Material Girls

Latest Episodes:

Book 5, Ep. 6 | Centaurs with jaye simpson Jan 11, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we are joined by jaye simpson to talk about centaurs! jaye is an Oji-Cree Saulteaux Indigiqueer from the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation. They are a writer, advocate and activist published in several magazines including Poetry Is Dead, This Magazine, PRISM international, SAD Magazine: Green, GUTS Magazine, SubTerrain, Grain and Room. They are in two anthologies: Hustling Verse (2019) and Love After the End (2020). jaye joins us to discuss Firenze and the characterization of centaurs in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

You can follow jaye on Twitter @fka_jayesimpson and support their GoFundMe for gender affirming care, here. They're the best and deserve all the love — which will be obvious when you listen to this fun and engaging episode!

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Shoutout to everyone who helped us reach our $5000 USD/month goal by becoming Patrons or upgrading their Patreon Tier. Everyone who joined our Patreon, no matter the tier, is invited to attend a LIVE recording of #WitchPleaseTellMe (our Q&A series) on January 29th. Join Patreon today at $2/month (or $5, $10, $13, or $30) to attend the Zoom!

Stay connected and follow Witch, Please on Twitter and Instagram @ohwitchplease and let us know what you think of the show through a review on Apple Podcasts. Your support keeps Witch, Please running!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus Ep: Witch, Please After 8: A Holidate Dec 28, 2021

Show notes

Hey Witches! We’re dropping this Bonus Episode into your feed as a little end-of-year thank you for everything you’ve done to make the Witch, Please reboot such a success. You’ve listened to the show, shared it with family and friends, and joined our Patreon. Instead of making resolutions for the New Year, give yourself the gift of bonus content from Witch, Please by joining at the $2, $5, $10, $13, or $30 tier! We are releasing the Zoom footage from our recording on our Patreon — so you can listen to this bonus episode as a podcast, but if you become a Patron, you can WATCH us chaotically record it with a crying, barfing baby-screwt. If you pay annually, you’ll get 10% off and if you join before January 1st, you’ll help us unlock a Live Witch, Please Tell Me Q&A for all patrons. We're hoping to $5000/month and we're just inches away!

If becoming a patron is currently not in the financial cards — we get it! You can support our work by continuing to share the show with your hot friends, rich crushes and fun cousins. By far the best part of making Witch, Please is getting to know you, our listeners, who share unique interests and expertise with us on social, via Patreon, and in our Apple Reviews. Thank you for listening and happy (almost) New Year.

We'll be back in two weeks with a new episode about The Order of the Phoenix.

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Stay connected and follow Witch, Please on Twitter and Instagram @ohwitchplease and let us know what you think of the episode through a review on Apple Podcasts. Your support keeps this show running!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book 5, Ep. 5 | Shapeshifting Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, we take a closer look at the range of shapeshifters we meet in the Harry Potter series. Between Animagi, Werewolves, Metamorphmagi, Veelas, and Boggarts there is a lot to cover— and we need the Greeks, scholar Llewelyn Negrin, a history of Calvinism, and, of course, Judith Butler, to do it!

Join us for a discussion on shapeshifting, as we apply what we've learned from our episodes on lycanthropy, female monstrosity and animal studies, to take a closer look at Nymphadora Tonks, in particular. Let's get to know one of the most beloved queer icons from the Wizarding World a bit better, shall we?

Note: The sound on this episode is a little funky because we recorded it in-person! Just know that any hiccups you hear (other than the ones caused by Baby Blast-Ended Screwt) are the price we paid to enjoy one another's company during an in-person recording for the first time in two years!

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We are running a Holiday Patreon Drive! If we earn $5000 USD/month from our Patreon by January 1st, 2022, we are going to host a LIVE Witch, Please Tell Me (*Our q&a bonus content!*) for all Patrons at every tier! Join today at a monthly rate that works for you and you'll bring us one step closer to our goal! Our tiers range from $2-$13 and we're just $300 away from hitting our goal!

