Clever Ghouls

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Join Maegan in this minisode as she explores the origins of the plot device, the history of its usage, how it's evolved, and some of our most notable Final Girls in the genre. 

Resources:

• Opinion: The "Final Girl" horror trope is rooted in misogyny, needs to be examined: https://www.lsureveille.com/opinion/opinion-the-final-girl-horror-trope-is-rooted-in-misogyny-needs-to-be-examined/article_1e500d66-751c-11ea-8f2c-c334fec136a9.html
• Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film by Carol J. Clover

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!

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April Ghouls! In this (satirical) minisode, join The BoosTM (the partners of The GhoulsTM) as they do their best impression of their respective Ghoulfriend as if they were discussing The Human Centipede. 

There have been A LOT of heavy and intense episodes lately, so enjoy this silly, wholesome, and fun palate cleanser! Seriously, this one is a riot! 

Special thanks to each of The BoosTM for their constant support of us and this project, and for just always being such good sports. Han, Colin, James, and Jeremy...Y'all are the best, spookiest, most loving boos a ghoul could ask for! <3

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!

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Join Maegan and Blair in this minisode as they explore the exorcism subgenre, religious horror, some history of hysteria, and how exorcisms are largely rooted in misogyny. Take a sip of water every time Maegan calls Freud a soggy pinecone of a man and watch how hydrated you are by the end of the episode! 

Is this minisode long enough to barely be considered a minisode? Yes. But is it hilarious, educational, AND on an important topic? Also yes.

For some quick content warnings, while we’re not getting into anything TOO heavy this episode,  we will be talking about the history of hysteria and exorcisms, so the topics of not listening to women about their bodies, female oppression, the (made up) gender binary, reproductive systems, and faulty at best medical practices will certainly be a central theme. As well as a lot of discussions about religious trauma and purity culture.

We also want to point out that we understand that biological sex and gender are not the same and gender is a social construct. For the sake of brevity when discussing religion and misogyny in this context, we’re really just discussing people with uteruses. In this episode we frequently refer to genders as “male” and “female” but we’d like to acknowledge the existence of people outside of that binary and to remind our listeners that assigned sex at birth and gender are not the same thing.

Other episodes referenced in this minisode:

• "That Thing You Do" minisode about vibrators
• "Mommy Dearest" minisode about motherhood & mothers in horror
• "The Body Never Forgets" minisode about generational trauma & epigenetics

References:

•  https://medium.com/@peacelovetrig/on-the-sexist-etimology-of-hysteria-and-what-academia-did-about-it-ef98815ddb6c
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3690315/#:~:text=The%20direction%20of%20sex%20differences,it%20does%20across%20published%20studies.
•  https://takenol.weebly.com/traditionalism-vs-modernism.html
•  https://www.ravenfoundation.org/1946-how-a-mistranslation-in-the-bible-harmed-our-lgbtqia-siblings/
• http://religiousinstitute.org/denom_statements/homosexuality-not-a-sin-not-a-sickness-part-ii-what-the-bible-does-and-does-not-say/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3125296/

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!

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On this episode of Clever Ghouls, join Marissa, Maegan, Melissa, and Blair are they talk about Quentin Tarantino's Dusk Till Dawn.

A quick note, our recording software decided Maegan's audio was especially yummy and ate it. So we apologize for the audio issues in this episode, but we hope you enjoy it all the same! 

I know you're all probably thinking… girl, another vampire movie? Yes. ANOTHER VAMPIRE MOVIE. BUCKLE UP cause this one is even more gruesome, fucked up and morbid than the last. We’re so  excited to break down the good, the bad and the ugly in this episode, and you don't wanna miss all the snarky and deviant things we have to share. So what'll it be, gas, grass or ass?... we’ll totally settle for Salma Hayek too!

Some content warnings to be aware of include graphic violence, mutilation, hostage situations, mental illness, racism, racial slurs, the r-word, sexism, sexualization of a minor, child death, drug use, gang violence, sex work, tons of nudity and pretty much every negative thing Quinton Terrentino is known for. For more information and full details on content warnings for this movie checkout doesthedogdie.com!

Related minisodes for even MORE content:

• Modern Madness: Misrepresentation of Mental Illness in Horror | Minisode w/ Maegan

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!

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In this minisode,  join Blair as you explore the history of Puritanism and how the obsession with witchcraft plagued Europe and New England for centuries. 

