Feminist Frequency Radio

Latest Episodes:

44: Jack Ryan Sep 19, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s FFR, we talk about the new Amazon Prime series Jack Ryan, starring John Krasinski as Tom Clancy’s most famous hero, who finds himself on the trail of--surprise!--a Muslim terrorist! What makes Jack Ryan interesting to discuss is the ways in which the creators of the show have clearly made a conscious effort to address potential criticism of the series as being Islamophobic or otherwise problematic. Did they succeed? Find out what we think!

Also in this episode, we issue an important correction about a statement made in a previous episode, and Ebony gets emotional talking about Doctor Who.

Segment Timestamps:

:00 A short message from Anita

:15 Intro

1:35 We issue an important correction

3:40 Carolyn's plight (and a solution)

4:15 Pop culture news: Olivia Munn, Les Moonves

12:25 Main segment: Jack Ryan

44:25 What's Your FREQ-Out? Carolyn on Spider-Man, Ebony on Doctor Who, Anita on the feeling of having written a book

56:55 wrap-up

Relevant Links:

Linda Bloodworth-Thomason on Les Moonves

Learn more about (and pre-order!) Anita and Ebony's book History Vs. Women at historyvswomen.com

43: Live from XOXO! (Corrected Audio) Sep 12, 2018

Show notes

This week, we bring you a very special show recorded live at the XOXO festival in Portland! We decided to liven things up by playing a special game in which each of us presents one piece of media we loved when we were younger to the crowd, and asking them to vote: Can we still love this thing, or do we have to dump it? A cult classic NES game, a mostly forgotten 80s TV series, and a much-maligned episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are all on the chopping block. How will the crowd decide?

But that’s not all! We also talk about how Burt Reynolds was the first male centerfold in Cosmo Magazine (and whether or not this was a win for feminism), the “copaganda” of Insomniac’s new Spider-Man game for PS4, what sets Anita and Ebony’s upcoming book History Vs. Women apart, and much more.

Segment Timestamps

:00 A Special Intro from Anita

1:10 We’re Live at #XOXO!

4:50 Entertainment News: Burt Reynolds as Cosmo’s First Male Centerfold, “Copaganda” in Insomniac’s New Spider-Man Game

15:30 Intro to “Defend the Dumbest Thing You Love”

16:35 Carolyn Presents: Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode

24:35 The Crowd Votes!

25:05 Ebony Presents: The Insiders

31:20 The Crowd Votes!

32:05 Anita Presents: "Beer Bad"

40:10 The Crowd Votes!

41:50 What’s Your FREQ-Out?

Carolyn on Into the Breach, newly released on Switch!

Ebony on Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution by Eric Foner

50:10 What Sets Our Upcoming YA History Book History Vs. Women Apart!

53:00 Anita on John Scalzi’s The Collapsing Empire and media that frankly depicts period pain

57:15 Wrap-up

Relevant Links

Learn more about and pre-order History Vs. Women!

Lynn Peril for Bust on Burt Reynolds as Cosmo's first centerfold

Naomi Clark's Twitter thread on Spider-Man and the police

42: Mulholland Drive Sep 05, 2018

Show notes

This week, Anita’s away so Ebony and Carolyn get weird with a look back at David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, a dreamlike odyssey about female fantasy, the commoditization of women in Hollywood, and—well, what IS Mulholland Drive about, really? We go on a winding journey in search of answers.

We also discuss Louis CK and the enduring lack of real consequences for so many male abusers, the cultural rehabilitation of George W. Bush, and we take a moment to wish a very happy birthday to one of our favorite actors.

We want to hear from you, so head on over to feministfrequency.com/freqout and send us your FREQ-Out today!

Segment Timestamps:

:00 intro

1:15 opening chit-chat

2:55 pop culture news:

Louis CK and the MeToo movement

Marco Rubio reacts to Neil Armstrong biopic First Man

Happy Birthday Keanu!

14:50 Mulholland Dr.

45:40 What’s Your FREQ-Out?

Carolyn on the cultural rehabilitation of George W. Bush, Ebony on the TNT series Claws, and a listener FREQ-Out on the film I Am Not an Easy Man, currently streaming on Netflix

56:40 wrap-up

Relevant Links:

Roxane Gay for the New York Times on Louis CK and what justice for men like him should look like

Aparna Nancherla for the New York Times on Louis CK and who gets second chances

Trailer for I Am Not an Easy Man

Bonus: Guacamelee! 2 and Being Critical of the Media You Love Aug 30, 2018

Show notes

Each week, we record a bonus segment exclusively for our Drip backers. This week, we decided to make our bonus available to everyone. Here, a chat about the extremely enjoyable new game Guacamelee 2 evolves into a larger discussion about engaging with problematic work, where we draw the line, and navigating the complexities that often arise when striving to be critical of the media we love.