Stay connected and follow Witch, Please on Twitter and Instagram @ohwitchplease and let us know what you think of the episode through a review on Apple Podcasts. Your support keeps this show running!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book 5, Ep. 4 | Fan Studies with Amanda Allen Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Well Witches, we finally did it — we recorded an episode about fan studies and fan-fiction. And our wonderful guest, Amanda K. Allen (she/her), made it possible! Amanda is a professor of Children’s Literature at Eastern Michigan University who she came onto the show to discuss fan fiction conventions and genre at the intersection of power, adolescence, and the early days of the internet. Join us as we explore the rich history and legacy of fan-fiction through Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Content Warning: We discuss the taboo nature of some fan fiction "ships" (i.e. Snape/Hermione and Hermione/McGonagall), as well as some tropes and conventions of non-consent, coercion and forced marriage and reproduction.

For listeners interested in understanding the ethics surrounding fan fiction writers' tendency to include graphic and disturbing elements within fan fiction (rape, non-consensual situations, torture, etc.), an excellent and helpful text is Kristina Busse's Framing Fan Fiction: Literary and Social Practices in Fan Fiction Communities. In particular, listeners might be interested in the tenth chapter, "Fictional Consents and the Ethical Enjoyment of Dark Desires." [Busse, Kristina. Framing Fan Fiction: Literary and Social Practices in Fan Fiction Communities. U of Iowa P., 2017.]

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Don't forget, we are running a Holiday Patreon Drive! If we earn $5000 USD/month from our Patreon by January 1st, 2022, we are going to host a LIVE Witch, Please Tell Me (*Our q&a bonus content!*) for all Patrons at every tier! Join today at a monthly rate that works for you and you'll bring us one step closer to our goal! Our tiers range from $2-$13.

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Book 5, Ep. 3 | Publics Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

This week we dig into publics! The Order of the Phoenix is absolutely brimming with secret, self-organized clubs and we're taking some time to consider how they're formed, what makes them powerful and why we see similarities between the Order, the Death Eaters and Dumbledore's Army. Join us as we defamiliarize the very idea of organizing through Michael Warner's definition of publics, building on what we already know about ideology and discourse. It's a good one folks!

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Book 5, Ep. 2 | PTSD with Addie Merians Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

In this episode we are joined by the wonderful Dr. Addie Merians. Addie (she/her) is a postdoc in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She has her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Minnesota and her research focuses on trauma and resilience, especially in relation to systemic oppression. In Season One of our reboot, we spoke with Lucia M. Lorenzi, PhD, to unpack trauma theory and to explore gaps, inconsistencies, and unreliable narration as sites where trauma lives in the Harry Potter books. Now, as we think about The Order of the Phoenix, Addie helps us make sense of Harry's behavior in the aftermath of Cedric Diggory's death, the culture of PTSD and silence within The Order itself, and so much more.

Content Warning: We speak explicitly about PTSD as a diagnosis, different types of trauma, and specific symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety. Please take care of yourselves and skip this episode if you need — and feel free to check out some helpful resources of support from our guest, Addie, below:

Suicide Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 (Dial 1 if you are a veteran for the Veteran's Crisis Line)

RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization and leading authority on sexual violence. Call 800-656-HOPE for the National Sexual Assault Hotline.

For more information on PTSD click here. The National Center for PTSD has information about PTSD for everyone, not just veterans. People can learn more about what PTSD is, different treatments, and find information for friends and family members of people with PTSD.

PTSD Coach offers crisis resources, help finding local care, information about PTSD, symptom assessments, and a variety of tools to help manage symptoms.

COVID Coach was developed to help folks with pandemic stressors and includes tools to manage stress and symptoms, information about a variety of topics related to mental health, assessments to track anxiety/depression/PTSD/well-being, and resources.

