Material Girls

Material Girls

Witch, Please Productions

A scholarly podcast about pop culture hosted by Hannah McGregor and Marcelle Kosman, produced by Witch, Please Productions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Notebook x Melodrama with Vanessa Zoltan

The Notebook x Melodrama with Vanessa Zoltan

She's back! Beloved podcaster and author Vanessa Zoltan (she/her) joins Hannah and Marcelle to dig into one of the most famous "weepies" of the 21st century: The Notebook (2004). If you cry at the line "If you're a bird, I'm a bird," have the phrase "What do you want?" ringing in your head, or regularly view the 2005 MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss, then this episode is for you. Hannah first contextualizes The Notebook in early aughts America (think post 9/11 conservative politics) and Vanessa off

Feb 18, • 1:04:04

Material Concerns: Emotional Support Canadians Pt. I

Material Concerns: Emotional Support Canadians Pt. I

In this Material Concerns episode, Hannah and Marcelle talk about being emotional support for Americans, fancy linen paper in the 1700s, memes, monoculture and more!As a reminder, for just $5 USD/month you'll get part two, our extensive backlog, ad-free episodes, and oh so much more!***Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo

Feb 4, • 32:37

Comics & Memes x Culture Text with Neale Barnholden

Comics & Memes x Culture Text with Neale Barnholden

This week, longtime friend of the pod, Neale Barnholden (he/him), joins Marcelle and Hannah to discuss the materiality of comic books and their influence on modern-day meme culture! They talk reading conventions, colonization, de- and re-contextualization, as well as the raced and classed history of comics. Together, they then dive into Paul Davis's idea of "the culture text" (adaptations, parodies, references of the text created by culture at large). They consider how Richie Rich came to refere

Jan 21, • 1:04:11

Material Concerns: An All-Team Holiday Bonanza & Wicked Part I

Material Concerns: An All-Team Holiday Bonanza & Wicked Part I

As chaotic as the title suggests, this episode features our Witch, Please Productions team on mic! We've got Gaby, Zoe and Coach joining Hannah and Marcelle to discuss Wicked, listener-submitted questions, 2024 Spotify stats and more.As a reminder, for just $5 USD/month you'll get part two, our extensive backlog, ad-free episodes, and oh so much more!***Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on t

Jan 7, • 44:06

Wicked x Paratexts with Leena Norms

Wicked x Paratexts with Leena Norms

What is more zeitgeist-y than Wicked Part One? Well, arguably, the memes, interviews, and merch ABOUT Wicked Part One! In this episode Hannah and Marcelle are joined by the wonderful author, Youtuber and internet busybody, Leena Norms, to discuss this year's blockbuster— and the paratexts surrounding it. If you've been targeted an Elphaba eyeshadow palette, a Glinda-themed popcorn bucket, or anything online that says "holding space," then you've engaged with Wicked's paratexts. And guess what? W

Dec 24, 2024 • 1:00:36

Material Concerns: Golden Girls, All-Inclusive Resorts, and Coach's Birthday Pt. I

Material Concerns: Golden Girls, All-Inclusive Resorts, and Coach's Birthday Pt. I

Welcome back to Material Concerns! In this episode, Marcelle and Hannah answer your questions. They talk Golden Girls, Friends, All-Inclusive Resorts, and Coach's Birthday! As a reminder, for just $5 USD/month you'll get part two, our extensive backlog, ad-free episodes, and oh so much more!***Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac

Dec 10, 2024 • 29:34

The Golden Girls x Sex Positivity with Marshall Watson

The Golden Girls x Sex Positivity with Marshall Watson

Over the course of its seven seasons, The Golden Girls had 25 million viewers and earned 68 Emmy nominations. Each of the girls, Rue McClanahan (Blanche Devereaux), Bea Arthur (Dorothy Zbornak), Estelle Getty (Sophia Petrillo) and Betty White (Rose Nylund) won Emmy's for their performances and more than three decades later, the show is still in syndication. All to say, the show was popular! Beloved friend of the pod and The Golden Girls super fan, Marshall Watson (he/him), joins Hannah and Marce

Nov 26, 2024 • 1:05:42

Material Concerns: Connections, Stolen iPads, and Genre Conventions Pt. I

Material Concerns: Connections, Stolen iPads, and Genre Conventions Pt. I

Welcome back to Material Concerns! In this episode, Marcelle and Hannah answer your questions. They talk phone games, the Witch, Please team as different types of witches, genre conventions and Twin Peaks! As a reminder, for just $5 USD/month you'll get part two, our extensive backlog, ad-free episodes, and oh so much more!***Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”. Host

Nov 12, 2024 • 27:45

Twin Peaks x Cult Television

Twin Peaks x Cult Television

In honor of spooky season, we bring you an episode about the beloved cult classic, Twin Peaks! This show from Mark Frost and David Lynch, starring Kyle MacLachlan, is widely understood as one of the most influential television series ever! And yet it its original run began April 1990 and ended just fourteen months later in June 1991. In this episode, Marcelle explores why this show, that began as a hit, fell in ratings so quickly. Hannah and Marcelle then discuss the power of cult followings and

Oct 29, 2024 • 52:38

Bonus Episode: Azkaban & The Prison Industrial Complex with Adrian Angus

Bonus Episode: Azkaban & The Prison Industrial Complex with Adrian Angus

Today we’re dropping a bonus conversation into your feed featuring Adrian Angus, a dear friend of Marcelle's who passed away unexpectedly in September. This bonus episode was originally released as a Patreon perk back in March 2021. At the time, our flagship show was Witch, Please, a scholarly podcast about the Harry Potter world and this bonus accompanied our Book three episode about The Prison Industrial Complex with guest Mercedes Eng — which you can listen to wherever you get your podcasts.O

Oct 19, 2024 • 23:27

Material Concerns: Dopamine Pt. I

Material Concerns: Dopamine Pt. I

Thank you for your questions about dopamine, dinosaurs and cats! In part one of this Material Concerns episode, we also launch a new segment called "Make It Make Sense" where Hannah and Marcelle rely on no research to guess why certain things are popular! Thanks for your suggestions via Instagram! As a reminder, for just $5 USD/month you'll get part two, our extensive backlog, ad-free episodes, and oh so much more!***Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by pe

Oct 15, 2024 • 33:15

Dopamine x Health Capitalism with Jesse Meadows

Dopamine x Health Capitalism with Jesse Meadows

For this episode, we're joined by Jesse Meadows (they/them) to discuss the most zeitgeist-y neurotransmitter around: dopamine! Have you been targeted Instagram Reels and Tik Toks about increasing your dopamine levels or managing ADHD through pleasure abstinence? Well that may have more to do with tech bros, billionaires and health capitalism than you think! Tune in for a conversation about pseudo-science, "hedonic Calvinism," eugenics, Big Pharma, manipulative algorithms and more! Check out Jess

Oct 1, 2024 • 1:11:20

Material Concerns: Jurassic Park Pt. I

Material Concerns: Jurassic Park Pt. I

You had so many great questions about Hannah's forthcoming book, Clever Girl and our Jurassic Park episode all about spectacle —and we answer a lot of them in part one of this Material Concerns episode! As a reminder, for just $5 USD/month you'll get part two, our extensive backlog, ad-free episodes, and oh so much more!***Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”. Hosted

Sep 17, 2024 • 30:44

Jurassic Park x Spectacle

Jurassic Park x Spectacle

In this episode, Hannah and Marcelle discuss what made Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993) the ultimate CGI summer blockbuster, the history of American spectacle, and the monstrosity of the movie's out-of-control lady dinosaurs! Hannah leads this episode and if you're left wanting more, we have great news: their forthcoming book, Clever Girl: Jurassic Park, is available for preorder right now! Clever Girl "is a smart and incisive exploration of everyone’s favorite dinosaur movie and the fema

Sep 3, 2024 • 1:00:00

Material Concerns: Why Is the Team So Hot & Other Important Questions

Material Concerns: Why Is the Team So Hot & Other Important Questions

We continue our summer slowdown with a new Material Concerns episode once again featuring answers to YOUR questions. Marcelle is in Ontario for a family TRIP (not a vacation because kids are present!!) and Hannah is recovering from travels east!In this episode, they answer your hard hitting questions like "why is your team so hot!!!!?" Part two of this conversation will be available at all our tiers on Patreon on Thursday! For just $5 USD/month you'll get to hear Marcelle and Hannah discuss more

Aug 20, 2024 • 20:49

Reservation Dogs x Production Sovereignty with Karrmen Crey

Reservation Dogs x Production Sovereignty with Karrmen Crey

We're so thrilled to be joined by the incredible Karrmen Crey (she/her) for this episode about FX's coming-of-age dramedy, Reservation Dogs! Released via Hulu from 2021-2023, this show is notable not only for its rich storytelling and beloved protagonists (shoutout to Bear, Cheese, Elora, and Willie Jack!), but also for its entirely Indigenous creative team from the creators to the cast and crew. In this episode, Marcelle (who is a huge fan of the show) offers some insight into how Reservation D

Aug 6, 2024 • 1:07:52

Material Concerns (Live!): Theory, Heart Flutters and Coach On Mic Part I

Material Concerns (Live!): Theory, Heart Flutters and Coach On Mic Part I

Welcome back to another Material Concerns episode! We recorded this episode live for all our Patreon supporters so you'll notice there's a slightly different vibe; namely, Coach is on mic! We talk theory, past episodes, what's making our hearts flutter these days, and more. If you want more, tune into Part II, all about the second half of Bridgerton Season Three, through our Patreon. Become a paid supporter at any tier and you'll get access to the video and to the audio!We'll be back in two week

Jul 23, 2024 • 30:21

Tupperware Parties x Cruel Optimism

Tupperware Parties x Cruel Optimism

Have you ever been to a Tupperware party? Or perhaps a Pure Romance party? Avon? Then you may be familiar with pyramid schemes! In this episode, Marcelle guides Hannah through the history of Tupperware parties and their rising popularity post WWII. She then offers some Lauren Berlant theory (which always makes for a good episode!!); specifically, their concept of "cruel optimism." If that sounds familiar, it's because we first visited this theory in our Queer Eye episode. Enjoy the episode and b

Jul 9, 2024 • 1:04:38

Material Concerns: Dirty Dancing, Bridgerton and Summer Camp Pt. I

Material Concerns: Dirty Dancing, Bridgerton and Summer Camp Pt. I

We continue our summer slowdown with a new Material Concerns episode featuring answers to YOUR questions. As a reminder, we're still releasing episodes every two weeks, but every other episode will be a Material Concerns episode; an unscripted, more casual conversation between Marcelle and Hannah. In this episode, they talk about how Dirty Dancing, summer camp, Bridgerton, the female gaze and so much more. If you enjoy the episode, head over to Patreon.com/ohwitchplease for Part II! The rest of

Jun 25, 2024 • 32:27

The Last of Us x Adaptation Theory

The Last of Us x Adaptation Theory

In this episode, we're talking about the HBO series The Last of Us, which was adapted from the popular video game of the same name! If you like the show, zombie content, playing video games, or thinking about how art gets transcoded across mediums, then this episode is for you! AND if you don't know what transcoding means, then this episode will really knock your socks off because Marcelle does a great job defining the word — as well as adaptation itself! Together, Hannah and Marcelle consider t

Jun 11, 2024 • 1:02:09

Material Girls: Summer Slowdown!

Material Girls: Summer Slowdown!