To access all of our weekly bonus segments along with other rewards, join our podcast community at d.rip/femfreq.

41: Hackers, Strange Days and How to Pronounce Ralph Fiennes Aug 29, 2018

Show notes

In this week's episode, your favorite radical hacker collective get into the nitty gritty of 90's tech paranoia via the 1995 films Hackers and Strange Days. Caro can't help but admire SD's attempt to create compelling fable for its time; while Ebony and Anita discuss the gendered violence the film doesn't allow us to look away from. Hackers turned out to be a bit harder to reckon with -- not least because Caro couldn't get past the image of a skateboarding Fisher Stevens; Ebony was tormented by Lorraine Bracco's befuddled shrieking; and Anita found the film's technobabble to be long on "cool," but short on substance.

We want to hear from you, so head on over to feministfrequency.com/freqout and send us your FREQ-Out today!
Subscribe to Feminist Frequency Radio now to get a new episode every Wednesday on iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Spotify or iHeartRadio! And if you're not already a backer here on Drip, become one for nifty rewards like our weekly bonus segments, access to our friendly and stimulating Discord, and more!
Segment Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:00 Pop Culture News (including extra bonus convo about Anita’s “hard sf” D&D campaign, a Farscape shout-out, and Caro maybe getting sucked into D&D via dice) Serena Williams and the French Open; the shooting tragedy in Jacksonsville at a Madden esports tournament; and Cyberpunk 2077 and the politics of cyberpunk
15:25 Strange Days and Hackers
16:01 Anita mispronounces “Ralph Fiennes”
47:03 What’s Your Freq Out

The Witcher Developer CD Projekt Red Apologizes for Transphobic Joke
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Shadowrun Dragonfall
"Why It's Difficult for Your Library to Lend Ebooks"

40: Crazy Rich Asians Aug 22, 2018

Show notes

This week on Feminist Frequency Radio, we’re talking about the hit new rom-com that’s also a watershed moment in cinematic representation, Crazy Rich Asians! We discuss the beauty of Singapore, so rarely seen onscreen in America, the complex issues of class and wealth that the film both does and does not engage with, Awkwafina’s “blaccent,” the way gender roles are tied up in notions of tradition, and much more. Also, Anita tells us why she loves Elementary, and Carolyn shouts out some obscure little computer game.

Segment Timestamps:

:00 intros, weekend adventures
3:20 entertainment news (Trump on Apocalypse Now, Rebecca Sugar on Steven Universe, Megan Farokhmanesh on Fortnite streamer Ninja)
10:15 Crazy Rich Asians
42:30 What’s Your FREQ-Out?
53:10 Wrap-up

Relevant Links:

Follow our Twitch channel so you too can watch Carolyn stream until 6AM: twitch.tv/femfreq

Read about Trump’s bizarre meeting with Vietnam veterans: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-and-omarosa-had-a-fcking-weird-fight-with-vietnam-vets

EW’s interview with Rebecca Sugar about LGBTQIA visibility: https://ew.com/tv/2018/08/13/steven-universe-rebecca-sugar-lgbtq-cartoons/

Profile of Chinese-American actor James Hong: “I Never Thought it Would Take This Long” https://deadline.com/2018/08/james-hong-89-year-old-chinese-american-actor-interview-crazy-rich-asians-1202437858

39: BlacKkKlansman Aug 15, 2018

Show notes

This week, Anita, Ebony and Carolyn are going deep undercover with Spike Lee’s latest film, BlacKkKlansman, based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, a black Colorado Springs police officer who successfully infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan, in a manner of speaking. We talk about how the film engages directly with cinematic history, from white supremacist films like Birth of a Nation to blaxploitation classics like Shaft, the frustrating ways in which it positions the police force as an institution as heroic, and the roles women play among both the black political activists and the white supremacists the film focuses on.

We also cover some of the latest pop culture news from the world of video games, discuss our complicated feelings on the idea of Idris Elba (yay!) as James Bond (boo!), and share some stuff worth celebrating in What’s Your Freq-Out!

