Feminist Frequency Radio

This week we forgo our traditional entertainment news so Anita can talk far too long about this year’s Oscars while Ebony laughs just at her. Then we begrudgingly dive into Alita: Battle Angel the new Robert Rodriguez live action film based on the 1990’s manga series and hooboy do we have a lot to say. SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 1:02 - intro banter - Anita tries to solicit sponsorship from the makers of Throat Coat 3:20 - Entertainment News - Oscars edition 20:11 - Alita: Battle Angel 44:20 - What’s Your FREQ Out? (New Super Mario Bros U, Flavorful Origins, The LAnd Magazine and local journalism) LINKS: “Reevaluating the Supercrip”:   https://samischalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Schalk_Reevaluating-the-Supercrip_JLCDS-2016.pdf Alita: Battle Angel - https://www.filmfreakcentral.net/ffc/2019/02/alita-battle-angel.html The LAnd Magazine - https://twitter.com/theLAndmagazine Brandon Coleman - https://twitter.com/BrandonColeKeys

This week on FFR, we gear up for this weekend’s Oscars with a focus on the Academy Awards: why they matter, how they’ve worked to promote a notion of cinematic excellence that centers and glorifies whiteness, and how they’ve historically tended to celebrate films about people of color only when those films send comforting messages about race and racism. Also, the latest terrible thing Bill Maher has said, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Anita’s Slack habits. SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 2:45 Entertainment News (Bill Maher says something awful, Activision Blizzard layoffs, Don Cheadle’s t-shirt) 14:10 The Academy Awards 43:50 What’s Your FREQ-Out? Trump and body-shaming humor, Burning and Steven Yeun, James Blake’s new album, and Tom Gun LIVE in Los Angeles 52:20 wrap-up RELEVANT LINKS: Marlow Stern for The Daily Beast on Bill Maher's comments on Peter Farrelly Patrick Klepek for Waypoint on the Activision Blizzard layoffs Video: Kim Basinger calls out the Academy for not nominating Do the Right Thing at the 1990

The triple[doll] threat is back in the Keanu Reeves Memorial Studio & Herbarium this week for a dive into the mindbending world of Netflix's new series, Russian Doll. The comedy-drama, created by Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler, and Leslye Headland, is hilarious, moving, surreal, brash, and unapologetic in its tough love for Natasha Lyonne's game developer main character, who is forced to relive her 36th birthday over and [painfully] over. Basically, we deserve a Nobel Peace Prize for Podcasting for this episode. We want to hear from you, so head on over to feministfrequency.com/freqout and send us your FREQ-Out today! 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 weekly bonus segments and other rewards! SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro banter (Ebony is not happy with how Black History Month is going) 3:26 Entertainment News (Liam Neeson straight up

#63: Life Is Strange 2, Episode 2 This week, Ebony takes the host’s chair as she and Carolyn share their thoughts on the first few episodes of Life Is Strange 2. LIS2 follows the Diaz brothers, high schooler Sean and his younger brother Daniel, as they flee from their Seattle home after their father is murdered by a police officer. We talk about how the brothers’ race affects their experiences, the way the game allows its characters to be multidimensional, and its refreshing belief in good people trying to help each other in this often cruel and unpredictable world. SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 3:20 Week-Old Entertainment News! (Bryan Singer, Oscar nominations, She-Ra renewed) 14:05 Life Is Strange 2 42:50 What’s Your Deal? (Killing Eve, Get Me Roger Stone) RELEVANT LINKS: The Atlantic's story on the allegations against Bryan Singer: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/bryan-singers-accusers-speak-out/580462/

FFR #61: The Favourite This week, we’re traveling back to the court of Queen Anne for all the stately and scandalous manipulations of The Favourite, the Oscar-nominated film starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. Throughout the movie, courtiers Sarah (Weisz) and Abigail (Stone) scheme and compete against each other politically and sexually to be the favorite of the queen (Colman). Our conversation covers the film’s power dynamics and cold political ploys, its depiction of female sexuality, the excellent performances, and the appeal of a film in which women who wield some degree of influence are the primary focus. SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 3:10 Entertainment News (More Ghostbusters, Chris Pratt, Erykah Badu) 12:50 The Favourite 44:50 What's Your FREQ-Out? Carolyn on Cold War, Ebony on three great pieces about Martin Luther King, Jr., Anita on Pitch Perfect and evolving media standards RELEVANT LINKS: Jay Smooth's video on ten other things MLK said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIFTNmOOLmk The Whitew

