Feminist Frequency Radio

Latest Episodes:

12 You Won’t Hate Everything About This Episode! Feb 07, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s Feminist Frequency Radio, Carolyn makes her triumphant return to the podcast and celebrates by making Anita and Ebony go see Call Me by Your Name, leading Ebony to recount the seemingly eternal experience of watching the film and forcing Anita to face questions about whether she’s ever been in love. We also talk about the fantastic new platformer Celeste which brilliantly meshes its mountain-climbing mechanics with an effective storyline about struggling with mental illness and spend a little time getting increasingly excited for Black Panther’s impending release. Finally, Anita asks listeners to chime in on whether or not she should continue enduring the expansive boredom of The Expanse!

Referenced in this episode:

Photos from the “purple carpet” premiere of Black Panther: http://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/red-carpet-dresses/g15920220/black-panther-premiere-red-carpet/

11 The Best Show Ever Made on the Planet According to Zahra Noorbakhsh Jan 31, 2018

Show notes

This week, Anita and Ebony are joined by the wonderful feminist Muslim Iranian-American comedian Zahra Noorbakhsh, who brings a bevy of insights to the table: How does the CW superhero show Black Lightning pay homage to the 60s sitcom Bewitched? How is the “manventure” movie Jaws actually about intersectional feminism? Zahra reveals all this and more, as the gang also talks about Saturday Night Live’s clumsy attempts to use comedy to address the #MeToo moment, the troubling kind of “strong female character” depicted in Atomic Blonde, and how you can take a class on Get Out, racism and black horror from the comfort of your home!

Find out more about our special guest:

https://twitter.com/zahracomedy
http://www.zahracomedy.com/
Pop Culture Collaborative Senior Fellow:
http://popcollab.org/about-us/zahra-noorbakhsh/
#GoodMuslimBadMuslim podcast: http://www.goodmuslimbadmuslim.com/

...and become a backer on Drip to get access to this week's bonus segment, a conversation with Zahra about her long road toward finding a place for her voice and her work within the often alienating, white-male-dominated world of comedy and much more.

Referenced on this episode:

SNL skits:

Next for Men: https://youtu.be/9weqnWBaehg
Dinner Discussion: https://youtu.be/evWiz6WRbCA
Chucky Lee Byrd: https://youtu.be/T9awpv5BnSc

The Sunken Place: Online Workshop on Get Out, Racism, and Black Horror: https://hipshot9.clickfunnels.com/sales-page17636596

10: I Tonya, Me Too, You People Jan 24, 2018

Show notes

This week’s Very Special Episode is AAA-rated! Anita takes a trip to Chicago and ropes in Feminist Frequency superstar Ashley Fellows and Vulture writer Angelica Bastien to discuss camp, perspective, and the cycle of abuse in I, Tonya. Anita segues seamlessly into a critique of how the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement are being mischaracterized to paint grey areas in issues of consent where grey areas don’t actually exist, and then everyone takes a shot at “What’s Your FREQ Out Deal” with a shout out to Heathers, a weary side-eye at a recent Wonder Woman title, and unbridled enthusiasm from Anita for some board games she’s been loving. Tune in and subscribe today so you don’t miss a single episode!

"How the #MeToo Movement Could Kill Some Sexy Hollywood Movies"
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-metoo-movement-could-kill-some-sexy-hollywood-movies-1073212
Wonder Woman
http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2018/01/15/first-look-batmans-rooftop-rendezvous
WereWords: https://opinionatedgamers.com/2017/05/01/werewords-game-review-by-chris-wray/
Captain Sonar:
https://www.asmodee.us/en/games/captain-sonar/
@angelicabastien
@fellowsash
@anitasarkeesian

09 FREQing Out Over the Whimsical Fish Man’s Deal Jan 17, 2018

Show notes

This week on Feminist Frequency Radio, Guillermo del Toro’s latest film The Shape of Water divides the crew! Find out which of us were seduced by the film’s tender love story and which of us have no souls as we contemplate just what it means to fall in love with a fish man. (This discussion may involve Ebony busting out one of her patented Hater Rants.) We also talk about prominent women criticizing the #MeToo movement and examine what last week’s Aziz Ansari story says about our cultural expectations around romantic and sexual encounters. We round things out with a look at the trans-centric web series Her Story and a round of What’s Your Deal? Also, the podcast faces its most vital question yet: Should What’s Your Deal change its name to What’s Your FREQout? Help us decide!