We're starting a summer slowdown! That means we're still releasing episodes every two weeks, but every other episode will be a Material Concerns episode; an unscripted, more casual conversation between Marcelle and Hannah. They'll talk about how they're doing, what they're up to, research they didn't get to in "regular" episodes, content they're consuming and more! In this Material Concerns episode they give personal updates and chat about the other shows we have going on at Witch, Please Produc

May 28, 2024 • 35:06

Dirty Dancing x Nostalgia with Andrea Warner

Dirty Dancing x Nostalgia with Andrea Warner

In this episode, Marcelle and Hannah are joined by Andrea Warner (she/her), the author of The Time of My Life, an exploration of Dirty Dancing as a deeply feminist film. We begin with a conversation about sexy films that made our younger selves all hot and bothered before heading into the segment "Why This? Why Now?" Hannah guides us through the difficulty that writer and producer Eleanor Bergstein faced in getting this movie made and distributed. We talk Reagan, Roe v. Wade, and nostalgia for t

May 14, 2024 • 1:03:24

Gender Playground Preview: Plans, Trans, and Autonomy

Gender Playground Preview: Plans, Trans, and Autonomy

Witch Please Productions is on Spring Break, so we're taking the opportunity to re-introduce you to Gender Playground, a podcast co-hosted by Marcelle Kosman and Raimi Marx about the joys of gender-affirming care for kids. This show launched to our Patreon last year and through patron support, we were able to launch it to the public in February of this year! We're dropping Episode 5 into your feed: Plans, Trans, and Autonomy. In this episode, Marcelle and Raimi discuss “transition.” We

Apr 30, 2024 • 45:58

Making Worlds Preview: Dimension 20 with Lucia Lorenzi and Clare Mulcahy

Making Worlds Preview: Dimension 20 with Lucia Lorenzi and Clare Mulcahy

Material Girls is on Spring Break! But don't fret! We unlocked an episode of Making Worlds, our Patreon-exclusive video podcast hosted by Hannah McGregor.Making Worlds is dedicated to the liberatory possibilities of other worlds! In each episode Hannah speaks with a guest (or two) about a sci-fi, fantasy, speculative fiction, or magical realism text that has changed the way they view the world.In this episode, Hannah talks with scholars (and friends) Lucia Lorenzi (she/they), and Clare Mulcahy (

Apr 16, 2024 • 47:42

Material Concerns: Disney Bonus Pt. I

Material Concerns: Disney Bonus Pt. I

Like the serious academics they are, Hannah and Marcelle not only researched Disney in academic journals, they also went to the happiest place on earth! They made custom Theodor Adorno t-shirts, scooped Marcelle's eight-year-old and Gender Playground co-host, Raimi Marx, and wen on their way! In this bonus episode, they answer your questions about the experience. Sharing one mic, Raimi, Marcelle and Hannah talk about managing expectations, capitalism's hold on joy, the relationship between surre

Apr 9, 2024 • 27:53

Disney x Pinkwashing

Disney x Pinkwashing

What drove Hannah and Marcelle to go to Disneyland? And what is with all the rainbow Mickey ears? And where does pinkwashing end and real change begin? Tune into this episode about the happiest place on earth to find out! In this episode, Marcelle leads Hannah through a history of the term pinkwashing. She then draws on an article by Karine Duplan called “Pinkwashing Policies or Insider Activism? Allyship in the LGBTIQ+ Governance–Activism Nexus,” to better understand what leads to making public

Apr 2, 2024 • 1:02:19

Athleisure x Optimization with Anne Helen Petersen

Athleisure x Optimization with Anne Helen Petersen

We're thrilled to be joined by Anne Helen Petersen for this episode about the popularity of athleisure! If you don't already know, Anne Helen Petersen (she/her) is the incredible writer, journalist and recovering academic behind the beloved newsletter Culture Study. She is the host of a brand new podcast of the same name and the author of four books, most recently Out of the Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home (co-written with Charlie Warzel) and Can’t Even: How Mille

Mar 19, 2024 • 1:01:37

Gilmore Girls x Normporn with Karen Tongson

Gilmore Girls x Normporn with Karen Tongson

For this episode, we're joined by the incredible Karen Tongson, Professor of Gender & Sexuality Studies, English, and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. She is the author of Why Karen Carpenter Matters and Relocations: Queer Suburban Imaginaries. Her newest book, normporn: Queer Viewers and the TV That Soothes Us provides theory for this episode about the beloved TV show, Gilmore Girls. We begin with a discussion of the early 2000s postfeminist Bush er

Mar 5, 2024 • 1:07:53

Sweet Potato Fries x Food Imperialism

Sweet Potato Fries x Food Imperialism

Remember about fifteen years ago when we all went a little nuts for sweet potato fries? What was going on there? Well it turns out, that beloved appetizer was more than a tasty treat circa 2007. In this episode, Marcelle leads Hannah through research about the “orange-flesh sweetpotato” and its relationship to GMOs, cash crops, fat phobia and food imperialism. She pulls on the work of Joe Kobuthi for an analysis of food systems that informs her understanding of the sweet potato's zeitgeist-y mom

Feb 20, 2024 • 1:03:54

Dungeons and Dragons x Ludology

Dungeons and Dragons x Ludology

Do you play D&D? Do you have a friend who does, but you don't totally *get* what it is? Did you see the recent film Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and think "wow, that role playing game went MAINSTREAM!?" Then this episode is sure to satisfy your curiosity about this zeitgeisty game! Hannah, who herself plays D&D, leads Marcelle through a history of the tabletop role-playing game created by Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, tracing its origins all the way to Dungeons & Dragons

Feb 6, 2024 • 1:11:28

Material Concerns: Wonka and Twilight Bonus Pt. I

Material Concerns: Wonka and Twilight Bonus Pt. I

There was so much more to say about Wonka and Twilight. In Part I of this bonus episode (aka a 'Material Concern' episode), we talk about fatphobia in children's literature, the "representation" of indigeneity in Stephanie Meyer's the Twilight Saga, and so much more. If you enjoy this episode, head over to Patreon.com/ohwitchplease for Part II! The rest of the conversation is available at all our tiers. For just $5 USD/month you'll have access to the rest of this conversation, all the bonus perk

Jan 30, 2024 • 36:57

Twilight x Girl Culture with Jackson Bird

Twilight x Girl Culture with Jackson Bird

Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob or some secret third option?**Marcelle asks this question only at the very end of the episode, and you know why? Because there is so much more to discuss when it comes to Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. And who better to dig into this novel's plot and place in pop culture than Jackson Bird (he/him) who, over fifteen years ago, was a Twi-hard. If you frequent fan spaces, you might know Jackson through his previous work with Harry Potter Alliance or his very popular Y

Jan 23, 2024 • 1:03:55

Introducing Making Worlds with Hannah McGregor

Introducing Making Worlds with Hannah McGregor

We're so excited to announce that our new show, Making Worlds, begins January 25th!This video podcast, hosted by Hannah McGregor (maybe you know them?!?), will be released monthly via our Patreon. In each 30ish-minute episode, a guest will bring Hannah a text that has helped them imagine the liberatory possibilities of another world. We’re talking sci-fi, fantasy and speculative fiction! Hot!!!! Our first episode? Why it simply had to be about Our Flag Means Death! What says liberatory possibili

Jan 16, 2024 • 4:00

Wonka x Antisemitism and Censorship with Leena Norms

Wonka x Antisemitism and Censorship with Leena Norms

In this week's episode, we're joined by the incredible Leena Norms (she/her) to talk about Timothée Chalamet's latest venture: Wonka.This holiday blockbuster from director Paul King (Paddington, Paddington 2) made many people on the internet cringe even before it's release in mid December. It was notably in the *discourse* through memes and tweets that suggested Kylie Jenner perhaps got 'the ick' from Timmy's performance. The good news is that Marcelle, Hannah and Leena went to go see the movie

Jan 9, 2024 • 1:07:32

Merry-terial Girls: An Incomprehensible Holiday Bonus

Merry-terial Girls: An Incomprehensible Holiday Bonus

Witch, Please Productions is on break for the holidays! Of course we still wanted to put some fun content out while we’re away from our computers, so we recorded a holiday bonus that features Gaby, Zoe, Hannah, Marcelle and Coach mostly speaking over one another while they attempt to play Material Pursuit — a game of trivia that Marcelle created by pulling on content from Material Girls and our previous show, Witch, Please. If you want to listen to the whole thing, you can! For free! Just h

Dec 26, 2023 • 1:52

The Night Circus x Reading Ecosystems

The Night Circus x Reading Ecosystems

One of Marcelle's favorite books is The Night Circus, so she decided to be brave and do an entire episode about the best-selling fantasy novel by Erin Morgenstern. Why brave? Well because sometimes it's hard to think critically about something you love! We all know that. ;) This episode, Marcelle leads us through a quick chat about how the book was set up for success in 2011, followed by some theory about reading ecosystems from Book Was There: Reading in Electronic Times by Andrew Piper. And th

Dec 12, 2023 • 1:08:23

Bonus Episode: Sitcom and Reframing Israel-Palestine Beyond Security Discourse

Bonus Episode: Sitcom and Reframing Israel-Palestine Beyond Security Discourse

We hit our fundraising goal for Palestine Children’s Relief Fund in October and this is the bonus episode we promised as a thank you for your support. As of today, you, our listening community, have raised $8900 — and our goal was $5000! That’s incredible and we’re so grateful for your resource sharing and messages of solidarity. This bonus episode is a conversation between Marcelle and Hannah about a paper Marcelle published in 2015 called Comic relief: the ethical intervention of 'Avodah

Dec 5, 2023 • 33:21

Blackout Tuesday x Platformization

Blackout Tuesday x Platformization

At Material Girls, we’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of using social media for social change and what those calls imply about the role of social media in our collective imaginations. And so, in the spirit of always historicizing, we recorded this episode to look back on the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 and, specifically, to an online event known as Blackout Tuesday.If you were one of the people who posted a black square on your Instagram account — or someone who thought about it bu

Nov 28, 2023 • 1:15:56

Patreon Preview: Taylor Swift Pt. I

Patreon Preview: Taylor Swift Pt. I

We had to talk about Taylor Swift more — especially as so many of you had great comments, feedback and specific inquiries! We structured this bonus like our usual Patreon-only Q&A episodes, except this time we only answered questions you submitted about Ms. Taylor Allison Swift. We talk Gay-lore, billionaires, private jets, the Jets and holding many feelings at once.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

Nov 21, 2023 • 27:58

Les Misérables x Encoding/Decoding with Erin Keif

Les Misérables x Encoding/Decoding with Erin Keif

We're so lucky to be joined this episode by Erin Keif (she/her) of the beloved Headgum podcasts Hey Riddle Riddle and Sitcom DnD. If you're a fan of Les Mis, or any musical, you'll appreciate this really special episode that covers Stuart Hall's theory of encoding/decoding, while also getting into the lyrics and musicality of the megamusical: Les Misérables. Hannah guides Marcelle and Erin through a history lesson that covers Thatcherite England and defunding of the arts in the 70s and 80s, whil

Nov 14, 2023 • 1:07:11

Taylor Swift x Intimate Publics with Margaret H. Willison

Taylor Swift x Intimate Publics with Margaret H. Willison

Given last week's release of 1989 (Taylor's Version), we just had to have Swiftie and Tay-lore expert Margaret H. Willison (she/her) on the show to talk about one of the (if not THE) most influential pop stars of the last decade. We start with a conversation about Taylor as an artist and Margaret provides context to help us understand how and why Taylor's Eras Tour and the 10 studio albums that led to it have created such a buzz. Then Marcelle leads Hannah and Margaret through Lauren Berlant's t

Oct 31, 2023 • 1:09:34

Star Wars x Mass Culture

Star Wars x Mass Culture

Why is Star Wars so popular? What were the material conditions that set the first film, A New Hope, up for success in 1977? What can a Marxist critique help us understand about the film?In this episode, Marcelle leads Hannah through a conversation about one of her favorite franchises by first taking a close look at George Lucas's politics and the state of Hollywood in the 1970s. Marcelle and Hannah then think through the movie's seemingly progressive narrative — and the way it's been co-opted by

