Feminist Frequency Radio

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35: Sorry to Bother You! Jul 18, 2018

Show notes

This week on Feminist Frequency Radio, we discuss Boots Riley’s wild, unforgettable comedy of race, class, labor and capitalism, Sorry to Bother You! It’s a gem of distinctly Oakland storytelling that’s very relevant for the moment in history at which we find ourselves, and we explore the ways in which it sharply blends comedy and critique to create a uniquely piercing work of cultural commentary that’s also tremendously entertaining. We also take a moment to talk about how, for all its wonderful aspects, Sorry to Bother You doesn’t do right by its female characters.

We also talk about the not-so-super comments on flirting and dating from Henry Cavill, the harmful laziness of Trump/Putin gay “jokes,” and other assorted pop culture happenings. Anita shares some fascinating animal facts and has an epiphany about what paraphrasing means. Our producer Phil knows everybody in Oakland.

Segment Timestamps:

:00 intro
1:40 Homophobic Trump/Putin “jokes”
3:15 Entertainment news: ScarJo backs out of trans man biopic, POSE is renewed, and Henry Cavill says some things
16:30 Sorry to Bother You (general, no spoilers)
30:00 STBY spoiler territory
44:45 What’s Your FREQ-Out?
53:45 wrap-up

Relevant Links:

Eve Ewing’s Twitter thread on "what about black-on-black crime?"
The magical beard-growing Henry Cavill GIF
Tweet by @BeeBabs about Henry Cavill and rape culture

34: Ant-Man and The Wasp with Special Guest Jamie Loftus Jul 11, 2018

Show notes

#34: Ant-Man and The Wasp with Special Guest Jamie Loftus

This week on FFR, special guest Jamie Loftus joins us to discuss the pop culture news of the week and the latest cinematic appetizer from Marvel, Ant-Man and The Wasp. Jamie is a hilarious comic, Zamboni-lover, and co-host of The Bechdel Cast. Topics under the feminist microscope this week include the ever-eroding distinction between public and private as demonstrated by the recent #planebae love-fest across social media; Scarlett Johansson staying on (problematic) brand; and the thrilling refusal of Serena Williams to ever diminish herself in the face of white male critique. Once the Ant-Man discussion gets going, your hosts tackle the film's frustrating villains, the absurd logic of the quantum realm, and just how much Paul Rudd anyone really needs.

33: W. Kamau Bell's New Comedy Special and the Very Real Dangers of Online Harassment Jul 04, 2018

Show notes

FFR #33: W. Kamau Bell's New Comedy Special and the Very Real Dangers of Online Harassment

This week on FFR, the dynamic trio discusses the new Netflix comedy special by self-proclaimed “heterosexual cisgender dad man” W. Kamau Bell, Private School Negro, which gets into matters of white supremacy and whether or not Trump is a racist. (“Yes, he is a racist.”) Then, following two tragic instances of deadly violence last week that were directly linked to online harassment, we talk about the ways in which the danger and trauma of online harassment is so often dismissed, and why it’s so important to take seriously.

Meanwhile, Anita can’t stop humblebragging, someone else has rudely already checked out the DVD Ebony wants from the library, and Carolyn and Ebony’s migraines just might be the result of a government conspiracy.

Segment Timestamps:

:00 a brief message from Ebony
:40 intros, government-induced migraines
3:30 pop culture news (reactions to Pixar’s Bao, Janelle and Tessa)
10:20 W. Kamau Bell’s new special, Private School Negro
25:35 online harassment
42:00 What’s Your FREQ-Out?
Carolyn on Do the Right Thing, Ebony on Fringe, Anita tries to squeeze in multiple FREQ-Outs (the Women Crush Wednesday stand-up comedy showcase and the wonderfully visible queerness of Janelle Monae’s live show)
52:55 wrap-up

Relevant Links:

Petrana Radulovic on the polarized reactions to Pixar’s Bao: https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/26/17505726/pixar-bao-dumpling-short-reactions
Women Crush Wednesday comedy in L.A.: http://www.westsidecomedy.com/events/event/women-crush-wednesday/

32: It’s Tearjerker Time! Jun 27, 2018

Show notes

#32: It’s Tearjerker Time!

Who needs a good cry? Well, we’ve got you covered this week as we discuss two works bristling with poignant and powerful emotion. First up is the new documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? about the life and work of Fred Rogers, who brought a philosophy of radical kindness and love to the often crass and materialistic world of children’s television. Then, we react to Hannah Gadsby’s new Netflix special Nanette, which challenges the established conventions of the comedy special as Gadsby draws on her life experiences as a woman who doesn’t conform to rigid social expectations around gender to explain why she needs to quit comedy.

We also touch on the campaign to remake The Last Jedi (lol), which show is better, Sherlock or Elementary, and lots more.