FFR #60: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? This week on FFR, we take on a Hollywood classic in the 1962 psychological thriller What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, a film whose title character was, at the time, one of the most shocking women ever seen onscreen. Played by cinematic legend Bette Davis, Baby Jane is an aging former child star who mentally and physically abuses her sister Blanche, played by another giant of 30s and 40s cinema, Joan Crawford. It’s a complex and extremely effective film, and we discuss about how it spawned the psychobiddy genre centered on the unsettling spectre of the mad older woman, the power of Davis’ performance, the effectiveness of the tension and discomfort the film generates, and how there was a very public rivalry between the two leads during and following the making of the movie. SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 3:05 Entertainment News: celebs apologizing for having worked with R. Kelly, Green Book co-writer’s racist tweet, Megan Kelly parts ways with NBC 13:30 What Ever Happened to Baby

FFR #59: If Beale Street Could Talk This week on FFR, we’re discussing Moonlight director Barry Jenkins’ wonderful new film, If Beale Street Could Talk. We get into the striking beauty of the film’s visual composition, the way it creates a feeling of community and solidarity that stretches beyond just what we see on the screen, and how it somehow manages to overflow with warmth and love, even as it gazes unflinchingly at the cruelties of systemic injustice. We also dish about the highs and lows of the Golden Globes, Carolyn offers up a new video game recommendation, Ebony asks where the white women are in the conversation about R. Kelly, and Anita says the cheesiest thing she’s ever said in her life. SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 0:50 The Golden Globes (Sandra Oh hosts, Green Book wins (boo!), Olivia Colman wins (yay!) 10:15 A special message from Anita 10:35 If Beale Street Could Talk 45:50 What’s Your FREQ-Out? Carolyn on Return of the Obra Dinn, Ebony on the voices missing from the conversation about R. Kelly, Anita

FFR #58: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse We’re kicking off 2019 with an FFR lovefest thanks to the exuberant and incredible Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse! Join us as we celebrate one of the best films of last year, with appreciation for its depiction of a diverse and lively Brooklyn, its wonderful hero, its touching Stan Lee cameo, and the way it fully embraces the medium of animation to do things that a live-action film probably couldn’t get away with. Also, Carolyn brings us the latest outrageous entertainment news about awful men doing awful things, and Ebony considers a career as a spy. SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 0:58 A special New Year message from Anita 2:25 Anita and Ebony discuss Anita’s approach to roast chicken 3:12 Entertainment News (Unfortunately we’re still talking about Kevin Spacey and Louis CK) 13:15 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 42:45 What’s Your FREQ-Out? Ebony on rewatching MI-5 Carolyn on Leave No Trace Anita on the free giveaway at the Laker game she went to

FFR #57: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power This week, we journey to the world of Etheria for showrunner Noelle Stevenson’s bold reimagining of She-Ra, and we very much like what we see! From the surprisingly complex explorations of friendship dynamics (for what’s ostensibly a children’s cartoon) to the terrific assortment of body types to the wonderful way that some characters don’t conform to standard gender expectations and much more, this show has so much to offer young viewers (in addition to just being an entertaining show, of course). Plus, can we just talk about how great Catra looks in that tux?! Also, we discuss what CBS’ settlement with Eliza Dushku over sexual harassment on the set of Bull reveals about the culture within the network, and the horrible tactics Offset is using in his quest to get Cardi B back. We want to hear from you, so head on over to feministfrequency.com/freqout and send us your FREQ-Out today! SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 5:20 Entertainment News 14:00 She-Ra 44:15 What’s Your FREQ-Out

FFR #56: Doctor Who At long last, Anita and Ebony finally get around to talking about Doctor Who on the podcast! First, they both share their different relationships with the history of the show, and what they’re bringing with them to the new season, which stars Jodie Whittaker as the show’s first female Doctor. (Please note that this episode was recorded in early November, and only includes discussions of the season’s first five episodes.) We get into the overall political values of the new season under new showrunner Chris Chibnall, and give special attention to the episode “Rosa Parks.” Carolyn drops by FROM THE FUTURE to share the latest in entertainment news, and as always, Ebony and Anita each share a little something in What’s Your FREQ-Out? We want to hear from you, so head on over to feministfrequency.com/freqout and send us your FREQ-Out today! SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 2:55 Entertainment News: Call Me by Your Name author announces sequel novel in the works; the dangerous transphobia of Danish film Girl;