Segments:

Entertainment News: 5:07-15:35

The Shape of Water: 15:37-32:47

Her Story (web series): 32:51-45:53

What’s Your Deal?/Wrap-Up: 45:53-57:54

Referenced in this episode:

Margaret Atwood op-ed: Am I a bad feminist? https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/am-i-a-bad-feminist/article37591823/

News story about French letter denouncing #MeToo: http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/10/europe/catherine-deneuve-france-letter-metoo-intl/index.html

Babe story about Aziz Ansari: https://babe.net/2018/01/13/aziz-ansari-28355

Her Story web series: herstoryshow.com

Saladin Ahmed’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/saladinahmed

Comics: Lizz Winstead and Laurie Kilmartin

08 Now With Bonus Relaxing Nature Sounds! Jan 10, 2018

Show notes

With rainfall lending a lovely natural ambiance to the conversation, we discuss the power of representation in Black Panther and the formation of the Time's Up initiative to combat cultures of sexual harassment in every industry. This brings us to the highlights and disappointments of the politically charged 75th Annual Golden Globes. After discussing everything from Oprah's powerful speech to the failure of any of the night's male winners to directly address the recent reckoning in Hollywood in any meaningful way, our intrepid crew ventures into "USS Callister," a thought-provoking Star-Trek-influenced existential nightmare that serves as Black Mirror's fourth season premiere. Finally, on What's Your Deal, we each share something we've been thinking about lately, and Anita takes the opportunity to honor the late Allan G. Johnson, whose work on patriarchy, privilege and social systems was hugely influential in the formation of Feminist Frequency.

Referenced in this episode:

@eveewing's tweet about Black Panther and representation: https://twitter.com/eveewing/status/948650509216382977

@imransiddiquee's tweets about mens' silence at the Golden Globes: https://twitter.com/imransiddiquee/status/950155706065354753
https://twitter.com/imransiddiquee/status/950176959363014659

@conniewang's tweet about Harvey Weinstein and the Golden Globes: https://twitter.com/conniewang/status/950164008891502592

Anita's remembrance of Allan G. Johnson:

https://feministfrequency.com/2018/01/03/in-remembrance-of-allan-g-johnson-1946-2017/

07 Leaping Around in Time With Anita Sarkeesian and the Doctor Jan 03, 2018

Show notes

Happy New Year, everyone! We get 2018 off to a perfectly smooth start as Anita leaps us forward in time by launching us right into a conversation about the Doctor Who Christmas Special, which marked both the end of Peter Capaldi's tenure as the Doctor and the introduction of Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to ever fill the Doctor's shoes. We also talk about Carolyn's favorite game of last year, the heartwarming and hilarious Butterfly Soup, look at some of the latest entertainment news, and conclude with the customary round of "What's Your Deal?" So make some hot cocoa, toss a few more coals on the fire, and get cozy with us for the first Feminist Frequency Radio of the year!

You can find Butterfly Soup at https://brianna-lei.itch.io/butterfly-soup

06 Our Star Wars Holiday Special Dec 20, 2017

Show notes

On this, our sixth episode of FFR, we go all in on Star Wars: The Last Jedi! (Yes, we dig into the nitty-gritty and there are spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, you may want to return to the main segment of this episode later.) Why are some people so upset about this film? How do Anita, Ebony and Carolyn feel about Rian Johnson's unconventional entry in the Star Wars saga? Which of this movie's many new CGI creatures is the coolest? What's the deal with those fish nuns on Luke's planet? What, exactly, is Mon Mothma? We dive in to these important issues and much more.

