Alt! Ack!

In this pocket-sized episode, Patrick reads and responds to Robin's recent publication on collecting Sweet Valley High, camp, and anti-fandom. Also, Patrick is called brilliant, Robin insists that the Peach Pit After dark is not canon, and they both declare themselves Christine Barfanskis.

Works mentioned:

The Emancipated Spectator by Jacques Rancière

In the Dream House by Carmen Machado

Choose Your Own Disaster by Dana Schwartz

Hershkowitz, Robin. "Seeing Double: Collecting Sweet Valley High." Journal of American Culture, vol. 42, no. 1, 2020, pp. 27-40.

Sara Bay-Cheng, "Theatre History and Digital Historiography," Theater Historiography: Critical Interventions. Eds. Henry Bial and Scott Magelssen. Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press (2010): 125-136.

[Note: This was recorded on March 24, 2020.] We made it to ten episodes! We have so many people we'd like to thank...and we take a break from the hard theory to talk about notable Award Acceptance speeches, a genre we both love. This includes when Marlon Brando snubbed his win, Fiona Apple goes full postfeminist, Julia Roberts forgets to thank the person she played in a film, and Limp Bizkit's moment of Glory is ruined by utter-early aughts chaos. Then Robin informs Patrick about the death of Terrence McNally and they discuss his contribution to queer culture.

Links and more information:

Fiona Apple's Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42gNkySFycA

Sacheen Littlefeather's Speech: https://youtu.be/2QUacU0I4yU

Limp Bizkit: https://youtu.be/OEhT0GRfF8o

Julia Roberts: https://youtu.be/ZV0YbYECU7A

Also: Ted Chiang's Exhalation short stories

Terrance McNally's The Ritz

Disclaimer: this was recorded a few weeks ago so we were maybe slightly flip about COVID-19. Patrick and Robin are in high spirits because they finished their qualifying exams and she finalized her dissertation topic. Then we talk about the uncomparable Valerie Solanas and The SCUM Manifesto, and how her persona is performance. Then we discuss Andrea Long Chu's Females and it gets tense. Finally, we ask the important questions, like if Valerie Solanas would watch Glee.

Works mentioned:

Chu, Andrea L. females. Verso, London, 2019.

Solanas, Valerie. SCUM Manifesto. Verso, London, 2016.

Warner, Sara. "Scummy Acts: Valerie Solonas's Theater of the Ludicrous." in Acts of Gaiety: LGBT Performance and the Politics of Pleasure. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 2012, 31-71

We needed to be free of homework this week so no major articles, but Patrick talks abut coming out on social media; What's so great about being likeable?; an article about how no one knows what late capitalism is; out attempt to play Is This Happiness? goes awry.

Mentioned:

This Brand is Late Capitalism by Rachel Donnelly

Patrick on Instagram: @affectaliens

Robin on Instagram and Twitter: @robinhhhhh

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A literal ack! from Robin because we were not recording for the first part of our conversation. Patrick engages in behavior twice-performed to discuss Joan W. Scott's landmark article, but then we quickly turn to more pressing matters, like how Marshall McLuhan was in Annie Hall. We discuss a recent Indiewire article which claims the new Locke & Key series is made by an algorithm, and the whole culture industry, asking why anything gets made in the first place. Then we play a suspenseful game of Is It Necessary?

CORRECTION ALERT: Robin mentioned that Crash was directed by David Lynch, but she does really know that it was actually David Cronenberg. Don't @ her.

Works mentioned:

Scott, Joan W. "Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis." The American Historical Review, vol. 91, no. 5, 1986, pp. 1053-1075.

'Locke & Key' Shows the Problem with Trying to Make a Hit TV Show from an Algorithm by Steve Greene

Patrick on Instagram: @affectaliens

Robin on Instagram and Twitter: @robinhhhhh

Subscribe to Robin's newsletter.

The podcast Gold Rush is on! Robin and Patrick discuss how Spotify purchased the Ringer (Patrick said $25 million but it's actually $250 million). Robin proposed to a dissertation advisor. Then we discuss Vincent Meserko's work on authenticity and comedy podcasting. Then we say "authenticity" about 5,000 times, ending with a rousing game of "Is It Authentic?"

And it wouldn't be a new podcast without commenting on the sound quality! There's a weird wobble sound that comes in caused by Robin putting her water bottle on the table next to the microphone, because she cares deeply about hydration.

We also want to publicly apologize to Apple Podcasts because they have since accepted our RSS feed, we of course love you, Apple Podcasts.

Works cited:

Meserko, Vincent M. "The Pursuit of Authenticity on Marc Maron's WTF Podcast." Continuum, vol. 29, no. 6, 2015, pp. 796-810.

Patrick on Instagram: @affectaliens

Robin on Instagram and Twitter: @robinhhhhh

Subscribe to Robin's newsletter.

Has true crime crossed the line to Trauma-tainment? Do we like true crime because we identify with the dead body? Also, the demise of the Suicide Buddies podcast and a rousing game of camp or not camp, Oscars edition.

Works mentioned:

(the book that Robin forgot the name of)

Sturken, Marita, 1957. Tourists of History: Memory, Kitsch, and Consumerism from Oklahoma City to Ground Zero. Duke University Press, Durham, 2007

The Modern Trap of Turning Hobbies Into Hustles

Forbes article about My Favorite Murder

Patrick on Instagram: @affectaliens

Robin on Instagram and Twitter: @robinhhhhh

#graduateschool #academicbanter #altacademia #graduatestudents #PhDlife

Robin and Patrick start by naming the show, then share good news. Robin explains how postdocs are an academic grift and then we talk about queerness in gaming and more feminist cyborg banter. Robin confronts Patrick on patsplaining. Robin's dream class is about patriotism and popular culture. #graduateschool #academicchatter #gradstudents #digitialhumanties

Works mentioned:

Taylor, Nicholas, Gerald Voorhees,. Masculinities in Play. Springer Nature, Cham, Switzerland, 2018.

"The Android Goddess Declaration: After Ma(ifestos) by Micha Carednas, from Elizabeth, and Jacqueline Wernimont. Bodies of Information: Intersectional Feminism and the Digital Humanities. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 2019

For reference, Patrick's 50s diner waitress glasses ; Robin's Jill Dolan glasses

Robin and Patrick consider the burning questions: Is anyone ever really happy in academia? Can objects perform? How do you pronounce Abu Graihb?

Recorded in the Summer of 2019, Patrick and Robin discuss academic approaches to podcasts, among other various tangents and complaints. This is an origin story of what would eventually become the idea for the podcast.

Work mentioned: Podcasting: New Aural Cultures and Digital Media.https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783319900551