For most of us, when the words “Puritan” and “witch” come up, we think of Salem. Young girls accusing people left and right of being witches, gruesome capital punishment in the name of God, the significant decline of the village’s population... Historians have come up with a plethora of possible reasons why the accusations  swept through Salem like wildfire; everything from teenage boredom to convulsive ergotism to a group of people specifically primed from years of religious indoctrination to believe that the devil was truly after them. Whatever the case, 25 innocent people (including children) ended up being the unfortunate victims of one of the most infamous cases of mass hysteria in American history.

References:

• United Nations Report: Witchcraft and Human Rights
• The Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network (WHRIN)
• More information on the Malleus Maleficarum
• Heinrich Kramer

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!

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In this minisode of Clever Ghouls, Maegan is joined by one of her best friends, college roommate, and all around favorite humans, Sarah Billings, as they talk about mothers,  motherhood, and their portrayal in some our of favorite spooky films.

Since Benjamin Spock’s book The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care was published in 1946, thousands of other parenting books have been written explaining everything from basic care of babies to how to be your child’s friend. And these books are frequently marketed to overtired, frazzled mothers desperately searching for answers because they are terrified of being a bad mom. Motherhood itself is scary on its own, but add in the elements of horror...and a new kind of terror occurs. 

Mothers have always played a big role in horror stories. But starting with the 1970s, they really started portraying moms in a massively strident way when writers and directors decided that mothers and motherhood could be the epitome of horrific.

We cover topics like the dysfunctional mother, the persevering and suffering mother; and talk about some of our favorite moms in horror from movies like Coraline, Rosemary's Baby, Quiet Place, and more!

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!

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Women in Greek mythology are very seldom ever presented as well as their sinewy, heroic male counterparts.  Melissa thinks that’s bogus. In this episode, she takes a deep dive into what she loves about mythology, despite its pitfalls, and some exciting modern day takes on the stories of ancient women.

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!

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On this episode, join the Clever Ghouls as they tackle the 1981 film Clash of the Titans. In between Melissa being a total mythology expert, they cover topics ranging from representation in Greek Mythology, why Medusa did nothing wrong and how she became the face of sexual assault survivors, why Zeuss is The WorstTM, and why practical effects are the BEST effects.

This movie, while many may consider it underwhelming and dated, is one of the great works of animator and movie maker Ray Harryhausen. It follows Perseus in a rather…creative...retelling of his myth. Naturally, there is some questionable content, so we’d like to caution viewers about some depictions of snakes, scorpions and other creepy crawlies, a fight with a two headed dog creature, and some random nude scenes. Also, anytime Zeus is involved, there will inevitably be mention and discussion of sexual assault. If you want more info, make sure to check out doesthedogdie.com. Also, while not often listed in the horror genre, this is a great example of Harryhausen’s work, and as many modern day film creators (horror especially) cite him with creature and special effects inspiration, we feel it is without a doubt worthy of the spooky movie title.

Related minisodes for even more content: 

• Myth-isode: Modern Feminism in Classical Mythology | Minisode w/ Melissa
• Sexy & SCARY: The History & Folklore of Mermaids | Minisode w/ Maegan & Melissa 

Resources:

• Ray Harryhausen Documentary: https://www.amazon.com/Ray-Harryhausen-Special-Effects-Titan/dp/B088JPPGJL/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
• Tropes in CotT: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/ClashOfTheTitans1981
• Zeus’ fuckery: https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/ZeusLoves.html

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!

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In this minisode, join Maegan (our resident psychology babe) as she walks us through grief and mourning in and through horror films. Horror films have been increasingly gaining popularity over the years, and while these films are often viewed as an exciting way to indulge in fear, many horror films also explore themes related to discussing social commentary. Through the exploration of these themes, horror films provide us with an opportunity to examine and process topics like grief and mourning. The psychology of grief and mourning in horror films can provide us with an insight into how these emotions are experienced by characters in the film. Through the exploration of these themes, horror films can help us to better understand the psychology behind these experiences, and how it affects our own lives. 

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!

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In this minisode, join Maegan as she digs into the glorification of serial killers, the evolutionary psychology of morbid curiosity, human’s predator-prey relationship, some of the racial implications of true crime, and reasons why true crime as entertainment is fairly problematic.

Some content warnings to be mindful of are obviously discussions of murder and serial killers, but also child murder specifically, sexual assault, and racism.

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!