Segment Timestamps:

:00 — Introductions
1:40 — Anita’s spelling quirks
2:50 pop culture news: The Last Jedi remake, Melania’s jacket
11:50 Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
29:10 Nanette
43:45 What’s Your Deal/FREQ-Out?
55:30 wrap-up

Relevant Links:

Fred Rogers’ testimony to congress: https://youtu.be/J9uIJ-o2yqQ
Watch Games Done Quick: gamesdonequick.com
Cameron Esposito’s comedy special, Rape Jokes: https://www.cameronesposito.com/

31: Catching Pancakes With Special Guest Open Mike Eagle Jun 20, 2018

Show notes

#31 Catching Pancakes With Special Guest Open Mike Eagle

On this week’s episode, Anita and Ebony chop it up with hip hop artist Open Mike Eagle, who you may remember from one of Anita’s JoCo Cruise interviews. Topics include Mike’s E3 experience, sexism in games and in sports journalism, how professional wrestling has changed, the uncomfortable horror of TV’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and more!

Segment Timestamps:

00: Greetings and Introductions
3:20 pop culture news: “Everything Is Love,” can you pirate something that’s streaming?
8:30 Anita’s cab ride and Kanye’s latest
12:15 Chris Hardwick
14:00 E3, Mike’s first year attending, The New Day
18:30 Our Annual E3 Gender Breakdown
27:00 the evolution of sexism in gaming
29:00 parallels in sports journalism
31:45 gender and wrestling!
34:50 Mike’s wrestling fandom
42:00 What’s Your FREQ-Out?
Ebony on Vida, Mike on Waypoint Radio, Anita on The Handmaid’s Tale
55:10 wrap-up!

Relevant Links:
Listen to Anita’s earlier interview with Mike: https://feministfrequency.com/video/joco-bonus-interview-6-open-mike-eagle-on-hip-hop-politics-and-snorkeling/
View our E3 2018 gender breakdown: https://feministfrequency.com/2018/06/14/gender-breakdown-of-games-featured-at-e3-2018/
Why Professional Wrestling Is Fascinating by Super Eyepatch Wolf: https://youtu.be/BQCPj-bGYro
Mike’s wrestling podcast, Tights and Fights: http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/tights-and-fights

30: I Come Bearing Stories Jun 13, 2018

Show notes

In this week's episode, we welcome Anita back to the bridge and set sail on the USS Radical Empathy for a heist adventure for the ages! We dig into the effervescent appeal of Ocean's 8, while sparing a wink for that queer subtext we love. Anita has questions about why Rihanna's character doesn't vape in this year our Lord 2018, but before she gets any resolution on the issue we moved on to the feature-length series finale of the cult favorite, Sens8. We get into the show's celebration of alternative relationship structures, shared love and connection, and those patented Wachowski action scenes. All this and more in this week's episode: check it out!

Subscribe to Feminist Frequency Radio now to get a new episode every Wednesday on iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Spotify or iHeartRadio! And become an FFR backer on Drip to join the community and get access to rewards like early access and weekly bonus segments.

Segment Timestamps

0:00 Here we go again
1:49 Anita and her travel stories
4:36 Pop Culture News: Kelly Marie Tran & E3
8:04 Tropes Plug! Watch our video on the topic of sinister seductresses here: https://feministfrequency.com/video/sinister-seductress/
8:22 Ocean's 8
9:44 Tropes Plug! Watch our video on the "Smurfette Principle" here: https://feministfrequency.com/video/tropes-vs-women-3-the-smurfette-principle/
23:52 Sens8
40:32 What's Your FREQ Out: Tig Notaro's latest comedy special; Serving the People: Making Asian America in the Long Sixties; and Anita's immersive dinner event in Copenhagen

29: Invest in Sassy Droids Jun 06, 2018

Show notes

In this week’s episode, it’s a sci-fi spectacular as Ebony and Caro navigate the asteroid field of a movie that is Solo. We talk everything from Ron Howard’s directing to the squandering of Thandie Newton to the Star Wars series’ gradual shift into a much less interesting approach to storytelling. We reserve particular ire, however, for the film’s treatment of its feisty, politically revolutionary droid L3-37.

From there, we travel back in time to 1984 to revisit the James Cameron classic, The Terminator! In later episodes, we’ll look at other franchise properties, but we wanted to go back to where it all began. Our discussion touches on the great supporting performances of Lance Henriksen and Paul Winfield as a couple of cynical but decent cops, how Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor is presented as a “virtuous” mother figure, what makes the special effects so great, and especially Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance as a literal killing machine and how he came to embody an ideal of manhood in the 1980s.

Other topics include the cancellation of Roseanne, the brilliance of The Americans’ final season, and how so often even the warmest and most inviting children’s literature tells children of color that they are not welcome to fully enter the worlds those books create.

