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Ep. 50: Debating SNL Oct 09, 2020

Show notes

Wynter and Karen take a look back at SNL's political coverage, especially its parodies of presidential debates past and present, as the show resumes production with a live studio audience. Is satire even possible in the political world we're living in today? Trying with all her might not to get too caught up in the onslaught of news, from 45's COVID cluster to the death of Eddie Van Halen, Wynter is in a transatlantic mood and tells us all about Emily in Paris. Karen can't help but get into the Ryan Murphy Netflix series Ratched, which features Filipinos, lesbians, and a Sirkian aesthetic. Plus, nuo lingo offers a sophisticated approach to a lack of sophistication and songs of the week from the 80s that say everything about this moment. *W2X Live Episode Taping + Fair Fight Fundraiser tickets on sale thru October 20! Check out our social media for details and ticket info.* Find merch, our Patreon, and more at w2xpodcast.com.

Wynter's "everyday until 11/3" Spotify Playlist

Ep. 49: Getting Pen15 Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

Karen and Wynter do their best to catch you up with season 2 of Hulu's cringe comedy Pen15, while reminiscing about their own deeply awkward middle school years. ***Warning: Pen15 Spoilers and Middle-School Callouts in this Ep!***

Plus, Wynter tells us about the Peloton pandemic lyfe, while Karen is soliciting any additional info anyone may have about the Great British Bake-Off bubble. Where are people practicing their signature bakes? Do contestants go directly home when they're kicked off, or do they sit in their sad quar rooms eating leftovers from the challenges? There's no nuo-lingo this week, but you do have two songs of the week to keep you feeling cozy as we usher in autumn.

Ep. 48: Fast Times and the Rise of the All-Star Table Read Sep 25, 2020

Show notes

Karen has fled Los Angeles for the rest of September, as both she and Wynter mourn the loss of the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg by girding their loins for the fight ahead. The two give a full rundown of the pandemic Emmys, and get into why so many of us are seeking refuge in nostalgic all-star table reads, from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, to the all-Black Golden Girls reenactment, the Princess Bride reunion, and the recently announced all-black Friends table-read w/ Sterling K. Brown as Ross(!) Plus, we find out what nuo-lingo is circulating from the DMV (D.C./Maryland/Virginia), and two entirely different vibes for SOTW.

Social links, merch store, and more at w2xpodcast.com!

Ep. 47: Remembering Chadwick Boseman with andré carrington Sep 18, 2020

Show notes

Wynter has made some upgrades to her club, The Palace, on Grand Theft Auto, while Karen calls Away, the new mission to Mars drama on Netflix, "normporn in space." Dr. andré carrington, a renowned scholar of race and science fiction--and a birder!--joins us for a retrospective of Chadwick Boseman's tragically short, but illustrious career. We get beyond the superhero legacy and consider some of the real-life legends Boseman portrayed on screen. Nuo-lingo covers a term that crossed over from academia into public discourse, and we bring you a couple of songs about skies. Plus, andré tells you to watch ALL of Patti vs. Gladys--no skips!

You can find all our links at w2xpodcast.com! Don't forget to check out our new Patreon tiers <3

Legends Verzuz Battle: Patti LaBelle vs Gladys Knight (starts at 10:35 mark)
Trixie Mattel & Katya React to Netflix's "Away"

Ep. 46: Lovecraft Country with Dr. Jonathan P. Higgins Sep 11, 2020

Show notes

We're a full month into Lovecraft Country, so Dr. Jon Paul Higgins from the Learnt podcast joins us for a spirited discussion about the show's horrors, both everyday and paranormal, as well as what it's done for Blerds (Black nerds) everywhere. Karen seeks refuge from "Dumbkirk" and the week's other stupid and tragic occurrences by mainlining Cobra Kai, while Wynter and Dr. Jon take definitive sides in Brandy vs. Monica. Plus, a nuo-lingo term so old it's new again, and several songs of the week including two from the aforementioned "verzuz" favorite.

Ep. 45: Facing the Music with Bill & Ted Sep 04, 2020

Show notes

Karen and Wynter explore what it means to be excellent to each other in a world as dire and apocalyptic as our own, as they get into the #girldad energy of Bill and Ted Face the Music (spoilers in the discussion!), and the entire Bill & Ted trilogy. Wynter tells us about a Brit comedy called I Hate Suzie that she happens to love. Karen is super bummed out and despairs out loud about the rise of fascism in the U.S., but finds a spot of joy in Niecy Nash's announcement about her marriage to musician Jessica Betts, as well as other mid-life Sapphic romances. Plus, two 80s themed nuo-lingo entries, and double your song of the week fun.

Ep. 44: The Go-Go's with Kathy Valentine Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

A bonafide rock star turned author, Kathy Valentine (yes, THE Kathy Valentine from The Go-Go's, and author of the new memoir All I Ever Wanted) joins Karen and Wynter to talk about ALL OF IT--from her time on the scene in Austin and Hollywood in the late-70s and early 80s, to The Go-Go's imperial years, and her new life as an author. Wynter tells us about the Fast Times at Ridgemont High table reading that never was, and Karen alerts us to a new Sapphic period drama starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan sure to take the "borrid" genre by storm. Plus, nuo-lingo is all fun and games, and we give you a bounty of songs of the week.

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Ep. 43: What's Cookin' in the Pandemic w/ Katherine Spiers Aug 21, 2020

Show notes

Our dear friend and the smartest mouth in town, Katherine Spiers (Smart Mouth podcast, Table Cakes Productions) joins us to mull over some of the new food TV being cooked up during the pandemic, from Selena + Chef, to Amy Schumer Learns to Cook. We also get into the ins and outs of what's happening more broadly in the food scene, from moldy jam-gate at SQIRL, to the perpetual Bon Appetit fallout. Plus, the Umbrella Academy, Michelle Obama and Rhode Island calamari at the DNC, and the etiquette/ethics of using the Reface app. Plus, we close this super-sized episode out with a very classy (because it's British) nuo-lingo, topped off with three total BOPS.

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Ep. 42: 90s Domestic Thrillers with Brandy Monk-Payton Aug 14, 2020

Show notes

Media scholar & author Dr. Brandy Monk-Payton (Fordham University) joins Karen & Wynter to talk about the preponderance of domestic psychodramas like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Sleeping with the Enemy in the early 1990s. Together they explore what they say about cardigan femininity, race, and the terror of misaligned hand towels. The three also process Megan and Cardi's WAP, the Kamala Harris VP announcement, and Perry Mason on HBO (Max). Plus, Nuo-lingo and three SOTWs!

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Ep. 41: What's Good is Bad & Bad is Good w/ June Diane Raphael Aug 07, 2020

Show notes

Karen and Wynter kick off a brand new season joined by June Diane Raphael, co-founder of the Jane Club, and star of Grace and Frankie, Long Shot and The High Note. June Diane drops in to BLOW OUR MINDS with her read on Clueless, a movie she used to think was good, but realizes might actually be bad. Meanwhile, Wynter's crush on Dr. Fauci has led to crafting (?!?), and Karen is moved to tears by the WNBA starting their new season from "the bubble," while wearing Breonna Taylor's name on their jerseys. This week's Nuo Lingo is really hard to understand for most folks, and you get 2 SOTW's for the price of one.

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