Oct 17, 2023 • 1:06:09

Bridgerton x Reading the Romance with Vanessa Zoltan

Bridgerton x Reading the Romance with Vanessa Zoltan

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

Oct 3, 2023 • 1:06:47

 Patreon Preview: Avatar Pt. 1

Patreon Preview: Avatar Pt. 1

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 o

Sep 26, 2023 • 14:22

Avatar x Hypermediacy

Avatar x Hypermediacy

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

Sep 19, 2023 • 1:03:12

Goblin Mode x the Abject with McKayla Coyle

Goblin Mode x the Abject with McKayla Coyle

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 racialize

Sep 5, 2023 • 59:35

Queer Eye x Cruel Optimism

Queer Eye x Cruel Optimism

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 Guyenj

Aug 22, 2023 • 1:02:03

Patreon Preview: The Barbie Movie Pt. 1

Patreon Preview: The Barbie Movie Pt. 1

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

Aug 15, 2023 • 31:46

Barbie x Petro-Capitalism

Barbie x Petro-Capitalism

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,

Aug 8, 2023 • 1:05:08

Spare x Tender Masculinity

Spare x Tender Masculinity

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 t

Jul 25, 2023 • 1:01:03

Material Girls: An Introduction

Material Girls: An Introduction

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

Jul 13, 2023 • 2:27

Appendix: The Witch, Please Wrap Up

Appendix: The Witch, Please Wrap Up

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 cohere

Jul 11, 2023 • 47:24

Appendix: Fan Studies Revisited

Appendix: Fan Studies Revisited

For our final regular episode, we decided to revisit Fan Studies! We begin with a review of our episodes on Foucault and authorship, Michel de Certeau and the tactics of the disempowered, Jane Tompkins and circulation and Michael Warner's idea of discourse publics. Even though it's our last regular Witch, Please episode, don't be fooled, our Transfiguration segment is a HEADY one and Hannah leads us through mind-bending theory about affective economies and affective economics (two different thin

Jun 27, 2023 • 1:16:01

Introducing Gender Playground with Marcelle Kosman and Raimi Marx

Introducing Gender Playground with Marcelle Kosman and Raimi Marx

We're thrilled to share the pilot episode of Gender Playground!Gender Playground is a new show from Witch, Please Productions and is co-hosted by longtime friends Marcelle Kosman and Raimi Marx. This podcast is all about gender-affirming care for the kids in your life, and YOU are the intended audience! Whether you're a caregiver, parent, family-member, chosen-family-member, teacher, doctor, childcare professional, or just someone who wants to create a more loving world for kids, this show

Jun 23, 2023 • 36:06

Bonus Ep: Shame Spiraling with Ely Kreimendahl

Bonus Ep: Shame Spiraling with Ely Kreimendahl

In this bonus episode, Hannah and Marcelle are joined by comedian and podcaster Ely Kreimendahl (she/her) for a discussion about shame, relationships, being adults and podcasting! If you haven't already fallen in love with Ely's show, Shame Spiral, check it out! Now is the time! We'll be back in two weeks with a regular Witch, Please episode that adds to the Appendix! Note: This conversation was recorded in February 2023!Enjoyed the episode? Get more bonus content just like it on Patreon! You ca

Jun 13, 2023 • 23:42

Appendix: Critical Adoption Studies with Nia

Appendix: Critical Adoption Studies with Nia

This week we're joined by Nia (they/them) for a conversation about critical adoption studies — a field of scholarship that explores adoption as a legal, political, and economic institution that severs and creates familial bonds. We begin with a review of our episodes on motherhood, class, feminist literary theory, queer theory, critical race theory and the nation-state before heading into a chat about narratives of adoption. Through a closer look at the way Harry and Voldemort are both positione

May 30, 2023 • 1:01:56

Appendix: Anti-Fatness with Aubrey Gordon

Appendix: Anti-Fatness with Aubrey Gordon

We're so excited to be joined by Aubrey Gordon (she/her) for an episode about anti-fatness in the Harry Potter series. We begin with a quick review of disability studies, monstrosity, and sentimentality before jumping into a conversation about anti-fatness, body positivity and fat liberation. Aubrey is the co-host of (beloved podcast) Maintenance Phase and the author of What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat and "You Just Need to Lose Weight" and 19 Other Myths About Fat People. With he

May 16, 2023 • 1:08:01

Appendix: Giggle-ology with Dix McDevitt

Appendix: Giggle-ology with Dix McDevitt

As you know, we love to laugh! That's why we were thrilled when a brilliant listener, Dix McDevitt (she/her), pitched us an episode about giggling in the Harry Potter series. In Revisions, we talk through Disability Studies, Queer Theory and Trans Studies to prepare for a framework devised by Dix herself about diegetic, semi-diegetic and non-diegetic laughter. Intrigued? You should be! This episode made Coach gasp in awe many times over and had Hannah and Marcelle laughing even more than usual.

May 2, 2023 • 59:32

Appendix: The Author

Appendix: The Author

We said we would and so we did! Here is our episode on l'auteur! In this episode, Marcelle leads us through a brief Revisions segment because there is just too much to get into! We talk ideology, discourse, structuralism, celebrity and capitalism before heading into a chat about two dead French guys (Barthes and Foucault) and 'the death of the author." Then in Owls we put our theory to work as we think through J.K. Rowling's presence in the circulation of the Harry Potter series and the way new

Apr 18, 2023 • 1:09:58

Bonus Ep: Hogwarts Legacy with Michelle Thompson

Bonus Ep: Hogwarts Legacy with Michelle Thompson

In this bonus episode, Marcelle is joined by Michelle Thompson to discuss Hogwarts Legacy! If you've been curious about this game and the shitstorm surrounding it, think of this convo as your primer! We'll be back in two weeks to add to our Appendices. If you want more of Michelle, check out her podcast Never Was a Gamer! If you want to watch Stephanie Sterling's full video about Hogwarts Legacy, check it out here!Enjoyed the episode? Get more bonus content just like it on Patreon! You can becom

Apr 4, 2023 • 40:12

Appendix: Witch Hunts with Niki Fitzgerald

Appendix: Witch Hunts with Niki Fitzgerald

In this episode we bring in a guest, Niki Fitzgerald (she/her), to talk about Witch Hunts. Niki is an NHS doctor specialising in Care of the Elderly and General Internal Medicine. She has recently completed her Masters in Applied Medical Humanities and her dissertation was titled Is Medicine Obsolete? An Abolitionist Feminist Reimagining with Flourishing and Care. Niki joins us for a rich conversation about the shift from feudalism to capitalism which corresponded with the Witch Hunts of the 16t

Mar 21, 2023 • 1:04:06

Appendix: Holocaust Studies with Andrea Dara Cooper

Appendix: Holocaust Studies with Andrea Dara Cooper

Welcome back to our Appendix Season — a chance to look at the Harry Potter series as a whole.In this episode we bring in a guest, Andrea Dara Cooper (she/her), to talk about Holocaust Studies. Andrea is Associate Professor and Leonard and Tobee Kaplan Scholar in Modern Jewish Thought and Culture at UNC-Chapel Hill — and she is the author of Gendering Modern Jewish Thought (Indiana University Press, 2021). Tune in for a conversation about the function of allegory in Harry Potter. When does i

Mar 7, 2023 • 1:00:37

Appendix: Sentimentality, Revisited

Appendix: Sentimentality, Revisited

Welcome to our Appendix Season — a chance to look at the Harry Potter series as a whole. To kick it off, we're revisiting Sentimentality with a deep dive into Beth Driscoll’s book The New Literary Middlebrow! "But middlebrow is not synonymous with sentimentality?!??!" That's right, but by halfway through this episode you'll understand why Hannah had to bring in Driscoll's writing for a broader conversation about the appeal and mainstream success of the Harry Potter series. If you liked our

Feb 21, 2023 • 1:04:54

Bonus Ep: #WitchPleaseTellMe Team Edition

Bonus Ep: #WitchPleaseTellMe Team Edition

We're on a break! Please enjoy this episode of #WitchPleaseTellMe, a monthly Patreon perk we're sharing with you in between seasons! We'll be back in two weeks with our first episode of Season 8, "The Appendix Season." Until then, please enjoy a rambling, fun and chaotic episode featuring the entire Witch, Please Team (Hannah, Marcelle, Coach, Zoe and Gaby). You'l hear all about our plan for Season 8, along with way too many intimate details about everyone's relationship to parasociality (other

Feb 7, 2023 • 29:59

Book 7, Ep. 9 | The Deathly Hallows Wrap Up

Book 7, Ep. 9 | The Deathly Hallows Wrap Up

In this episode, we wrap up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and thus Season Seven of Witch, Please. We talk about Hermione and Ron's sex life in Granger Danger and the history of white wedding dresses in Lewk Book. And, of course, we round out the episode with Marcelle's Devastating Fun Facts TM. This may be the end of Season Seven. but don't fret. We're going to be back in a few weeks for our eighth season (still about Harry Potter) that we've affectionately and aptly titled "The Appendix

Jan 24, 2023 • 54:52

Bonus Ep: Women for Iran

Bonus Ep: Women for Iran

We'll be back in two weeks for our final Season 7 Wrap-Up Episode, but this week we're sharing a bonus interview from Patreon. We were so honored to have been joined by Kiana and Vicky in December for a conversation about Women for Iran (formerly Women for Liberty of Iran) an organization comprised of Iranian women supporting the people of Iran from the UK. In this conversation, Kiana and Vicky answer Hannah and Marcelle's questions (ones you may have, too) about the state of the protests in Ira

Jan 10, 2023 • 33:13

Book 7, Ep. 8 | House Elves with Jessica Marie Johnson

Book 7, Ep. 8 | House Elves with Jessica Marie Johnson

We're finally here, Witches — at our long-awaited House Elves episode. We've been talking about Dobby, Kreacher, Winky and the general house elf population for so many seasons and we finally have a perfect guest joining us for discussion. Jessica Marie Johnson (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Johns Hopkins University and a Fellow at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Studies at Harvard University. She is also the Director of LifexCode: Digital

Dec 27, 2022 • 1:08:29

Book 7, Ep. 7 | Sentimentality

Book 7, Ep. 7 | Sentimentality

In the wise words of Lizzo, it's about damn time! Our latest episode is all about Sentimentality, an 18th century philosophical intervention that emerged in opposition to rationality. Hannah (whose recent book, A Sentimental Education, is all about this topic) guides the episode. We revisit our discussions on Orientalism, Animal Studies and Print Culture, before jumping into an overview of what Sentimentalism is all about— and how we might read Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows as a novel written

Dec 13, 2022 • 1:07:10

Bonus Ep: Comfort Creatures

Bonus Ep: Comfort Creatures

We’re taking a little break to gear up for the holiday season. So instead of enjoying a regular episode, please enjoy this episode of Comfort Creatures, a podcast hosted by Ella McLeod and Alexis B. Preston. Comfort Creatures is a show from Maximum Fun — the folks who brought you classic podcasts like My Brother, My Brother and Me, Still Buffering, The Adventure Zone and many others. In this show, Ella and Alexis bring on guests to chat about pet ownership and the power of furry friends! We were

Nov 29, 2022 • 56:03

Book 7, Ep. 6 | Eugenics

Book 7, Ep. 6 | Eugenics

In this episode, we do a deep dive into eugenics, a nineteenth-century pseudosciences that justified a lot of racist, ableist, and generally violent oppressive behaviours. We review our conversations about class, critical race theory, disability, neurodivergence, and trauma from our episodes with K. Alex, Jess Battis, Tea Garbeza, Lucia Lorenzi, and Addie Merians, before taking a close look at Cecily Devereux's Growing a Race: Nellie McClung and the Fiction of Eugenic Feminism. Tune in OR skip t

Nov 15, 2022 • 56:52

Book 7, Ep. 5 | Resurrection with Matt Potts

Book 7, Ep. 5 | Resurrection with Matt Potts

Matt Potts is back to talk about resurrection! We first revisit theory Matt introduced to us last season on our episode about "the soul" and then consider the nature of Harry's death in the Deathly Hallows. What can we make of Harry's sacrifice? The scene in King's Cross? The conviction of the series and... (Matt said it first...!) the conviction of the New Testament! Tune in for an episode about zombies, Jesus, and Harry Potter.To support the show, you can become a Patreon Supporter at any tier

Nov 1, 2022 • 1:05:44

Book 7, Ep. 4 | New Media

Book 7, Ep. 4 | New Media

We're back with a new episode on New Media! To begin, we revisit Print Culture, Critical Archival Studies and the work of Canadian theorist Marshall McLuhan before jumping into a conversation about the phonograph! Well, kind of... We take a look at Lisa Gitelman’s book Always Already New: Media, History, and the Data of Culture, to better understand how new technologies are normalized and made familiar such that we forget information is being mediated at all. We talk about Potterwatch radio, Dum