Segment Timestamps:

:00 Intros and greetings
1:25 Anita’s back from Vegas and Indianapolis
3:40 pop culture news: Fortnite streamer Ninja won’t stream with women, the sexist culture at Riot Games, Idris Elba may be the next Bond
17:20 BlacKkKlansman
46:00 What’s Your Freq-Out?
57:45 Submit YOUR Freq-Out! / Wrap-up
59:25 A special message from Ebony

Relevant Links:

Ninja explains his choice not to stream with female gamers by Allegra Frank

Inside the Culture of Sexism at Riot Games by Cecilia D’Anastasio

The music of Jessie Reyez

Trailer, If Beale Street Could Talk

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s Canadian Screen Awards acceptance speech for Kim’s Convenience

38: Mission: Impossible - Fallout Aug 08, 2018

Show notes

#38: Mission: Impossible - Fallout

On this week’s episode, Anita’s off on a top-secret assignment, no doubt saving the world from the evil forces of anti-feminism, so Carolyn and Ebony hold down the fort at FemFreq HQ by diving into the international intrigue of Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Join us as we discuss hero Ethan Hunt’s moral convictions, the not-so-magical way in which the film makes millions of brown people disappear, how the IMF is both the cause of and solution to the world’s problems, what makes M:I a cinematically interesting franchise as a whole, and lots more!

In addition, we explore our feelings about the news of Jean-Luc Picard’s impending return, and Carolyn shares some YouTube videos that have been whisking her away to a cozy and relaxing fantasy world. We also present a FREQ-Out from one of our listeners! Remember, we want to hear from you, too, so head on over to feministfrequency.com/freqout and send us your FREQ-Out today!

Segment Timestamps:

:00 Intro
1:40 friendly banter
4:10 pop culture news: the return of Picard
10:40 Mission: Impossible - Fallout
44:45 What’s Your FREQ-Out?
53:50 wrap-up

Relevant Links:

Ebony and Carolyn's movie podcast, Cinemaball: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cinemaball/id1372297272?mt=2

Anita and Ebony's Star Trek: Discovery podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/star-trek-discovery-recap-freqcast/id1300396011?mt=2

Pero Like on Buzzfeed: https://www.buzzfeed.com/perolike

Goodnight Moon’s video, Dragon Egg Shopping at Maybell's Menagerie: https://youtu.be/kocWXDJCNLo

37: Blindspotting Aug 01, 2018

Show notes

This week on FFR, we’re discussing the potent and perceptive cocktail of comedy and drama that is Blindspotting. An insightful, powerful and deeply funny new film about Oakland, Blindspotting explores the impact of police violence, gentrification, and racism through the lens of a lifelong friendship between Collin, who is black, and Miles, who is white. Our conversation covers the film’s concerns with race and privilege, what it means to be an authentic Oaklander, the roles women occupy in Blindspotting, and more.

In addition, we cover the racist response to black actor Anna Diop’s casting as Starfire in Titans, the Fox-Disney deal’s implications for the MCU, and some of our favorite recent reads and listens! Also, we feature our first ever listener-submitted FREQ-Out, and Anita tries to pronounce the title for the upcoming Spike Lee film BlacKkKlansman. Submit your own FREQ-Out by visiting feministfrequency.com/freqout/!

Segment Timestamps:

:00 introductions and banter
4:05 pop culture news: racist responses to Anna Diop as Starfire in Titans, the Fox/Disney merger and the MCU
12:45 Blindspotting
41:35 What’s Your FREQ-Out?!
49:40 Conclusion and what’s coming up in the weeks ahead!

Relevant Links:

Alex Abad-Santos for Vox on Starfire and Anna Diop

My Solo Exchange Diary by Kabi Nagata

The anthology Game Devs & Others: Tales from the Margins, edited by Tanya De Pass

The website of romance writer Rebekah Weatherspoon

Lucy Bellwood’s collection of comics about impostor syndrome, 100 Demon Dialogues

Follow comedian Marcella Arguello on Twitter

Check out Marlowe’s new self-titled album

36: Pose Jul 25, 2018

Show notes

In this week’s episode, we explore FX’s excellent, multifaceted new drama Pose, which focuses on the lives of trans women and queer people in the ballroom scene of late-80s NYC. Pose confronts the devastation of the AIDS crisis while still showing people with HIV living meaningful lives filled with joy, love, and struggle, and it positions living with honesty and integrity in a hostile world as the heroic act that it is. Also, it actually casts trans actors in trans roles. AMAZING!

We also discuss the firing of Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, the rumored reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, looking back at Avatar: The Last Airbender some ten years after its debut, and more.

Segment Timestamps:

:00 Introductions
3:10 entertainment news (James Gunn fired, Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot)
16:30 Pose
43:55 What’s Your FREQ-Out?
53:20 wrap-up

Relevant Links:

Writer Suzanne Brockmann’s powerful speech challenging the resistance to gay representation in romance novels while accepting her lifetime achievement award from the Romance Writers of America. https://tinyletter.com/SuzanneBrockmann/letters/that-rwa-lta-speech-news-from-suz

Critic Matt Zoller Seitz’s review of Pose’s first season

The cast and producers of Pose discussing the show

Trailer for City of Gold, the documentary about Pulitzer-Prize-winning L.A. Times food critic Jonathan Gold, who passed away last week

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