But it's not all space wizards and laser swords! We also discuss some of the latest words to come out of Matt Damon's mouth, and we each share a little something special in this week's "What's Your Deal?" So gather the porgs, feel the Force flow through you and listen to the latest FFR now!

Links to some cool stuff we talk about:

Botnik's Harry Potter chapter, written with the help of a predictive text algorithm: botnik.org/content/harry-potter.html

Clarkisha Kent's writing on Valkyrie, gender coding, racism and queerphobia: https://twitter.com/IWriteAllDay_/status/942114974029230080

Stitch's piece, "Valkyrie Isn’t ‘Male-Coded’ And You’re Kinda Racist": https://stitchmediamix.com/2017/11/15/valkyrie-isnt-male-coded-and-youre-kinda-racist/

05 An Awe-Inspiring Collaboration Between Visionary Creators Hideo Kojima and Tommy Wiseau Dec 13, 2017

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Feminist Frequency Radio, the gang rejoices as Anita returns from Europe and records her first FFR stateside! We wonder what kind of magic spell Johnny Depp cast to make some people feel like his presence in The Crimes of Grindelwald is A-OK, and we ponder the profound depths of meaning revealed in the new trailer for Death Stranding. Ebony offers one of her patented Hypocritical Hot Takes (TM) on The Disaster Artist, and we try to work through our blood-spattered feelings about the critically acclaimed shooter Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. All this and much more here on Feminist Frequency Radio!

04 Mark Ruffalo's Cat-Sized Frozen Peanut Butter Dog Adventure Dec 06, 2017

Show notes

In episode four of FFR, just like Riker holding down the bridge for Picard, Carolyn takes over hosting duties while Anita flies back from Europe! (Don't worry, Anita shall return next week!) We finally meet Ashley, the mysterious fourth member of the Feminist Frequency team, who sheds some light on her role in the organization. We rave about the joyous and touching new Pixar film Coco, which centers Mexican characters and Mexican culture, and in the wake of the Infinity War trailer, we return to one of our favorite topics: superheroes, cultural notions of masculinity, and dudes punching each other in the face. Ashley reveals her feelings about both dogs and peanut butter--AND ONE OF THOSE STATEMENTS MAY SHOCK YOU! All this and much more here on Feminist Frequency Radio!

A huge thank-you to Alex at Cards Against Humanity for helping Ashley participate from the Windy City.

Things referenced in this episode:

Sady Doyle for ELLE: With a Groundbreaking Diagnosis, 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' Insists that Even "Psycho" Women Deserve to Be Heard http://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a13938654/crazy-ex-girlfriend-borderline-personality-disorder-diagnosis/

Brown Girls Web Series: http://www.browngirlswebseries.com/

03 A Nosebleed in Time Nov 29, 2017

Show notes

We're back with Episode Three of Feminist Frequency Radio! This week, we dive into the latest entertainment news and share our excitement for Ava DuVernay’s upcoming film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. We then discuss comedian Hari Kondabolu’s thought-provoking new documentary The Problem With Apu, which looks at the harm done by Apu of The Simpsons, perhaps the single most enduring racial stereotype of a character in American pop culture history.

We also return to Hawkins, Indiana circa 1984 to share our reactions to the second season of Stranger Things and Anita explains that, like Eleven, she too used to get nosebleeds a lot (but unfortunately she doesn’t divulge the nature of her telekinetic powers). Finally, Carolyn admits that International Men’s Day put her in a reflective mood and made her reconsider some things she said on last week’s show.

Things referenced in this episode:

The Gender Knot by Allan G. Johnson: https://www.amazon.com/Gender-Knot-Unraveling-Patriarchal-Legacy/dp/1439911843/

The You Must Remember This podcast's series of episodes on Charles Manson and Hollywood: http://www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com/episodes/youmustrememberthispodcastblog/2015/5/26/charles-mansons-hollywood-part-1-what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-the-manson-murders

Doha's tweet with images from The Last of Us, Logan, and Stranger Things 2: https://twitter.com/sokareemie/status/932026625134272512

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