Oct 18, 2022 • 1:03:07

Bonus Ep: A Sentimental Education

Bonus Ep: A Sentimental Education

Hey Witches! We'll be back on Tuesday with our regularly scheduled episodes, but we thought we'd give you the promised sneak peek at Hannah's new book A Sentimental Education. On September 22, Hannah launched her book at Iron Dog Books through a conversation with Minelle Mahtani (Associate Professor at the Institute for Social Justice at UBC) and Lucia Lorenzi (artist and recovered academic). In this bonus episode, you'll find that conversation as well as a sneak peek of

Oct 14, 2022 • 1:10:09

Unlocked Patreon Exclusive: Sparks Fly with Maia Kobabe

Unlocked Patreon Exclusive: Sparks Fly with Maia Kobabe

Maia Kobabe (e/em/eir) has been censored enough! We're putting this exclusive bonus interview out to the public because it was just so dang fun to record and Maia is a true gem who deserves as big an audience as we can give em. We'll be back with regular episodes in two weeks (October 18th).If you don't already know Maia, e is the author of Gender Queer and the brilliant mind behind other zines, comics, and social commentary sprinkled throughout the internet. You may recognize Maia from Instagra

Oct 4, 2022 • 23:25

Book 7, Ep. 3 | Motherhood with Erin Wunker

Book 7, Ep. 3 | Motherhood with Erin Wunker

We continue our journey through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with another special guest, Erin Wunker! Erin is a settler scholar and an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Dalhousie University in Halifax Nova Scotia. She is the author of Notes from a Feminist Killjoy: Essays on Everyday Life and the forthcoming Routledge Introduction to 20th and 21st Century Canadian Poetry. She join us for this episode to talk about mothers in the Harry Potter series! We discuss how mothe

Sep 20, 2022 • 1:00:52

Book 7, Ep. 2 | Historical Memory with Shira Lurie

Book 7, Ep. 2 | Historical Memory with Shira Lurie

We continue our journey through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with a special guest, Shira Lurie! Shira joins us to discuss historical memory in the Wizarding World. We're talking statues, stories, memorials and archives. If you enjoyed our episodes on Critical Archival Studies, Chosen One Narratives, Hauntology and Life Writing, then you'll love this episode! You can follow Shira Lurie on Twitter @ShiraLurie.Help us kick off Season 7 by joining our Patreon! You can become a Patreon Suppor

Sep 6, 2022 • 1:07:26

Book 7, Ep. 1 | Chosen One Narratives Revisited

Book 7, Ep. 1 | Chosen One Narratives Revisited

In this episode, we begin Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! We cannot believe we're already at the start of Book 7, but honestly, we're so excited to finally get into it! We decided to go back to the start and revisit 'Chosen One narratives' which we discussed in Season 1, Episode 1 of the reboot. We pull on Northrop Frye's Anatomy of Criticism and Joseph Campbell's work about "monomyth." But, you know us, we hate letting boring old white guys go unchecked, so we also review works by Alise M

Aug 23, 2022 • 1:08:45

Unlocked Patreon Exclusive: Witch, Please Tell Me

Unlocked Patreon Exclusive: Witch, Please Tell Me

We're still on a break and gearing up for our seventh season all about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Of course, we didn't want to leave you with nothing to listen to so please enjoy this unlocked Patreon perk: Witch, Please Tell Me! We do Q&A episodes every month for our $10+ tiers. They're goofy and meandering and very fun to record. You can submit a question to our Q&A through this google form. Be sure to follow us on social @ohwitchplease to stay totally up to date on all thin

Aug 9, 2022 • 33:34

Bonus Ep: Fandom Forward with Lark and Jessie

Bonus Ep: Fandom Forward with Lark and Jessie

We're in between seasons and thrilled to bring you a one-off bonus conversation with beloved podcasters Lark Malakai Gray and Jessie Blount. You may know them from Hashtag Ruthless, a podcast network that "creates hilarious chapter-by-chapter media analysis podcasts with a queer and trans focus." Lark and Jessie are the minds behind The Gayly Prophet, Esgaype from Reality, The Gay Pirate Podcast, and We are the Gayers. In this episode, they join Hannah and Marcelle to talk about their work with

Jul 26, 2022 • 57:13

Book 6, Ep. 9 | The Half-Blood Prince Wrap Up

Book 6, Ep. 9 | The Half-Blood Prince Wrap Up

In this episode, we wrap up Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and thus Season Six of Witch, Please. We talk Hermione in Granger Danger and fashion in Lewk Book, and of course we round out the episode with Marcelle's Devastating Fun Facts TM. Tune in for this goofy episode that gathers some loose threads but mostly just contains chatter about moments in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that we were particularly tickled by.As always, you can become a Patreon Supporter for more perks an

Jul 12, 2022 • 45:29

Book 6, Ep. 8 | Life Writing

Book 6, Ep. 8 | Life Writing

In this episode we discuss Life Writing. We begin with a review of the monomyth and Structuralism, followed by a deep dive into the work of Sidonie Smith and Julia Watson. Using their book Reading Autobiography: A Guide for Interpreting Life Narratives, we consider the Pensieve in the Harry Potter series. How can we read the memories that go into it as life writing? What do we know from the texts about the 'credibility' or 'truthfulness' of each character's recollections? How does the unrel

Jun 28, 2022 • 1:10:03

Book 6, Ep. 7 | Marginalia

Book 6, Ep. 7 | Marginalia

In this episode we dig into Marginalia! After a brief revision of our episodes on Print Culture and Fan Studies, we take a look at the it's long histoy using Heather Jackson’s book, Marginalia: Readers Writing in Books (2001). Marcelle begrudgingly leads us through the contribution of the Romantics (specifically Samuel Taylor Coleridge) and we ultimately get to take a long hard look at Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Not just the book! We actually get to think through Harry Potter and hi

Jun 14, 2022 • 1:08:11

Book 6, Ep. 6 | The Soul with Matt Potts

Book 6, Ep. 6 | The Soul with Matt Potts

In this episode we are joined by Matt Potts, co-host of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. Matt is a reverend and a professor at Harvard specializing in literature, literary theory and Christian theology. He joins us for an episode all about "the soul" in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. You'll hear that we can barely contain our excitement in this episode as we dig into theology for the first time, all while pulling on some theory and frameworks from our episodes on Hauntology and Critica

May 31, 2022 • 1:02:34

Book 6, Ep. 5 | Security Theatre

Book 6, Ep. 5 | Security Theatre

This week we get into Security Theatre — and what a timely topic it is! We go over what we learned from Book 3, Episode 6 with Mercedes Eng who walked us through the carceral logics of the Wizarding World. And we review Book 4, Episode 2 about the nation state and the way Benedict Anderson theorized nations as “imagined communities” that are imagined as limited, sovereign, and in need of protection. Then we play a game Cloaks or Hoax! A goofy opportunity for Hannah to make Marcelle laugh be

May 17, 2022 • 1:13:17

Book 6, Ep. 4 | Masculinity Studies with Aspen

Book 6, Ep. 4 | Masculinity Studies with Aspen

In this episode, we're talking about Masculinity Studies with our special guest, Aspen!We begin with a brief review of our episodes on Feminist Theory, Celebrity Studies, Trans Studies and Chosen One Narratives (just to name a few) before getting into a discussion about masculinity in the Wizarding World. Aspen offers us a brief historical overview of the roots of Masculinity Studies, as well as an analysis of the field's shortcomings and ever-evolving scope. We learn a bit about Gayle Rubin's w

May 3, 2022 • 1:05:38

Book 6, Ep. 3 | Rape Culture

Book 6, Ep. 3 | Rape Culture

Hey friends! Please skip this episode if that feels right for you. We'll be back in two weeks and we want you to take care of yourselves first!In this episode, we discuss Rape Culture. We begin with a brief review of our episodes about discourse, queer theory and classism before diving into the pervasiveness of rape culture in our daily lives and in the Harry Potter series. We'll dig into what it means that Ron feels entitled to be angry at Hermione's interest in other men, how Harry comes to un

Apr 19, 2022 • 53:37

Book 6, Ep. 2 | Hauntology

Book 6, Ep. 2 | Hauntology

In this episode, we are talking ghosts! Tune in for a conversation with our guest, Lydia, as we consider Hauntology as an analytical tool for better understanding the Harry Potter series — specifically the Half-Blood Prince. Lydia guides us through a revisitation of Jacques Derrida and an introduction to Avery Gordon (among others) who ask us to consider the meaning of absences in narratives, histories, and our own imaginations. What haunts Harry? What haunts the Wizarding World in the aftermath

Apr 5, 2022 • 1:11:05

Book 6, Ep. 1 | Slytherin Pedagogy

Book 6, Ep. 1 | Slytherin Pedagogy

In this episode, we begin Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by revisiting pedagogy! If you've enjoyed our past episodes about the professors at Hogwarts then you will love this episode digging into Horace Slughorn, Severus Snape, and (if you believe it) Albus Dumbledore! Tune in for a conversation based around the article “Collectors, Nightlights, and Allies, Oh My: White Mentors in the Academy,” by Dr. Martinez-Cola, an assistant professor of sociology at Morehouse College. Martinez-Cola's

Mar 22, 2022 • 1:11:22

Inside Our Patreon: #WitchPleaseTellMe Q&A

Inside Our Patreon: #WitchPleaseTellMe Q&A

This week we’re releasing some insider Patreon bonus content instead of a regular episode! Please enjoy this #WitchPleaseTellMe Q&A from May 2021. It’s a goofy little episode where we talk about our favorite lipsticks, where to store “eating chocolate,” and books that changed us! Join at the $10 USD/month tier (Wizarding World Feminist Utopia) to gain access to over a year of bonus episodes, unedited episodes from our original run, and #WitchPleaseTellMe Q&As. Hot Tip: If you choose to p

Mar 8, 2022 • 26:09

Book 5, Ep. 9 | The Order of the Phoenix Wrap-Up

Book 5, Ep. 9 | The Order of the Phoenix Wrap-Up

In this episode, we wrap up The Order of the Phoenix, and thus Season Five of Witch, Please. We talk Hermione in Granger Danger and fashion in Lewk Book. We make a list of what we want to keep our eyes on in the coming book and round out the episode with Marcelle's Devastating Fun Facts TM (all of which make Hannah cry). Tune in for this wild episode that gathers some loose threads but mostly just contains chatter about moments in The Order of the Phoenix that we were particularly tickled by.Hea

Feb 22, 2022 • 1:07:47

Book 5, Ep. 8 | Mad Studies with Aisha Wilks

Book 5, Ep. 8 | Mad Studies with Aisha Wilks

In this episode we're joined by Aisha Wilks (she/her) for a dive into Mad Studies. Pulling on past episodes about Disability Studies, Critical Race Theory, Lycanthropy as Metaphor, PTSD and The Prison Industrial Complex, we take a look at St. Mungo's, the Longbottoms, Luna Lovegood and other representations of madness throughout Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Aisha guides us through a review of the social and medical models of disability — and helps us understand the "good" and "bad"

Feb 8, 2022 • 1:12:28

Book 5, Ep. 7 | Media Studies: The Wand is the Message

Book 5, Ep. 7 | Media Studies: The Wand is the Message

In this episode Marcelle leads us through an overview of famous Edmontonian and Media Studies scholar, Marshall McLuhan! We tackle McLuhan's “Tetrad of Media Effects” (a chart!) and use it to think through the DA's gold coins, Umbridge's Educational Decrees, The Daily Prophet, and other forms of communication that flood Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. We also draw on previous episodes about ideology, class, magical capital, books and archives.We're pretty sure this is the most fun two

Jan 25, 2022 • 1:09:34

Book 5, Ep. 6 | Centaurs with jaye simpson

Book 5, Ep. 6 | Centaurs with jaye simpson

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

Jan 11, 2022 • 1:10:21

Bonus Ep: Witch, Please After 8: A Holidate

Bonus Ep: Witch, Please After 8: A Holidate

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 Patr

Dec 28, 2021 • 1:29:57

Book 5, Ep. 5 | Shapeshifting

Book 5, Ep. 5 | Shapeshifting

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

Dec 21, 2021 • 1:12:36

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

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

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 Ph

Dec 7, 2021 • 1:14:01

Book 5, Ep. 3 | Publics

Book 5, Ep. 3 | Publics

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!Stay connected and follow W