Segment Timestamps:

:00 THANK YOU!
1:00 Greetings and introductions
3:00 Yay, Carolyn is back!
6:02 Pop culture news: Roseanne’s cancellation and Samantha Bee
14:25 Solo
32:50 The Terminator
52:50 What’s Your Deal?
Carolyn on The Americans,
1:02:05 wrap-up

relevant links:

Cinemaball Episode 5: L.A. Confidential https://feministfrequency.com/video/cinemaball-05-l-a-confidential-1997/

28: I Wanted To See Some Rocky and Bullwinkle May 30, 2018

Show notes

In this week’s off-the-rails episode of Feminist Frequency Radio, Ebony finally slides into the captain’s chair and brings on board a temporary first officer for an away mission that might not make it into syndication. Comedian, writer, and amateur chicken wrangler, Julie deGroot joins Ebony for an entertaining ramble through issues as diverse as finding your purpose later in life and finding salvation on the dance floor. Ebony tries to pressure Julie into discussing topics that never actually get explored (Minnesota politics, cooking hams, Julie’s weird celebrity crushes, the Pope), but we instead we wind up talking a bit about Kanye West tomfoolery, and growing up as a queer kid in the midwest. Stay tuned for Julie’s protest music playlist!

Check it out!

Links to check out:
“Feeling the Spirit in the Dark: Expanding the Notions of the Sacred in the African American Gay Community,” E. Patrick Johnson

Segment Timestamps

0:00 Can you help us ring that bell and reach our May fundraising goal? We’re only $5K away!

:54 An explanation for why this week’s special guest sounds like she’s speaking into a tin can

1:46 And away we go! Introducing this week’s special guest

10:54 Pop Culture News

19:26 Ebony’s Inevitable Crime Drama Mention

24:52 The Roundtable: doing creative work at your own pace; looking back at 1968 through the lens of our parents’ experience; and what counts as protest music

27: When Carolyn’s Gone, It’s Just a Disaster May 23, 2018

Show notes

In this week’s episode, Ebony realizes 40 minutes in that Producer Phil needs to slap a “saucy language warning” on all of her segments because she has no home training. Anita shares some interesting news about ice cream mafia wars in small town Sweden; and Carolyn’s guiding hand is woefully missed during a disjointed, rambling, ramshackle edition of Pop Culture News.
Thankfully, things are a bit more coherent during The Dynamic Duo’s discussion of the Netflix series, Dear White People, as Anita talks about feeling emotional during the second season’s story arc about harassment and alt-right trolls. After that, it’s a look at Ali Wong’s latest stand-up special, Hard Knock Wife. Things rapidly veer off the rails again once Anita takes issue with the return of “What’s Your Deal?!” and Ebony takes the opportunity to issue a mea culpa.
Check it out!
Subscribe to Feminist Frequency Radio now to get a new episode every Wednesday on iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Spotify or iHeartRadio! And become an FFR backer on Drip to join the community and get access to rewards like early access and weekly bonus segments.
Segment Timestamps
0:00 A special message from Ebony
3:35 Anita talks Sweden weirdness
5:00 Pop Culture News: playing Whack-A-Mole with incels; the royal wedding and why don’t Ebony and Anita get invited to events where fancy hats are required
10:08 Dear White People [Ed. note: Ebony does not actually believe that someone can “achieve” blackness through knowledge of potato salad]
30:59 Hard Knock Wife
41:30 A FREQ-Outy-Ish Deal
We’re currently in the midst of our spring fundraising campaign. This year, we’ve set a goal of $35,000 so that we can continue doing our vital work: producing video series like The FREQ Show, our podcasts, written pieces, workshops, and more in our ongoing mission to cultivate a more equitable media landscape and a more just online world. Please consider making a donation today and helping us reach our goal. Thank you so much!

26: Caution–This Podcast Contains Moderate Amounts of Effing and Jeffing May 16, 2018

Show notes

In this week’s FFR, Anita’s off on another one of her damn fool adventures so it’s up to Ebony and Carolyn to captain our flagship podcast! In a nod to Carolyn’s love of classic cinema, we discuss the classic 1940 “comedy of remarriage,” His Girl Friday, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Despite being nearly 80 years old, the film has more interesting gender politics than many contemporary movies, with its portrayal of an ace reporter who is at least the intellectual equal of her ex-husband and who is encouraged to continue being an ace reporter rather than settling into the traditional role of wife and mother that was the cultural standard at the time.

Then, in recognition of Ebony’s love of crime fiction, we check out the new British series Prime Suspect: Tennison, also known as Prime Suspect 1973. The series serves as a prequel to the outstanding series Prime Suspect which starred Helen Mirren. Here, we meet Jane Tennison as a fresh young officer working her first murder case. The original Prime Suspect was noteworthy for many reasons, among them the way that it used the crimes Tennison investigated not just as mysteries, but also as ways of exploring complex social issues including sexism in the workplace, racism dividing communities, and the marginalization of queer people. Does this new show live up to that legacy? Listen to our conversation to find out!

Segment Timestamps:

:00 a special message from Carolyn
1:05 podcast intro
2:55 How are you feeling, Ebony?
3:45 Pop culture news: Roman Polanski on MeToo, Brooklyn Nine-Nine gets picked up by NBC
9:57 His Girl Friday (1940) and the comedy of remarriage genre
25:55 Tennison/Prime Suspect 1973
44:02 What’s Your Deal? Ebony on The Bridge, Caro on Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
50:20 wrap-up

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