-is-the-equal-time-rule