Nov 23, 2021 • 1:13:25

Book 5, Ep. 2 | PTSD with Addie Merians

Book 5, Ep. 2 | PTSD with Addie Merians

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 Pott

Nov 8, 2021 • 1:12:26

Book 5, Ep. 1 | Critical Archival Studies

Book 5, Ep. 1 | Critical Archival Studies

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 eve

Oct 26, 2021 • 1:01:30

Inside Our Patreon: Bonus Episode with Ella McLeod

Inside Our Patreon: Bonus Episode with Ella McLeod

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 tal

Oct 20, 2021 • 31:26

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

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

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 momen

Oct 12, 2021 • 47:55

Book 4, Ep. 8 | Magical Capital

Book 4, Ep. 8 | Magical Capital

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 an

Sep 28, 2021 • 1:02:10

Book 4, Ep. 7 | Monstrous Women with Jess Zimmerman

Book 4, Ep. 7 | Monstrous Women with Jess Zimmerman

In this episode we are joined by author Jess Zimmerman (she/they) to discuss the history of monstrous representation in cultural texts across history. Jess, who recently published a wonderful book, Women and Other Monsters, offers her vast knowledge about Greek mythology and metaphor to our investigation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We ask questions like: what makes monsters monstrous? How do representations of femininity get used to characterize monstrous threats to "the hero" of our

Sep 14, 2021 • 1:05:51

Book 4, Ep. 6 | The Return of Pedagogy

Book 4, Ep. 6 | The Return of Pedagogy

We're revisiting pedagogy, Witches!We first tackled this topic to kick off Season Three by defining the term and considering the teaching methods of various Hogwarts professors (using a D&D Alignment Chart, of course). In this episode, however, we get a bit more granular and look closely at the teaching style of Barty Crouch Jr. and his impersonation of Professor Moody. Ultimately, we get to ask the question: Is Professor Moody AKA Barty Crouch Jr. a great teacher? Can he be one despite his

Aug 31, 2021 • 59:38

Book 4, Ep. 5 | Trans Studies with Taylor Allgeier-Follett

Book 4, Ep. 5 | Trans Studies with Taylor Allgeier-Follett

This is a must-listen, Witches!Guest Taylor Allgeier-Follet joins Hannah and Marcelle for a conversation on Trans Studies and The Goblet of Fire. Taylor (they/them) is a PhD candidate at University College Dublin who brings their expertise as both an academic and a person who has read the Harry Potter series over forty times. In this episode, Taylor, Hannah and Marcelle dive into transcoding and transphobia as it relates to the characterization of Rita Skeeter. If you're interested in the evolut

Aug 17, 2021 • 55:36

Book 4, Ep. 4 | Post-Critique

Book 4, Ep. 4 | Post-Critique

What happens when Marcelle asks Hannah to do an episode on gay whimsy? We get an episode on post-critique! Dive into this theory with Hannah and Marcelle as they discuss what post-critique offers readers and its downfalls in a world where critique has real, material value. In other words, come for the theory and stay for the discussion about Blast-Ended Screwts. Ron's love of Viktor Krum, and the Prefect's bathroom (all whimsical, pleasurable details of The Goblet of Fire!). Hosted on Acast. See

Aug 3, 2021 • 42:28

Book 4, Ep. 3 | Critical Race Theory with K. Alex

Book 4, Ep. 3 | Critical Race Theory with K. Alex

You don't want to miss this episode, Witches!Guest K. Alexandra joins Hannah and Marcelle for a conversation about Critical Race Theory and The Goblet of Fire. Noted by some as a Harry Potter trivia queen, K. Alex is also an educator, activist and member of communities such as Black Girls Create, Black Hotties at Hogwarts, Fandom Forward, and Wizards in Space Literary Magazine. She's basically a badass who swooped in to catch us up on this academic discipline and how we can use it to t

Jul 20, 2021 • 51:30

Book 4, Ep. 2 | The Nation State

Book 4, Ep. 2 | The Nation State

Imagine this... imagined communities! In this episode, Hannah and Marcelle talk all about the Triwizard Tournament and the Goblet of Fire's relationship to nation states and nationalism.If you've read this book and thought, "Huh... why are they all rooting for Ireland?" you may finally find yourself with some answers. And if you've just celebrated Canada Day or the Fourth of July or you're just thinking about borders and patriotism (as one does), you won't be disappointed – Hannah and Marcelle t

Jul 6, 2021 • 58:24

Book 4, Ep. 1 | Structuralism

Book 4, Ep. 1 | Structuralism

Guess what Witches, it's time to jump on the Hogwarts Express because we're back with our fourth season — all about Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!In this episode we get down and dirty with the structuralists. You may be thinking, aren't those a bunch of old white guys who thought everything could be reduced to the same component parts? To which we say, yes kind of. But as we begin a book that's all about tasks, quests, and our "hero's journey" towards victory in the Triwizard Tou

Jun 22, 2021 • 1:00:39

Book 3, Ep. 7 | Prisoner of Azkaban Wrap-Up

Book 3, Ep. 7 | Prisoner of Azkaban Wrap-Up

Well Witches, it’s time to hop on the back of the nearest hippogriff and fly into the sunset, because we’re officially wrapping up Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Oh how time flies when you’re examining disability, metaphor, and the prison industrial complex! It's almost as if time is... a construct? (Kidding, kidding, physicists please don't come for us.)We spend this episode sorting Harry Potter characters into Dungeons and Dragons classes, interrogating the magic of boggarts, a

Jun 8, 2021 • 51:35

Book 3, Ep. 6 | The Prison Industrial Complex with Mercedes Eng

Book 3, Ep. 6 | The Prison Industrial Complex with Mercedes Eng

Special guest, poet and educator Mercedes Eng, joins us to take a closer look at Azkaban, the carceral logic of the wizard world, and how it reflects our own ideas about monstrosity, punishment, and innocence. We take a look at restorative and transformative ideas of justice and debate whether the nightmarish portrayal of Azkaban is a radical call for prison abolition or an insidious device meant to make our own prison system look reasonable. Content warning: this episode discusses trauma l

May 25, 2021 • 1:05:43

Book 3, Ep. 5 | Werewolves: A Metaphor?

Book 3, Ep. 5 | Werewolves: A Metaphor?

Greetings, Witches!Our last two episode on Animal Studies and Disability Studies laid the groundwork for this week's episode all about how to read Remus Lupin and his Lycanthropy. In an ebook released on Pottermore, J.K. Rowling stated that she meant Lupin's werewolf condition to be a metaphor for AIDS. This week we look at the way that metaphors of illness circulate ideologies about those who are ill - implying certain truths about their worthiness, deviance, and threat to society. We discuss s

May 11, 2021 • 1:06:41

Book 3, Ep.4 | Disability and Resistant Readings with with Tea Gerbeza

Book 3, Ep.4 | Disability and Resistant Readings with with Tea Gerbeza

Greetings, Witches!In this episode, we're once again applying a disability studies lens to the wizarding world. This time, we're looking at questions of access, accommodation, and community support for characters we might read as disabled in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. We're joined by disabled poet and visual artist, Tea Gerbeza, who is an MFA in Writing candidate at the University of Saskatchewan. With Tea, we dive deep into the interpretation of Remus Lupin as a disabled characte

Apr 27, 2021 • 55:08

Book 3, Ep. 3 | Animal Studies Revisited

Book 3, Ep. 3 | Animal Studies Revisited

Witches, meet us at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.We're returning to the rich territory of animal studies to understand the limitations of human vs. animal hierarchies. We'll spend some time with marginal figures in the wizarding world who cross the human/animal divide, challenge social and political norms, and invite us into new ways of being. In particular, we'll be spending quite some time with Remus Lupin and his fellow marauders. We'll also discuss how systemic dehumanization, or the ren

Apr 13, 2021 • 57:51

Book 3, Episode 2 | Time Travel

Book 3, Episode 2 | Time Travel

Greetings, Witches!As always, we're eternally grateful for the time you spend listening with us. In this episode, we're unpacking the mechanics of time and time-travel as they play out in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. We identify the connections between western time-travel narratives and the industrial revolution and the infinitely insidious force of capitalism. We plunge into the philosophical implications of this book's particular kind of time-travel narrative, which desires to pre

Mar 30, 2021 • 50:55

Book 3, Ep. 1 | Pedagogy

Book 3, Ep. 1 | Pedagogy

Attention, class!This is the episode all of you superbly studious witches have been waiting for! We draw upon our own expertise as longtime students and educators to discuss the, frankly, wild and unpredictable pedagogical approaches of Hogwarts faculty. Have any Hogwarts faculty managed to create affirming and generative learning environments, even within a school that routinely places students in dangerous circumstances, wields discipline unevenly, and lacks student support services of any kin

Mar 16, 2021 • 1:12:11

Introducing: The Real Question

Introducing: The Real Question

Greetings, Witches!We’re excited to bring you a special something from our partners at Not Sorry Productions. The Real Question is a new podcast from Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile, the magical minds behind Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. Like us, they’re two friends who like to put their heads together and pour over their favorite texts as they navigate life’s questions. In every episode of The Real Question, Vanessa and Casper will investigate one of their own questions through the lens

Mar 10, 2021 • 46:33

Book 2, Ep. 7 | Chamber of Secrets Wrap-Up

Book 2, Ep. 7 | Chamber of Secrets Wrap-Up

Well, Witches, we've reached the end of another book together. We spend this episode, among other things, revisiting the tragic squandering of Hermione's talent and expertise as part of the adventure squad, detailing Gilderoy Lockharts' luscious wardrobe and its implications, tearing up at another round of Marcelle's Devastating Fun Facts from the Harry Potter World, and digging deeper into the Weasley's class status and other lingering questions we have about the series.Be sure to follow Witch,

Mar 2, 2021 • 51:56

Book 2, Ep. 6 | Print Culture

Book 2, Ep. 6 | Print Culture

Beloved bookish witches, join us for a discussion of print culture as it appears in the wizarding world. We'll unpack our own biases and beliefs about the significance of books as physical objects and how capitalism and commodification created the sentimental, coveted idea of the book many of us hold in our hearts. We will page through Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in search of printed matter and the ways it circulates in wizarding society, how it intersects with notions of class and i

Feb 16, 2021 • 57:21

Book 2, Ep. 5 | Celebrity Studies

Book 2, Ep. 5 | Celebrity Studies

This week we've brought together the Who's Who of the Wizarding World for the event of the season you won't want to miss – an episode on Celebrity Studies! Notable guests include the winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award (five times in a row!) and Poor Famous Harry Potter, who can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page. With a little help from Colin Creevey's camera, we focus our critical lens on how celebrity is constructed in the Wizarding World and our own, what

Feb 2, 2021 • 59:49

Book 2, Ep. 4 | Disability Studies with Jes Battis, PhD.

Book 2, Ep. 4 | Disability Studies with Jes Battis, PhD.

Special guest, Jes Battis PhD, joins us to unpack the history of disability studies and help us understand both the characters in Harry Potter and the world they inhabit as affected by ableism.As mentioned in the episode, Jes wrote a book on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and chosen family! You can check it out here.Be sure to 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 Patreo

Jan 19, 2021 • 1:07:01

Book 2, Ep. 3 | The Gothic

Book 2, Ep. 3 | The Gothic

Beware, Witches! Deep in the belly of a dark and chilly castle lurks an abundance of secrets! In case you hadn't noticed, the Harry Potter books are chocked full of Gothic literary devices. Unraveling the mysteries of the Hogwarts castle and the cast of characters inside reveals new insights about the concepts of monstrosity, disgust, and the boundaries of social acceptability.Be sure to follow Witch, Please on Twitter and Instagram @ohwitchplease and let us know what you think of the episode th

Jan 5, 2021 • 1:00:07

A Holiday Special from the Archives featuring Neale Barnholden!

A Holiday Special from the Archives featuring Neale Barnholden!