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Book 5, Ep. 1 | Critical Archival Studies Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

It's time for Season 5! You know what that means, Witches? It means we have a whole season coming your way about Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

This week, we kick it off with Critical Archival Studies: the study of archives (how they're built, sustained and naturalized) at the intersection of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability. We'll discuss the interrelated (and at times competing) archives of the Wizarding World including The Hall of Prophecy, Dumbledore's Pensieve, the ever-unveiling bylaws of the Ministry of Magic, and even the collection of portraits lining the halls of Hogwarts.

Stay connected and follow Witch, Please on Twitter and Instagram @ohwitchplease and let us know what you think of the episode through a review on Apple Podcasts. As always, you can join our Patreon for exclusive content including bonus interviews, Q&As, Watch Alongs and more — our tiers range from $2-$13! Note: If you join at the $10 or $13 tier before October 30th, you can attend our Halloween Watch Along of Hocus Pocus. Get on the discord and join in on the fun for an afternoon spent with the Witch, Please community! For Witch, Please merch visit our TeePublic shop!

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Inside Our Patreon: Bonus Episode with Ella McLeod Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

Hey Witches! We're dropping into your feed today with a special bonus episode featuring guest Ella McLeod. Ella joined Hannah and Marcelle in June for a Patreon-only episode to discuss policing of magic in the Wizarding World. It's a great chat originally released to Witch, Please patrons in our $5, $10 and $13 tiers — and we thought, you know what, as we get ready to launch into season 5, why not give our general audience a taste of what we get up to on our Patreon? In this conversation, we talk artificial scarcity, the arbitrary delineation of squibs, the "domestication" of cats, the power of wand access and so much more.

If you'd like to hear our full backlog of Patreon bonus content, you can become a patron today! And if you join at the $10 or $13 tier you'll be just in time to join us on Discord for our Hocus Pocus Watch Along on October 30th. Of course, if becoming a paid subscriber is just not in the budget right now, we understand! It's just as helpful to tell your friends and family about the show, to leave us a review, and to follow us on Instagram or Twitter @ohwitchplease.

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Book 4, Ep. 9 | The Goblet of Fire Wrap-Up Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

It's hard to believe, but we are at the end of season four and thus at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! In this wrap-up episode, we discuss the transformation of Hermione into an object of desire via her relationship with Viktor Krum, the demarcation of class and gendering through clothing, the Riddle of the Sphinx, Hagrid's personal journey as a teacher, and so much more. Tune in for this playful episode that gathers some loose threads but mostly just contains chatter about moments in The Goblet of Fire we were particularly tickled by.

Heads up, next week we will be putting out content usually reserved for our Patreon patrons! So stay tuned and be sure to subscribe so you're notified when we release that extra special episode.

Follow Witch, Please on Twitter and Instagram @ohwitchplease and let us know what you think of the episode through a review on Apple Podcasts. As always, you can join our Patreon for exclusive content including bonus interviews, Q&As, Watch Alongs and more — our tiers range from $2-$13! Note: If you join at the $10 or $13 tier before October 30th, you can attend our Halloween Watch Along of Hocus Pocus. Get on the discord and join in on the fun for an afternoon spent with the Witch, Please community!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book 4, Ep. 8 | Magical Capital Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, we return to a question that has challenged us since the beginning of this podcast: what’s the deal with the Weasleys’ class status? Are they working class, impoverished gentry, or something else altogether? To answer that question, we add some new critical tools to our discussion of the way class operates at Hogwarts and the Wizarding World at large by exploring magical capital. As in our previous episodes, we draw on the work of revolutionary Marxist Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and consider what access to magic (through education, buying of wands, "innate" talent, family bloodlines, magical cultural capital, etc) tells us about the class stratification of both beloved and despised characters who populate this series.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @ohwitchplease and let us know what you think of the episode! And check us out on Instagram for pics of Marcelle's new baby, Witch, Please fan art, and random polls and questions we ask to help influence future episodes and Patreon content! Join our Patreon for exclusive bonus content including bonus interviews, Q&As, Watch Alongs and more —our tiers range from $2-$13!

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