This week on FFR, Ebony and Carolyn take a road trip with Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in Green Book. The film initially had a good deal of Oscar buzz, and in fact it was just chosen as the best film of 2018 by the National Board of Review. However, not everyone thinks the praise is deserved. In our conversation, we examine the film's reliance on stereotypes about what defines "real" blackness and the way it centers a white character in what should be a black man's story, while also praising the exceptional performance by Mahershala Ali, a performance that deserved a better film. Also, we discuss the media's handling of George H. W. Bush's passing, and Carolyn issues an apology for certain statements made during last week's discussion of Sabrina. SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 2:25 Carolyn's apology 6:30 Pop culture news (Daredevil is cancelled, responses to the death of George H.W. Bush, the issue of "blackfishing" on Instagram) 19:10 Green Book 44:55 What's Your FREQ-Out? (Ebony on rewatching

This week, we’re off to Greendale to spend some time with the new Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina! The latest incarnation of the teenage witch who originated in comics in the early 1960s and who famously had her own TV show in the 1990s, The Chilling Adventures takes a creepier approach, with plenty of references to Satan and all manner of genuinely scary and sinister happenings plaguing the mere mortal townsfolk of Greendale. Our conversation touches on the show’s attempts to establish its feminist bonafides, its handling of characters of color and a character who is gender-nonconforming, the ways in which it tries to be simultaneously scary and silly, and more. SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS: 01:40 Entertainment News: Women kiss at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; transphobic responses to Dwight Howard allegations 09:20 The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina 39:40 What’s Your FREQ-Out? RELEVANT LINKS: In Defense of Prudence Night on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Angelica Bastien: https://www.vulture.co

On this week's Feminist Frequency Radio, we follow Viola Davis wherever she wants to lead us in director Steve McQueen's new film, Widows. On the surface, Widows looks like a heist flick, though notably one with women comprising the crew at its center. But while Widows certainly has many elements of a heist film, it's not exactly a traditional, straightforward example of the genre. It's a film deeply concerned with racism, political corruption, financial desperation, the narrow roles women are often expected to fill, and the systems that perpetually maintain power for some while denying it to others. Our conversation covers the unexpected ways that Widows breaks from the genre mold, our differing opinions on how successfully (or unsuccessfully) it handles all its plot threads and political concerns, and some of the remarkable newcomers in the cast. And don't worry, our conversation is spoiler-free! Segment Timestamps: 1:45 Entertainment News (No Sony presence at E3 2019, Bill Maher's blog post on the passing

This week’s episode is (maybe) our one year anniversary and Ebony eats cake in celebration. This week’s discussion surrounds the most recent remake of A Star is Born directed and starring Bradley Cooper with Lady Gaga. As usual we are a group divided on these tortured love stories but it might not be what you expect. Ebony loved the music, Carolyn loved the romance and Anita couldn’t get over Bradley Cooper’s voice. Ebony tries to convince us of a new segment idea “Runtime Rundown”. The Anita robot breaks. Segment Timestamps: 2:23 - Pop Culture News (RIP Stan Lee, Serena Williams and GQ’s cover debacle) 5:03 - Main Topic: A Star is Born 39:08 - What’s Your FREQ Out Links: Serena Williams GQ's Woman of the Year: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/serena-williams-gq-woman-of-the-year_us_5beaaa0fe4b0caeec2bd8656 A Star is Born, How the Media Would Have Covered: http://www.vulture.com/2018/10/a-star-is-born-how-the-media-would-have-covered.html

This week's episode comes to you from two new satellite studios in the Keanu Reeves Memorial Complex! Anita has moved to L.A. and reports in from Johnny Utah HQ; Caro has started phoning in from the Johnny Mnemonic Wing; and Ebony continues to keep it buck at the Johnny Wick Workshop. Our discussion this week centered on the Netflix series, Maniac, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Justin Theroux, Sonoya Mizuno, and Sally Field. We share our reactions to this very weird, very stylistic, very empathetic show and its depictions of trauma, mental illness, and difficult relationships. Ebony and Anita discover that they quite like Jonah Hill's dramatic work; Caro talks about the effect of machine algorithms on media creation; and we end the show with a listener freq out for a book that sounds absolutely amazing! Segment Timestamps 0:00 Here We Go 3:04 Pop Culture News (Diablo mobile game announcement provokes some super dramatic [over]reactions; Rebel Wilson calls herself the fi