Season's Greetings Witches!In this most magical of seasons, we are bringing you a bright star from our archives—a holiday special featuring Neale Barnholden! We hope this fun, slightly chaotic episode brings some warmth and joy to your hearts. As this episode comes from an earlier era of Witch Please, there are some things you should know:1. Recorded back in 2015, this episode is a goofy mix of genuine and deeply ironic commentary. For example, our remarks about The Fellowship of

Dec 22, 2020 • 45:20

Book 2, Ep. 2 | Queer Theory

Book 2, Ep. 2 | Queer Theory

We have an episode for you that, in our professional opinion, is very gay. And by gay we mean inviting expansively, radically, resistantly queer readings of a text that is trying very very hard to perform heterosexuality and binary gender! We breeze by the obvious details—like Lockhart's character flaws as coded within his failure to correctly perform masculinity or Harry & Draco's flagrant obsession with each other—and into some of this text's more subversive queer potentials.This episode a

Dec 8, 2020 • 57:11

Book 2, Ep.1 | Feminist Theory

Book 2, Ep.1 | Feminist Theory

Greetings Witches! We're so excited to be moving on to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with you! Break out your feminist reading glasses, because we're approaching this text with the tried and true (but also ever evolving) principles of feminist theory. We're returning to the origins of Witch Please and pulling from feminism's foundational texts to guide us through this second Harry Potter installment (which, by the way, contains several issues—including: parental neglect and a

Nov 24, 2020 • 55:13

Book 1, Ep.6. | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Wrap-Up

Book 1, Ep.6. | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Wrap-Up

We've arrived at the end of our journey though Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but before we dig into the Chamber of Secrets, we have a few loose ends to tie up! This episode is full of some brand new segments that help us work through questions, concerns, musings, and future directions for discussion. We bring back a much beloved segment: Granger Danger (!!!!!!!!) in order to give some airtime to the greatest witch of her age. We spend some time unpacking a metaphorical suitcase full

Nov 10, 2020 • 54:15

Book 1, Ep.5 | Trauma with Lucia M. Lorenzi, PhD.

Book 1, Ep.5 | Trauma with Lucia M. Lorenzi, PhD.

Special guest, Lucia M. Lorenzi, PhD, joins us to unpack trauma theory and helps us understand both the characters in Harry Potter and the world they inhabit as affected by traumatic events. We also explore the narrative form of the text itself—its gaps, inconsistencies, and unreliable narration as sites where trauma lives.Content warning: this episode, broadly, discusses various experiences and consequences of trauma throughout. Of particular note are discussions around child abuse and neglect,

Oct 29, 2020 • 1:12:15

Book 1, Ep. 4 | Class

Book 1, Ep. 4 | Class

Dearest Witches, gather round for some lessons in class solidarity! In this episode, we'll discuss the formation of class structure in Western society, the inherent relationship between race and class, and the ways in which the Harry Potter books reach for but don't quite deliver a vision for a cross-class uprising against the powers that be. How do some characters occupy complicated or shifting class positions? What would it take for Harry, or other characters of privilege to be true class trai

Oct 13, 2020 • 1:10:38

Book 1, Ep. 3 | Animals

Book 1, Ep. 3 | Animals

Snuggle up to your familiars, Witches, because today's episode is all about animals (and critical animal studies!). What distinguishes the "animal" from the "human" and why did Western society come to arrive at that distinction? How does separating humans from their fellow animals work to enforce destructive social, political, and ecological power dynamics? What do we make of the way magical and non-magical creatures (and the humans who care for them, commune with them, or use them) are portraye

Sep 29, 2020 • 58:12

Book 1, Ep. 2 | Orientalism

Book 1, Ep. 2 | Orientalism

In this episode, we unravel the many layers of Orientalist tropes that permeate the Harry Potter world. How do some not-so-subtle visual and narrative cues--turbans, hooked noses, and mysterious powers from the "East" tell readers who to fear, dislike, and distrust in these books? How can we heighten our awareness of tropes like these and call out these negative portrayals when we see them?Be sure to follow Witch, Please on Twitter and Instagram @ohwitchplease and let us know what you think of t

Sep 15, 2020 • 57:51

Book 1, Ep. 1 | The Chosen One

Book 1, Ep. 1 | The Chosen One

It’s FINALLY HERE! In honor of Hogwarts day, September 1st, we present to you the first day of class you’ve always dreamed of from your two favourite lady scholars: Witch, Please | Ep. 1, The Chosen One. Our first episode goes back to the very beginning–to the concept of origin stories themselves–to explore how and why Harry Potter fits into a long tradition of “chosen one” narratives. Harry, we learn, is a very special boy in all the ways English literature tells us special boys ought to b

Sep 1, 2020 • 1:01:22

Announcing the Witch, Please Reboot!

Announcing the Witch, Please Reboot!

BIG NEWS, WITCHES! Through a brand new partnership with Not Sorry Productions (the brilliant team behind Harry Potter and the Sacred Text), we’re coming back! New and better than ever, which is to say, produced by somebody else and not actively losing money. W O W.Speaking of not losing money, if you’d like to support this reboot, check out our new Patreon! Rewards include unedited audio from the first season, bonus interviews, Q&As, and movie watch-alongs!Enjoy our extre

Aug 24, 2020 • 7:34

S3E3: Witch, Please Goes Rogue on Prequels

S3E3: Witch, Please Goes Rogue on Prequels

WE ARE GETTING ROGUER EVERY EPISODE TBQHSo this one’s on time, but witches? It is pretty. silly. We sat down, in the same room, with our favourite guy-with-a-film-degree, and we talked about the fan-made prequel film Voldemort: Origins of the Heir. If you don’t mind spoilers, this Telegraph review will set the tone for the episode.This episode contains fewer sound effects than usual because it was too hard to fit them in between all the laughter. It also contains an above ave

Sep 4, 2018 • 50:14

S3E2: Witch, Please and the Rogue History Lesson

S3E2: Witch, Please and the Rogue History Lesson

OH MY GOLLY WE ARE SO ROGUE IT IS RUUUUDE.But we are ever grateful for your patience and love, dear listeners! This episode comes to you after much travel and celebration and exhaustion and desperately-needed rest on the part of your hosts. It means the world to us that you’re so chill about the lag since S03E01. (Also, time is just a social construct so, like, what even is a fortnight?)This episode contains the audio recoding from Marcelle’s keynote lecture at the 86th Annual ABQLA Conference.

Aug 21, 2018 • 1:16:21

S3E1: Witch, Please Gone Rogue!

S3E1: Witch, Please Gone Rogue!

OKAY IT IS NOT JUNE ANYMORE SO THIS IS LATE but we’re back with a brand new episode for this, the final season of Witch, Please: WITCH, PLEASE GONE ROGUE! We’re coming to you straight from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, except that we didn’t want to bring our recorder into the park and then we were too tired to record a proper episode that night and then we got really busy for a couple of months but LISTEN. It’s a great episode. Just trust us, okay?Mega extra special thanks to Julie F

Jul 2, 2018 • 1:26:21

S2E8: Witch, Please and the Magic of Inter-Continental Technology

S2E8: Witch, Please and the Magic of Inter-Continental Technology

image credit: Melbourne Writers FestivalWell, witches, it’s that time of year again for the first time (technically the second time): time to say “later witches” and actually mean “see you in a few months.” This is our first ever (intentional) Season Finale, but don’t desair! We’ll be back again next summer BIGGER, BOLDER, and SEXIER THAN EVER! You’re gonna love it. So, until then… later witches xoxo.http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/S02E08_WitchPleaseAndTheMelbourneWritersFest

Sep 26, 2017 • 1:18:10

S2E7: Witch, Please and Some Other Novel

S2E7: Witch, Please and Some Other Novel

Image of courtesy of BuzzfeedEpisode CW: discussion of intimate partner abuseTo record this episode, Hannah and Marcelle sat in a bed together for two hours with a singularly chill-less cat and had wildly divergent opinions about a book, sort of at one another, while the cat purred way too loudly.Does that make it sound fun? TRUST US IT IS. If nothing else, we can promise the horniest episode we’ve ever delivered, as we sit down to talk about Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On and hash out

Sep 11, 2017 • 1:49:16

S2E6: Witch, Please and the Symphonic Discourse

S2E6: Witch, Please and the Symphonic Discourse

photo credit: @wildflowersyegGood evening witches and magicians and wizards of all ages! Welcome to this evening’s musical performance of Witch, Please!This fornight has Marcelle “in the field” interviewing Konstantine Kurelias and Amanda Brace, two staff members of the Winspear Centre, about the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s enchanting production of The Music of Harry Potter! As a special treat, you’ll also hear Marcelle debrief the performance with longtime friend and basically brother Stephen

Aug 29, 2017 • 1:50:24

Special Bonus Episode: Secret Feminist Agenda 1.7

Special Bonus Episode: Secret Feminist Agenda 1.7

Hey witches! We’re popping into your feed on a Friday to drop the newest episode of Hannah’s new podcast, Secret Feminist Agenda! We thought this conversation about witchcraft and embracing your inner Hagrid would be particularly up your alley. Enjoy!This week I’m joined by authors/witches extraordinaire Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman to talk about their forthcoming book Basic Witches (preorder it here!). If you’re in the New York area, you can head to the launch at The Astoria Booksho

Aug 25, 2017 • 34:45

S2E5: Witch, Please and the Fan-Made Musical

S2E5: Witch, Please and the Fan-Made Musical

By popular demand, we sat down and watched A Very Potter Musical and boy did we have some thoughts. Some… thoughts.ANYWAY, if you still like us after this episode and you’d like to chip in to send us to Orlando, you can do that here. If you like the sound of boring self care, check out Hannah Daisy and maybe buy some of her stuff.Don’t forget to listen all the way to the end for our latest #trywitches tournament challenge and the answer to this episode’s #witchpleasetellme qu

Aug 14, 2017 • 1:38:05

S2E4: Witch, Please and the Stunning Studio Tour

S2E4: Witch, Please and the Stunning Studio Tour

Queue neatly and check your ticket, because we’re heading back to England for the Warner Bros. Studio Tour with special on-location guest Rachelle Saunders (of Episode Sigma fame).Check out the photos Hannah took on the tour!Don’t forget to listen all the way to the end for our latest #trywitches tournament challenge and the answer to this episode’s #witchpleasetellme question!http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Witch-Please-and-the-Stunning-Studio-Tour.mp3Download

Aug 1, 2017 • 1:24:19

S2E3: Witch, Please and the Rise of White Nationalism

S2E3: Witch, Please and the Rise of White Nationalism

Howdy partners! Grab yer ten galleon hats and join us as we impose our critical feminism on Calgary, Alberta during the Stamp—er………. that is the Comics and Entertainment Expo that took place this past April. Marcelle hosted a one-witch panel wherein she discussed the rise of fascism in the Harry Potter series. You’ll notice references to slides during the talk; you can view or download them from the links below 🙂In keeping with our shiny new format, Hannah and Marcelle cap off the episode

Jul 18, 2017 • 1:29:52

S2E2: Witch, Please and the Phenomenal Foggos

S2E2: Witch, Please and the Phenomenal Foggos

Well hello again, witches! Thanks for tuning in for this week’s mega super long but mega super lovely episode featuring the Foggo Family. An under-slept Marcelle joins the Foggos as they discuss what the Harry Potter series and the podcast Witch, Please mean to them as a family and as fans.***** OH AND MEGA SUPER APOLOGIES FOR THE AUDIO SHENANIGANS IN THIS EPISODE. IT IS 50% TOO LITTLE SLEEP 50% I FORGET HOW TO PODCAST *****In keeping with our seasonal format,

Jul 4, 2017 • 1:43:32

S2E1: Witch, Please and the Curse of Live Theatre

S2E1: Witch, Please and the Curse of Live Theatre

Welcome back, witches! We sure have missed you, and we’re excited to get started on Season 2 (new numbering system TBA). The focus of this season will be the Harry Potter fandom, and Hannah kicked things off by attending Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London with HP megafan, author, and journalist Anna James. Join us for a conversation about the liveness of theatre, three-piece suits, and harpsichords!After Marcelle and Hannah are done catching up, this episode gets pretty d

Jun 19, 2017 • 1:19:25

Witch, Please and the THIS IS JUST AN ANNOUNCEMENT DON’T GET TOO EXCITED

Witch, Please and the THIS IS JUST AN ANNOUNCEMENT DON’T GET TOO EXCITED

Image from page 375 of “The Haverfordian, Vols. 26-27, 1904-05” (1905)Hey witches! We're dropping back into your feed momentarily to let you know about three upcoming events!On Sunday, April 23, at 1pm UPDATE: 3:30PM, Hannah and previous guest Rachelle Saunders will be hosting a meet-up at the Parcel Yard in King's Cross. Come hang out!On Sunday, April 30, at 1:30pm, Marcelle (and the robot of our hearts!) will be giving a talk at the Calgary Expo on “Harry Potter and Social Justice” in room Pal

