Material Girls

Latest Episodes:

Bridgerton x Reading the Romance with Vanessa Zoltan Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

In this episode we talk about Bridgerton with a very special guest — Vanessa Zoltan. We discuss Bridgerton the book series and its move into the mainstream through the Shondaland adaptation on Netflix. Vanessa gives us some insight on romance fiction as a genre and Hannah leads us through theory from Janice Radway's book Reading the Romance.

If you like Romance novels and/or juicy television, this episode is for you! We think through the radical possibilities of romance reading, how we can make sense of certain recurring tropes and what we may learn from the rise in romance reading since 2020. Come for the theory, stay for Hannah saying Vanessa's life is a combination of "stern daddy" and "chaotic women."

To learn more about Vanessa Zoltan, you can head to notsorryworks.com or vanessazoltan.com.

If you like our show, please share it with family and friends! Word-of-mouth is the primary way we reach new listeners who are interested in feminist materialist critique, pop culture and laughing at and from within *the discourse.* Share the show today!

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Material Girls is a new show that aims to make sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.

We'll be back in two weeks for another episode, but until then, be sure to check out all the bonus content we have on our Patreon at Patreon.com/ohwitchplease. You can learn more about the show at ohwitchplease.ca and on our instagram at instagram.com/ohwitchplease! Want more from us? Check out our website ohwitchplease.ca.

*Materialist Critique is, at its simplest possible level, a form of cultural critique – that is, scholarly engagement with a cultural text of some kind – that is interested in modes of production, moments of reception, and the historical and ideological contexts for both. Materialist critique is really interested in the question of why a particular cultural work or practice emerged at a particular moment.

Music Credits:

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Patreon Preview: Avatar Pt. 1 Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

We had to talk about Avatar more — especially James "horny for the ocean" Cameron. We structured this bonus like our usual Patreon-only Q&A episodes, except this time we only answered questions you submitted about Cameron's blockbuster hit. We talk colonialism, pony tails and doing whatever Coach tells us to! Thanks for submitting such thoughtful questions.

Part II of this bonus will be available on Patreon this week to all of our tiers! Join today for just $5 USD/month to get the rest of the conversation in your feed and for all the bonus perks we've already released! Head to Patreon.com/ohwitchplease!

And, if you liked this episode, please share it with family and friends! Word-of-mouth is the primary way we reach new listeners who are interested in feminist materialist critique, pop culture and laughing at and from within *the discourse.* Share the show today!

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We'll be back in one week for a regular episode!

Music Credits:

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Avatar x Hypermediacy Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

Did you love James Cameron's Avatar upon its release in 2009? Have you since watched it and thought, huh, now what were we thinking 14 years ago? Were you critical of it from the start? Baffled by the public's interest in colonialism and hot blue aliens? Then this episode is for you.

Tune in for a conversation about this beloved sci-fi blockbuster. Hannah leads Marcelle talk colonialism, sexism, marketing budgets and how the interests of white dude billionaires drives our reality. Together, they discuss Jay David Bolter and Richard Grusin’s iconic 2000 book Remediation: Understanding New Media to better understand hypermediacy's role in this film's success. Ultimately, Hannah comes to some BIG conclusions about this movie and it's lasting impact on not just the zeitgeist, but also our literal planet earth. That's right! There are some pretty devastating ecological impacts of CGI and VFX — and in case you were wondering, yes, this episode is also a lesson on irony!

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Music Credits:

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Goblin Mode x the Abject with McKayla Coyle Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

In this episode we’re asking why ‘goblin mode’ is so danged zeitgeist-y such that in 2022 it became the Oxford English Dictionary's Word of the Year. Joined by McKayla Coyle (they/them), author of Goblin Mode: How to Get Cozy, Embrace Imperfection, and Thrive in the Muck, we dig into the term that took twitter by storm last year. Hannah leads Marcelle and McKayla through a discussion on 'the abject,' a concept from Bulgarian-French feminist philosopher Julia Kristeva. We talk about the racialized and ableist construction of bodies and boundaries — and how that may help us understand the radical potential of going 'goblin mode.'

To learn more about McKayla Coyle, check out their Instagram, Bookstagram, Spotify (particularly their 1D ultimate jams playlist) and their website https://www.mckaylacoyle.com/.

If you like this episode, please share it with family and friends! Word-of-mouth is the primary way we reach new listeners who are interested in feminist materialist critique, pop culture and laughing at and from within *the discourse.* Share the show today!