On this week's brand new FFR, we're live at GeekGirlCon '18 to talk about the ongoing trend of gender swaps in movies and television, whether it be specific characters who are reimagined as women (a la Starbuck in the Battlestar Galactica reboot) or a franchise that has historically centered men now centering female characters (as we see in Ocean's 8 or the 2016 Ghostbusters). Why is this sometimes widely celebrated by fandoms while at other times generating tremendous rage? When are these gender swaps progressive, and when do they just serve to cover up attempts at perpetuating the same old crummy patriarchal ideals? Does anyone really want a female-focused remake of What Women Want? Also, a few thoughts on Red Dead Redemption 2, the end of Megyn Kelly's morning show, and more! Segment Timestamps: 00:00 A Special Intro from Phil 01:30 Greetings from GeekGirlCon! 04:30 Entertainment News (Megyn Kelly, Apu on The Simpsons, The money being made by Red Dead Redemption 2) 16:30 Main Topic (Gender swapping in medi

On this week's very special episode of Feminist Frequency Radio, Anita and Carolyn chat with the Anna Sale of WNYC's Death, Sex, and Money podcast about unethical labor practices in the video game industry, hot dads, and what makes a movie "a very Caro film." Segment timestamps: 0:00 Introductions 1:55 Pop Culture News: Daniel Craig toting his baby around causes Piers Morgan to combust; crunch time at Rockstar Games; false Facebook video analytics cause a sea change in online media consumption -- and not for the better 14:13 Private Life 36:14 Private Life movie spoiler! 43:31 What's Your Freq Out? Links: The BBC on Piers Morgan's tweet mocking Daniel Craig: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-45873664 Kotaku's Jason Schreier on Rockstar Games' Culture of Crunch: https://kotaku.com/inside-rockstar-games-culture-of-crunch-1829936466 ‘Private Life’ Director Tamara Jenkins Always Looks on the Bright Side: https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/director-tamara-jenkins-private-life-movie-netflix-7326

On this week’s FFR, Ebony and Carolyn chat with writer, bon vivant, and Shatner Chatner-purveyor, Daniel Ortberg. But before that conversation kicked off, Carolyn dumped a giant bucket of disappointing entertainment news in the studio, from the Johnny Depp's continued appearance as Grindelwald in the third Fantastic Beasts film; the "un-uglifying" of Hester in the upcoming Mortal Engines movie, and author Chuck Wendig being let go from Marvel. But then the mood rapidly lightened as we dove into our discussion of Daniel Ortberg's formative years in the suburban Midwest; the appeal of certainty and vocation in The Hunt for Red October; and whether Paris Hilton is a closet ham radio fanatic. **Fun fact: during the entire period that Ebony and Daniel were discussing 17th century Christian allegory, The Pilgrim's Progress, Ebony actually thought they were talking about the 14th century Christian allegory, Piers Plowman. As far as she is aware, there is no Marvel comic book of Piers Plowman extant. Segmen

FFR #47: Top Gun On this week’s FFR, we fly into the danger zone with Maverick, Iceman, Goose and the rest of the best of the best with the cultural juggernaut that is Top Gun. Is it a film carefully calculated to represent masculinity in such a way as to maximize navy recruitment efforts? Is it a film dripping with queer subtext? Can it be both? Join us for a conversation about the acting, the imagery, and questions about what really constitutes the film’s central love story. Also, Anita announces that she’s had a lifetime’s fill of a certain pop star and never needs to hear another one of their songs again, much to Carolyn’s dismay. And Carolyn time-warps into the episode to bring you pop culture news from the future! Segment Timestamps: :00 Intro 3:10 Entertainment News: The link between Kavanaugh and Gamergate. Bette Midler makes a bad tweet. Lady Gaga on sexual assault and trauma on Colbert. 11:35 Top Gun 44:05 What’s Your FREQ-Out? Ebony on Veep, Carolyn on Life Is Strange 2, Anita on the books of Poroc

In this, the third and last of our special conversations recorded at XOXO in Portland, Anita talks to Jenn Sandercock, a games industry veteran who is also a pioneer in the field of edible games! Here, she and Anita talk about some of the delicious games Jenn has created, her background in artificial intelligence, and the particular issues around age that are prevalent in tech and gaming fields. Learn more about Jenn's games at ediblegames.com and follow her on Twitter at @JennSandercock.