Apr 16, 2017 • 4:15

Harry Potter and the Sexy Reboot

Harry Potter and the Sexy Reboot

Image courtesy of Huffington PostHold onto your hard drives, witches, because we have an announcement for you!We've been thinking over the past months about ways to make Witch, Please sustainable. After two years of fortnightly episodes, we're worried about fizzling out over the next year. We don't want to fizzle out, dear witches, because hanging out with you is too much fun. And so we have arrived at: A PLAN.Proudly announcing: Witch, Please 2.0, this time with seasons, and maybe an even more

Jan 31, 2017 • 2:06

Episode 18B: #FantasticAsks, Or, That’s Real Fucked Up

Episode 18B: #FantasticAsks, Or, That’s Real Fucked Up

HAPPY 2017, WITCHES!We don’t believe in resolutions because they are a neoliberal conceit intended to keep you politically docile by convincing you that your very being is a perfectable project. But we do believe in trying to educate yourself every damn day, and in that spirit, this minisode is accompanied by some recommended readings. Enjoy!Content Warning for this episode: discussion of racialized violence and murder.Fantastic Beasts is Not So Fantastic With DiversityTilda Swint

Jan 17, 2017 • 54:05

Episode 18: Roaring Anachronisms and Where to Find Them

Episode 18: Roaring Anachronisms and Where to Find Them

Image source: Miss Nobody on tumblrGreetings from the Roaring Twenties, witches!In this excitingly lengthy new beast of an episode, Marcelle and Hannah are joined by your favourite Guy with a Film Degree: Neale Barnholden! Your hilarious hosts FINALLY talk about that new venture into the Wizarding World by money machines JK Rowling and Warner Brothers: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them!Get cozy, because this episode is fantastically long!http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-

Dec 20, 2016 • 1:49:59

Episode Sigma: Harry Potter and the Brand of Loyalty

Episode Sigma: Harry Potter and the Brand of Loyalty

Image credit: Ashley Hostetter “The Charming Classroom”Welcome back, witches! We are gearing up to tackle Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! In this fantastic minisode, Marcelle sits down with Harry Potter marketing wiz and wandmaker-in-training Rachelle Saunders (of Science for the People fame) to talk about branding and Harry Potter. So grab your House Scarf and an official Witch, Please mug of hot cocoa and cozy up for this magical exploration of

Dec 6, 2016 • 1:09:13

Episode Rho: Live and Professional at Tufts University

Episode Rho: Live and Professional at Tufts University

Photo credit: Max Lalanne / The Tufts DailyHowdy, witches! This extended universe not-so-mini minisode comes to you hot off the mics in America! Hannah and Marcelle (and Trevor!) (and the hippogriff baby, too!!) had the pleasure of visiting Tufts University to deliver a workshop on podcasting and to speak on a panel with Tufts Experimental College Professor Lydia XZ Brown about disability, race, and queerness in the Harry Potter series. It was awesome!If you’d like to learn more about

Nov 22, 2016 • 1:42:07

Episode 18.5: Fabulous Trailers and Their Locations

Episode 18.5: Fabulous Trailers and Their Locations

Image source: Fantastic Beasts “Final Trailer”Welcome to the future, witches! In this episode, Marcelle and Neale tackle the trailers for the first (of FIVE?!?!) movie in the Fabulous Beasts and Their Locations Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film franchise. We honestly cannot believe we are going to do this five more times, but for sure by the second or third movie release we’ll live in the same city as Hannah again so these minisodes will be even more hilarious!HEY!

Nov 8, 2016 • 51:05

Episode Omicron: Witch, Please; Live & CURSÈD

Episode Omicron: Witch, Please; Live & CURSÈD

Image from page 988 of “Popular electricity magazine in plain English” (1912) (Internet Archive Book Image)This arbitrarily-categorized Extended Universe Episode saw one of your brave hosts venture out of her cozy living room and into stormy Vancouver in search of a real live theatrical BUT TOTALLY COMMUNITY-DRIVEN AND FREE SO IN NO WAY LEGALLY LIABLE reading of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.Thanks to Laura Fukumoto, Nicole Yukiko, and everyone who took part in this magical ev

Oct 25, 2016 • 47:25

Episode 15.5.5: Teasers and Trailers and Spoilers, Oh My!

Episode 15.5.5: Teasers and Trailers and Spoilers, Oh My!

Image: filmratings.comGather ’round, witches! We’re back with another minisode! This week, Marcelle asks resident Guy With A Film Degree Neale Barnholden all about trailers and somewhat ironically they talk for an hour!PSA: we had a LOT of unexpected technical difficulties before, during, and after recording, so please think of this episode as a rather rough cut.http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WitchPlease-20161010-TeasersTrailersAndSpoilersOhMy.mp3Download this re-cut minisode

Oct 11, 2016 • 50:13

Episode 15.5: Harry Potter and the Dubious Kerning

Episode 15.5: Harry Potter and the Dubious Kerning

Pull out your rulers, witches, and start measuring your margins, because this episode we’re getting into the nitty and the gritty of book design. Hannah is joined by book designer (and brand new colleague at her brand new job!) Mauve Pagé in a discussion of three different editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. We talk about kerning! We talk about x-height! We talk about widows! And as all those exclamation marks indicate, you should be excited!P.S. Things

Sep 27, 2016 • 52:31

Episode 15B: Curiouser and Curiouser

Episode 15B: Curiouser and Curiouser

Welcome back, witches! Today’s episode wraps up our discussion of the second half of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and after this we’ll never speak of it again—at least, not until the next edition of play script gets published with all that sweet, sweet paratext you know we crave…….. Seriously, though, we’re stoked for the re-issuing of the post-production script with, like, photos and shit. But for now we make do with the incomprehensible stage directions and many, many title

Sep 13, 2016 • 1:26:52

Episode 15A: Witch, Please and the Curious Child Part 1

Episode 15A: Witch, Please and the Curious Child Part 1

Image: Tasha Chawner, flickrGrab your contraband Time Turners, witches, because we’re zipping back in time to episode 15A: the first half of our discussion of the play script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!Speaking of time, in this episode Hannah and Marcelle dive into recording from two different timezones! The results are PRETTY GOOD!Dramatic reading background music by Bensound.http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/WitchPlease160829CuriousChild-Hawtfix.mp3Downloa

Aug 30, 2016 • 1:33:17

Episode 16.5.5: Jeremy Mason and the Cursed Child

Episode 16.5.5: Jeremy Mason and the Cursed Child

Source: Flickr, The CommonsGrab your opera glasses, witches, because this week Hannah is joined by actor, director, and playwright Jeremy Mason for a discussion about the pleasures of reading plays, and why Rowling might have turned to the theatre for her newest addition to the Harry Potter canon. Don’t forget to take notes, because we’ll be asking you for your questions about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the coming weeks.http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/

Aug 16, 2016 • 21:36

Episode 16.5: British Technocratic Wet Dreams

Episode 16.5: British Technocratic Wet Dreams

Image source: Deviant ArtAre you prepared for a rambling, margarita-fuelled discussion of pamphlets, propaganda, British fascism, lightning bolts, and how to browbeat your beloved hosts into getting your very own episode? No? Then you should probably skip this one. But if you actually love all those things, plus gratuitous lightning sound effects*, then this minisode is for you!http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/WitchPlease-20160801-E165BritishTechnocraticWetDreams

Aug 2, 2016 • 59:56

Episode 16: Witch, Please: New and Improved

Episode 16: Witch, Please: New and Improved

Image source: TumblrWelcome to our brand new podcast, The Harry Potter Hour, Starring Feminism! It’s a lot like our old podcast Witch, Please except, uh, Newer and Different!This truly is the last episode of classic Witch, Please, though. After this it’s all paratexts, minisodes, and shenanigans! No more rules, no more social decorum, no more consistency. If the episode seems a little early, that’s because the Internet screwed up and we didn’t know how to fix it we wanted to give you a spec

Jul 7, 2016 • 1:38:50

Episode 14: The Ghost of Podcast Past

Episode 14: The Ghost of Podcast Past

photo credit: slgckgc on flickrBut we’re not dead yet! cry your coven mistresses as we claw our way back into your podcast apps. That’s right, witches! We still have two more official (and, like, scores more unofficial) episodes for you!Tonight we’re joined by real life guy with a film degree, Neale Barnholden, for the ultimate—no, no then penultimate—wait no! the antepenultimate—WHATEVER, FOR ANOTHER EPISODE! Turn on all your lights and settle in with a companion species for

Jun 28, 2016 • 1:31:02

Episode Xi: Project Firenze

Episode Xi: Project Firenze

With Marcelle a million miles* away, we’re presenting to you a live event organized by Edmonton Potterwatch. “Project Firenze: Minority Representation in Fantasy Literature” was the organization’s first-ever live panel on that topic, focusing this time on the Magic in North America stories and the representation/appropriation of Indigenous cultures. We were joined by Lucinda Rasmussen and Roxanne Harde from the University of Alberta, and moderators Emily Hoven and Nina Legesse, to talk

Jun 14, 2016 • 1:14:22

Episode 13C: Hallows and Goodbyes

Episode 13C: Hallows and Goodbyes

Well, this is it, witches. Buckle in for an extra long episode, because this is the LAST (third) part of our discussion of the LAST (seventh) book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) and we have a lot of ground to cover and old friends to mourn.But don’t you worry. Even though we make about a hundred jokes about it, we’ll be back with more moviesodes and minisodes before the summer is through!{TW for sexual assault, rape culture}http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/WitchPle

May 31, 2016 • 1:48:02

Episode 13B: Deathly Famous

Episode 13B: Deathly Famous

Image Credit: Eric/Kimber on FlickrHowdy witches!Marcelle edited tonight’s episode in a flurry of packing so please forgive the dearth of whimsical sound effects! We hope that even without an obscene number of honks and hoots you’ll enjoy this second instalment of our discussion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. But, to be honest, we’re so internet famous now that we might just start making weird avant-garde artsy episodes to fuck with you. Probably not. But we could!{TW: episod

May 17, 2016 • 1:18:23

Episode Nu: Politically Joyful at the Calgary Expo

Episode Nu: Politically Joyful at the Calgary Expo

Howdy, witches!While Hannah was off feministing her heart out in Ontario, Marcelle and Trevor and Neale recorded a live episode at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo! A word of warning: the sound quality is lousy but there are some cute hippogriff baby coos AND the attendees were RADIANT! Also there’s a slide show to accompany our panel below if you like visuals.Download this wild slideshowhttp://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/WitchPlease-20160502-EN_Politically

May 3, 2016 • 42:22

Episode 13A: Hedwig’s Last Flight

Episode 13A: Hedwig’s Last Flight

Photo credit: Peter Trimming, FlickrTonight, witches, we bid farewell to a friend and confidante. As the Harry Potter series draws to an end Hannah and Marcelle get selectively weepy because compassion fatigue is real and, like, everybody dies in this book. So pour yourself a stiff drink and, while you’re at it, pour one out for Hedwig that she may soar again in our dreams.{TW: episode contains use of the song “Taps” and references to death}http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Witc

Apr 19, 2016 • 1:30:28

Episode 12.5: Montages Through the Ages

Episode 12.5: Montages Through the Ages

Pull out your scissors and glue sticks, witches, because today we're bringing you a very special montage-filled minisode. As part of our public lecture, “Witch, Please: Feminist Fandom, Public Pedagogy, and Podcasting,” delivered at the University of Calgary, Marcelle prepared two audio montages of our book and movie episodes. They're pretty charming, and you should probably listen to them and share them with everyone you know.If you'd like to see a little more of our public lecture, you can che