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Music Credits:

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Queer Eye x Cruel Optimism Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

What makes the Fab Five so fab? In this episode, Hannah leads Marcelle through a discussion of contemporary masculinities and their commodification via pop culture! They talk neo-liberalism, self-care discourse and the interplay of Trump's rise to power and "reaching across the aisle" through entertainment. Hannah pulls on theory from the late Lauren Berlant for a lesson on intimate publics and 'cruel optimism.'

This episode is for you if you:

watched the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
enjoy the reboot of Queer Eye
hate the reboot
think Antoni is a hunk
don't think Antoni is a hunk
care about the commodification of progressive ideals

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Music Credits:

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Patreon Preview: The Barbie Movie Pt. 1 Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

We had to talk about the Barbie movie! We structured this bonus like our usual Patreon-only Q&A episodes, only this time we only answered questions you submitted about Greta Gerwig's blockbuster hit. We talk mainstream feminism, satire, the limits and possibilities of camp, aesthetics and so much more! If you needed a hearty discussion about the movie after viewing it as a thinking person in 2023, then we have you covered! Thanks for submitting such thoughtful questions.

Part II of this bonus is available on Patreon to all of our tiers! Join today for just $5 USD/month to hear the rest of the conversation! Head to Patreon.com/ohwitchplease!

Note: Hope Rehak's Newsletter, mentioned in this episode, is called Obsessions This Week!

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We'll be back in one week for a regular episode!

Music Credits:

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Barbie x Petro-Capitalism Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

We had to talk about Barbie! This episode is all about Barbie dolls and way they took over the toy industry in the 90s. We've since recorded an episode about the movie which will be available on our Patreon in the coming weeks.

For now, please enjoy this episode that touches on liberal feminism, petro-capitalism, the history of Big Plastic, Barbie (the metonym!) and so much more. Over the course of an hour, Marcelle leads Hannah through a theory-informed breakdown of why Barbie, created in 1959, had her biggest moment in the early 90s and how we might begin to make sense of discourse surrounding Greta Gerwig's blockbuster, Barbie — the movie.

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Music Credits:

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Spare x Tender Masculinity Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

It's here! Welcome to the first episode of Material Girls, a scholarly podcast about pop culture co-hosted by Hannah McGregor and Marcelle Kosman.

This show aims to make sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.

In this pilot episode, Marcelle leads us through a discussion of Prince Harry's memoir, Spare, and a mini lecture on tender masculinity. She pulls on theory from bell hooks, Robert Morrell, Chris Haywood and Thomas Johansson (among others) and ultimately makes a claim that Hannah dutifully picks apart — in a totally academic, non-bullying way!!!

Music Credits:

album “Bongo Dance”.

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Material Girls: An Introduction Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to Material Girls! A new show from the team behind the beloved podcast, Witch, Please. Every episode you'll get your pop culture fix with some academic theory added to the mix. Join feminist scholars Hannah McGregor and Marcelle Kosman for episodic dives into the zeitgeist. Together they ask the materialist question "why this, why now?" about books that are on everyone's nightstands, songs that are on rotation, movies that have captured Twitter discourse — and so much more.

Subscribe to the feed and get ready for the pilot episode coming July 25th!

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Appendix: The Witch, Please Wrap Up Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

Well Witches... we're here, at the end of Witch, Please the podcast. If you've been following us on Instagram, then you know that we are so grateful for the last eight seasons AND we're so excited for our new flagship show: Material Girls, a scholarly podcast about popular culture.

You'll notice that, much like our usual Wrap Up episodes, this final episode is pure chaos. We were lucky enough to record this final Witch, Please episode in person which means what we lack in sound quality and coherence, we (hopefully) make up for in glee and games. Tune in for the giggles, stay for the Devastating Fun Facts™ and listen to the very end for a blooper Coach decided to keep in.

We hope this is a fun episode for you but fear not, we'll be back in two weeks with **serious theory** in our pilot episode of Material Girls. And heads up! We're keeping our Witch, Please feed, so stay subscribed to be notified when Material Girls drops! If you're wondering about our other show, Gender Playground, you can head over to ohwitchplease.ca/gender-playground to learn more.

AND if you want to be a part of this next chapter featuring more perks and more content than ever before, head to Patreon.com/ohwitchplease to support Witch, Please Productions, feminist media for a radically* inclusive world. We need your support now more than ever!

*fuck terfs we're taking back radical

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