Podcast Recommendations
As someone who has a lengthy daily commute and a job that requires lots of work on the computer, listening to podcasts has changed and drastically improved by routines. I first got hooked on podcasts a few years ago, when I started listening to the Gilmore Guys show, which focused on re-capping episodes of Gilmore Girls. From there, I started listening to more and more and discovered that the world of podcasting is an incredible outlet for many talented and hilarious women. So here's a toast to the women of podcasting, with three of my favorites:
1. I have many outlets to get my entertainment news fix, but one of my favorites is NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, led by host Linda Holmes. A writer for the arts and entertainment section, she created the news organization's first-ever pop culture blog, Monkey See, back in 2008. After that, the podcast was officially formed, after going through a few other iterations, in July of 2010. Each week, Linda sits down with colleagues and special guests to discuss the latest in entertainment. Sometimes it's the new blockbuster, a Netflix series, interview or a pop culture game show (where the panelists go around and try to stump each other with an obscure TV show clip). Linda is at the center of it all, moderating the conversation and sharing her words of wisdom. In addition to her podcast musings, you can read Monkey See for more of her pop culture insights, like songs in The Last Five Years ranked by tears or an interview with Tom Hanks. Soon, she's coming out with her debut novel, currently titled Head Case, which is a "drama-romcom-sports-media-small-town" story about a widow who rents out an apartment to a baseball player who has the yips.
2. "On The Bechdel Cast, the questions asked: Do movies have women in them? Are all their discussions just boyfriends and husbands or they have individualism?" So goes the theme song that opens up this podcast, as Jamie Loftus and Caitlin Durante examine whether or not various movies pass the Bechdel Test. For those of you who don't know, this litmus test was created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel. In order to pass the test, the item in question (a movie, book, etc.) has to contain at least two women, the women have to talk to other each other and discuss something other than a man. Sounds easy, right? Well you'd be surprised. Jamie and Caitlin have worked their way through The Notebook, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lady Bird, Titanic, Batman and many, many more movies. In addition to seeing if these films past the test, they also examine the different ways women are written and portrayed. Sometimes a movie can have strong female characters, but all they do is speak to men or talk with other women about their relationship problems, which is one of the reasons the podcast and the test itself is so interesting. Jamie and Caitlin are both comedians, and they guide listeners through this journey with plenty of humor along the way.
3. Watching The Bachelor and The Bachelorette is my guilty pleasure. And I don't want to defend myself anymore about that! One of my favorite parts about weekly viewings of this ridiculous, ridiculous show is listening to Emma Gray and Claire Fallon "lovingly snark" on the franchise in their Huffington Post podcast Here to Make Friends. These two provide some much needed perspective to the series, which takes itself way too seriously. Emma and Claire give a recap of the episode, share their thoughts, crack jokes about the show's many insane moments and end the podcast by going through "feminism fails." Emma also just published a book I'm adding to my reading list: A Girl's Guide to Joining the Resistance. During her publication week, she also had to recap regular Bachelor programming AND The Bachelor Winter Games spin-off. My condolences to her during this rough time.
As Seen on TV
Last week, I came across a tweet from Gloria Calderón Kellett (time-stamped February 14) urging everyone to watch four episodes of the show she co-created, One Day at a Time, within the next few days. The Netflix original series is a re-telling of the 1970s CBS sitcom of the same name, but this time, the story centers on a Cuban-American family and stars Justina Machado and Rita Moreno. The second season was released on the streaming site in January and based on Gloria's tweet, might be in jeopardy of getting renewed. I'd heard great things about the first season and was meaning to get around to watching the show, but this social media battle cry caught my attention and, even though I was a few weeks late, I hurried to Netflix to check it out. PSA: Netflix currently has season two as the default setting when you click on the show. And in my sleepy, Saturday morning state, I innocently hit play and watched season two, episode one, instead of the pilot. As I hit play on the second episode and sat there puzzled, wondering why the supposed pilot episode contained no explanation of each character or the show's premise, I realized my error and immediately went back to watch the first episode. The show's real pilot is a treasure. Former U.S. Army nurse Penelope (played by Justina Machado) navigating daily challenges, as she raises her two children while living with her mother (Rita Moreno). The show doesn't shy away from her past in the Army and instead uses it to frame and discuss PTSD and depression. It also incorporates conversations about sexuality, race, immigration and gender dynamics -- not exactly light lifting for a show that falls under the "sitcom" category. Right off the bat, One Day at a Time is impressive in its breadth. It's also a show that's full of love. As demonstrated even more as the series goes on, the show is filled with good natured teasing among family and friends that stems from a place of affection, something that reminded of moments with my own family. It's a simple set-up that's covering a lot of ground and should be recognized, watched, appreciated and absolutely renewed for at third season.
Bonus Pick: You can read up on Justina's Chicago roots and one of her most embarrassing stories in this article. If you're looking for a spoiler-filled conversation with one of the show's creators, check out this New York Times interview with Gloria Calderón Kellett.
Haven't You Heard?
Another year, another Academy Award season passes us by. It only feels right to pick-up where we left off last week, with the results of the first-ever Seen & Heard Oscar ballot. And we had some correct predictions! The majority of voters agreed that Gary Oldman would take home a trophy for Best Actor, Sam Rockwell would be crowned Best Supporting Actor and Allison Janney would be named Best Supporting Actress. After that, however, the actual awards differed from your predictions. Sadly, Lady Bird did not receive any of the love that you gave it in your votes, much to my disappointment. Instead, The Shape of Water took home Best Picture, Frances McDormand won Best Actress, Guillermo del Toro was named Best Director and Jordan Peele won for Best Original Screenplay. All in all the evening was relatively uneventful, save for a few of my favorite moments. Tiffany Haddish stole the show yet again, when she and Maya Rudolph presented an award together. Prior to that, Tiffany also hoped over a rope barrier to chat with Meryl Streep during the red carpet ceremony. Tyra Banks gave a shout-out to ice skater Adam Rippon via Twitter, invoking her infamous meme. Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak are still perfection. Frances McDormand lit the internet on fire after her rousing speech, and taught those of us who weren't in the know what an "inclusion rider" is and why it's important. Jennifer Garner had a viral moment herself, when she made this face and everyone tried to figure what she was thinking about. And Keegan Michael-Key had the sweetest reaction to his buddy Jordan Peele winning an Oscar. Phew, that's a wrap! See you next year awards season!
Required Reading
In honor of Women's History Month, Smithsonian.com organized a collection of stories about women throughout history on their site. You can find an article by Roxane Gay about the Miss America Pageant and the feminist movement or read about what the U.S. would look like with monuments created to honor women's achievements or learn about the inspiration behind the real Rosie the Riveter.
Continuing the theme, the National Women's History Project is honoring 15 women for this year's theme: Nevertheless She Persisted: Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. You can read up on the nominees here; they include Susan Burton, founder of A New Way of Life Re-Entry Project, Angelica Salas, one of the leaders on the movement for immigrant rights, and Cristina Jiménez, who helped create the DACA program.
And if you're looking for some music to go along with your reading. P!ink, Kesha, SZA and more are creating Women's History: A Vibe playlists being released each Thursday.