Apr 5, 2016 • 19:22

Episode N: Witch, Please! Live and Scholarly at the U of C

Episode N: Witch, Please! Live and Scholarly at the U of C

Settle down students because class is about to begin! Cheer for your U of A Champions Hannah and Marcelle as they swoop into the University of Calgary’s English Department on their shiny new Red Arrow broomsticks. It’s kind of like the Triwizard Tournament, except it’s like really safe for all involved.Graciously invited by Dr. Derritt Mason and his Children’s Literature class, Marcelle and Hannah have a topical back-and-forth before opening up the floor to questions that will challeng

Mar 22, 2016 • 1:09:09

Episode M: The Technicolor Dream Snape

Episode M: The Technicolor Dream Snape

Get your adult colouring books ready, witches! In tonight’s minisode Hannah and Marcelle descend the rabbit hole of adult colouring books, producing a relatively unedited stream-of-consciousness discussion about books, libraries, censorship, Nazism(?!), racism in general, and how good Snape would look in jewel tones.Aaaaaaand! if you live in the Calgary area we hope you’ll come to our public talk at the University of Calgary on Thursday March 17th. Details about the event can be found&

Mar 8, 2016 • 47:32

Episode 12: Harry Potter and the Teen Sex Romparoo

Episode 12: Harry Potter and the Teen Sex Romparoo

Image Source: Martin Fisch on FlickrGet ready for a sexy romp with our favourite witches and wizards in this week’s critical analysis of the sexy film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince. If you haven’t seen the sexy trailer, check it out here as it features sexily in our sexy critique.And if that isn’t sexy enough, break out your Malcoy flirting fans because beloved guy-with-a-sexy-film-degree Neale Barnholden returns to explain all the sexy technical terms necessary

Feb 23, 2016 • 1:09:07

Episode 11B: The Half-coy Stint

Episode 11B: The Half-coy Stint

Image from tiffany terry on flickrThis outrageously tardy episode marks our FIRST birthday as a podcast, which means it’s also our first anniversary with YOU! We’ve come a long way these last twelve months and our coven has reached farther than we ever dreamed. We even got a fancy-pants makeover to celebrate! Above all, YOU are all the very best, and, to show our appreciation, we bring you our silliest and smartest episode yet!Get your chips ready as we continue our analysis of Ha

Feb 11, 2016 • 1:19:00

Episode Λ (lambda): Live and Surprised at Nerd Nite YEG

Episode Λ (lambda): Live and Surprised at Nerd Nite YEG

Hey witches!Our discussion of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince is on hold for a fortnight as we bring you our adventures at Nerd Nite Edmonton! We drank a bunch of wine and got up on a stage to talk about literary criticism, feminist criticism, and fan theories. It was the best.Enjoy!UPDATE: If you’d like to follow along with the slides, here they are!http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/WitchPlease-20160125-EΛ_LiveAndSurprised.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Ac

Jan 26, 2016 • 32:08

Episode 11A: The Full-blood Patriarchy

Episode 11A: The Full-blood Patriarchy

Hey Witches!It’s late and there’s a hippogriff baby in need of attention, so let’s get right to it: here for your listening pleasure is the first half of our discussion of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince (see what I did there?).Enjoy!http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Witch-Please-Episode-11A_The-Full-blood-Patriarchy.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 12, 2016 • 1:23:57

Episode K: A Very Witch, Please Holiday Special

Episode K: A Very Witch, Please Holiday Special

Ho Ho Ho, Witches! We’re back in the expanded universe of the podcast with Episode Kappa in which we cackle at fraternity, get a lil’ tipsy on vegan egg nog, and VERY bravely sing some songs. We wrote the songs just for you, dear listeners, so scroll down to find the lyrics and sing along!Word of caution: if this is your first time tuning in to Witch, Please, this episode is probably not the best introduction to the podcast itself (though it is most definitely the best i

Dec 15, 2015 • 43:30

Episode 10.5.5 Quidditch IRL

Episode 10.5.5 Quidditch IRL

Ahoy witches! Join us for another mat leave minisode as we travel back in time to learn about Quidditch IRL! This recording comes from the 2015 Edmonton Comics and Entertainment Expo and features the vocal talents of the Edmonton Aurors Quidditch team. We hope you enjoy!http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/WitchPlease-20151130-E1055QuidditchIRL.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 1, 2015 • 35:48

Episode 10.5: Gadding with Guys (with film degrees)

Episode 10.5: Gadding with Guys (with film degrees)

This week, as Marcelle and our erstwhile tech support selfishly abandon us to care for a newborn, Hannah and genuine guy-with-a-film degree Neale Barnholden go on magical tour of cinematic and material history, featuring dragons! It’s a Q&A minisode, minus the mini. Buckle in, dear listeners, because things are going to get shouty.http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/WitchPlease-20151117-E105GaddingWithGuys.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor

Nov 17, 2015 • 50:06

Episode 10: One Member Short of an Order

Episode 10: One Member Short of an Order

Tonight is a magical night for citizens in the North Land called Canada. In addition to a Federal Election with a potentially record-breaking voter turnout, there’s also some kind of sports event starring some carnivorous birds that people are taking pretty seriously. Also, the latest episode of Witch, Please!In tonight’s episode Hannah and Marcelle tackle the fifth movie without any actual film expertise from our favourite Actual-Guy-with-a-Film-Degree, Neale. But fear not, covenmates

Oct 20, 2015 • 1:11:02

Episode 9.5: Witch, Please; Live & Unruly

Episode 9.5: Witch, Please; Live & Unruly

**Just a wee correction to keep this episode in line with our outrageously complicated numbering system! The real number 10 will be uploaded as scheduled on Monday!**Nothing gets your magical blood pumping quite like a room full of Harry Potter fans ready to talk about feminism! Witches, we are just over the moon on a Firebolt to bring you our first ever live episode, recorded at the Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo.Special thanks to all you listners who made it out that af

Oct 6, 2015 • 45:29

Episode 9B: The Tears of Age

Episode 9B: The Tears of Age

You know what, witches? Growing up is hard. In tonight’s episode your hosts Hannah and Marcelle relive their teenage years and cry a bunch.Get your hankies and enjoy!http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/WitchPlease-20150921-E9BTheTearsOfAge.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 22, 2015 • 1:12:22

Episode 9: The Cleansing Fire

Episode 9: The Cleansing Fire

Is it getting hot in here or is it just that cleansing fire? Either way, we are thrilled to bring you the long-awaited first half of our discussion of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/WitchPlease-20150907-E9TheCleansingFire.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 8, 2015 • 1:32:57

Episode 8.5: Encounters with Trolls

Episode 8.5: Encounters with Trolls

Gird your loins, witches, because it’s time for ANOTHER #witchpleasetellme minisode. Thrill to the sounds of Hannah bravely confronting Trevor, the erstwhile robot troll of our hearts. Will she defeat this perilous foe? Only time will tell! (Spoiler: no.)Don’t fret if your question wasn’t selected. Now that the episode is recorded, we’ll re-post your queries on Twitter so that everyone can see how brilliant our listeners are.http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/201

Aug 25, 2015 • 26:50

Episode Theta: Gamers At The Gate

Episode Theta: Gamers At The Gate

Here it is. The episode that’s too hot to upload through a mere, smear mobile phone.Game on, witches.http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/WitchPlease-20150810-E_GamersATheGate.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 11, 2015 • 58:30

Episode 8: The Winner of the Raspberry Cup

Episode 8: The Winner of the Raspberry Cup

Howdy, witches!We recorded this episode in Marcelle’s rasberry-filled yard, all the while stuffing our faces with these spectacularly tart backyard berries. If only we realized at the time how entirely à propos our snack choice was! Can you find all the “raspberries” in tonight’s episode? Listen and find out.http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/WitchPlease-20150727-E8WinnerOfTheRaspberryCup.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 28, 2015 • 1:19:38

Episode 7.5: A Draught of Veritaserum

Episode 7.5: A Draught of Veritaserum

Hello, dear witches!Tonight we present to you… our second minisode! While Hannah rubs elbows in Montreal, Marcelle answers your questions with the help of our erstwhile tech support and the robot of our hearts: Trevor.Thanks to everyone who submitted #witchpleasetellme questions! We love interacting with our listeners even more than we love the Harry Potter series. And, now that she’s allowed to look at the twitter feed, Marcelle will re-post all of your excellent

Jul 13, 2015 • 21:25

Episode 7B: The Goblet is Political

Episode 7B: The Goblet is Political

Welcome back, witches! We are thrilled to bring you our second (too-long) episode of Witch, Please about Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In today’s episode, “The Goblet is Political,” guest host Andrea Hasenbank helps us wrap our heads around the issue of labour (domestic, craft, and pre-industrial) in the wizarding world.We’re dealing with a lot of big, serious topics, so you may notice a slight derth of whimsical sound effects. We’re pretty optimistic th

Jun 30, 2015 • 1:10:33

Episode 7A: The Tri-and-fail-to-fit-everything-into-an-hour Tournament

Episode 7A: The Tri-and-fail-to-fit-everything-into-an-hour Tournament

Here we are, witches, with the first of TWO too long episodes about Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. Marcelle is back from her adventures in the Eastern Standard Time Zone (a mystical land whose residents think Witch, Please episodes appear on Tuesdays!) and joins Hannah for an 85-minute discussion about displacing racial violence onto “grievable subjects,” precarity, sexual violence, Game of Thrones, and more.Spoilers ABOUND in this episode, so proceed with cautio

Jun 16, 2015 • 1:21:26

Episode 6.5: Ridiculous Digressions and Where to Find Them

Episode 6.5: Ridiculous Digressions and Where to Find Them

Our first ever, surprisingly long minisode. Sylvie and Rebecca join Hannah for some unusual segments and old-timey foley work.http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/WitchPlease-20150601-BecSylvieMinisode.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 2, 2015 • 43:55

Episode 6: Neale Barnholden and the Final Cut

Episode 6: Neale Barnholden and the Final Cut

This episode was a real adventure–not just the editing, but the recording process, too. An extra long wait for an extra long episode: it makes sense, if you think about it!We are excited to present to you Witch, Please Episode 6: Neale Barnholden and the Final Cut, which would make a pretty decent band name IMHO.Extra special thanks to CJSR fm, the Edmonton Public Library, and the wonderful viewers and organizers of Edmonton’s Accio Books.Enjoy!http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/upload

May 19, 2015 • 1:31:01

Episode 5B: Escape From Time Constraints

Episode 5B: Escape From Time Constraints

Oh hi there! You’re still waiting for the second half of Episode 5, huh? Well you’re in luck! Episode 5B is ready for your listening pleasure.xohttp://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/WitchPlease-20150504-E5BEscapeFromTimeConstraints.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 5, 2015 • 49:45

Episode 5A: Prisoner of Time Restraints

Episode 5A: Prisoner of Time Restraints

Part one of two!(no time for whimsy)http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/WitchPlease-20150420-E5PrisonerOfTimeRestraints.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 21, 2015 • 55:07

Episode 4: The Chamber of Whiteness

Episode 4: The Chamber of Whiteness

Book lovers, we're back from our week-long hiatus. It's been too long. Without further ado (but with so very Much Ado), we present to you Episode Four!Bisouxhttp://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/WitchPlease-20150406-E4ChamberOfWhiteness.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 7, 2015 • 59:57

Episode 3: The Chamber of Spoilers

Episode 3: The Chamber of Spoilers

Get ready to level up, Second Years!http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WitchPlease-20150316-ChamberOfSpoilers.mp3Download EpisodeIt’s time we stop pretending there won’t be spoilers in this podcast. We’ll do our best to give you ample warning when a spoiler is coming, and we won’t discuss the spoilers at length, so hopefully our listeners reading along with us don’t have the magic ruined for them. But if you are reading along with us—and for the first time—we reall

Mar 17, 2015 • 1:00:23

Episode 2: The Sophomore’s Stone

Episode 2: The Sophomore’s Stone

We are excited to bring you the second episode!http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WitchPlease-20150302-E2SophomoresStone.mp3Download EpisodePS: It’s a Monday, and we’re going to keep releasing on Mondays. If you prefer to listen to Witch, Please on Fridays, you are responsible for securing your own time turner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 3, 2015 • 1:00:09

Episode 1: Sorting Ceremony

Episode 1: Sorting Ceremony

Feast your magic-loving ears on THIS:http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/WitchPlease-20150213-E1SortingCeremony.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 14, 2015 • 1:01:26

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