Fake Geek Girls - A Critical Look at Pop Culture

We're chatting with Allegra Clark, the voice of Dragon Age: Inquisition's Josephine Montilyet, about fandoms and more! You can find out more about Allegra by visiting her Twitter (@simplyallegra), Tumblr (captainallegra.tumblr.com), or website (allegraclark.com). Warning: This episode is explicit! Lots of cusses. Corrections: Allegra accidentally said that Iron Bull is bisexual, but she meant pansexual. We all misunderstood the handmaiden/feudal lord meme. You can find screenshot of the original post here (http://memedocumentation.tumblr.com/post/113661472715/pokemoneggs-this-deserved-its-own-post). It’s still pretty silly, though. When talking about the popularity of pop musicals, Allegra meant that we’re seeing more of them, not fewer. Some Links You Might Find Interesting: Asian Actors Onstage: Lea Salonga, Phillipa Soo Sound Off on Broadway Representation, Cultural Perceptions by Ashley Lee (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/asian-actors-onstage-lea-salonga-842293)

We’re back with episode 27, discussing The Lunar Chronicles, #MorallyComplicatedYA, and why this genre gets so much flack. Why is dystopian fiction so appealing? Is YA really dominated by women writers? Should adults feel guilty about reading books for younger audiences? A big thank you to our Patreon subscribers, who have helped us purchase a second microphone! If you’d like to join them and help us make Fake Geek Girls even better, check it out: https://www.patreon.com/fakegeekgirls What Missy's Been Up To: Reading: Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth by Malachai and Ethan Nicolle Beyond: A Queer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Comic Anthology edited by Sfé R. Monster and Taneka Stotts Watching: Ex Machina Outlander Mockingjay Pt. 2 What Merri’s Been Up To: Watching: Arrow Agents of Shield Mockingjay Pt. 2 Star Wars Rebels Some Links You Might Find Interesting: The Reductive Approach to YA Revisited: Contemporary YA & Generosity to Readers by Kelly with Stacked Books (http://stackedbooks.org/2014/01/the-reductive-approach-to-ya-revisited.html) A Closer Look at the New York Times YA Bestsellers List, Part 1 by Kelly with Stacked Books (http://stackedbooks.org/2013/11/a-closer-look-at-new-york-times-ya.html) No, The Fault in Our Stars Is Not Young-Adult Fiction’s Savior by Mary Ann Badavi (http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/06/why-fault-in-our-stars-is-not-ya-fictions-savior/372441/) Yes, Adults Should be Embarrassed to Read Young Adult Books by Ruth Graham (http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2014/06/against_ya_adults_should_be_embarrassed_to_read_children_s_books.2.html) YA Debut Gets Six-Figure Deal, Sold to 16 Territories and Jerry Bruckheimer by Sue Corbett (http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/68782-ya-debut-gets-six-figure-deal-sold-to-16-territories-and-jerry-bruckheimer.html) Interview with author of The Cruelty, S. Bergstrom! (http://thepenmuse.net/2014/03/20/interview-author-cruelty-s-bergstrom/) Weird Feminism: The Bergstrom Storm by Laura Tims (https://literatureandlaura.wordpress.com/2015/11/25/weird-feminism-the-bergstrom-storm/)

We’re talking about romance in episode 26, including Gail Carriger’s Soulless and Outlander! How are romance and feminism related? Why is romance appealing to so many people? Does romance offer good representation of people of different genders and races? How can we diversify our reading habits? Also, dingledongs. Warning: this episode is explicit! Romance often carries explicit themes along with it, so we didn’t censor our language and made full use of the freedom to swear. There’s also a short and vague discussion of sexual violence in Outlander. What Missy’s Been Up To: Playing: We Know The Devil Reading: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack Jughead by Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson Watching: The Legend of Korra Season 4 What Merri’s Been Up To: Watching: Jurassic World Star Wars: Rebels Scream Queens Some Links You Might Find Interesting: Inganah's Tumblr (inganah.tumblr.com) Most American Adults Read Books but Not Literature by Katy Waldman (http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/10/01/nea_survey_on_2012_reading_habits_women_continue_to_read_more_than_men.html) Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk, “We Should All Be Feminists” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3umXU_qWc) Beyond Bodice-Rippers: How Romance Novels Came to Embrace Feminism by Jessica Luther (http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/03/beyond-bodice-rippers-how-romance-novels-came-to-embrace-feminism/274094/#.UUcdBP_VBb0.twitter) Men, stop lecturing women about reading romance novels by Alyssa Rosenberg (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/05/20/men-stop-lecturing-women-about-reading-romance-novels/) Rebekah Weatherspoon Storify on Diverse Romance (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/05/20/men-stop-lecturing-women-about-reading-romance-novels/)

We’re back with a special bonus episode on Life is Strange! You’ve probably heard us talk about it before, but with the release of episode five and a veritable ocean of tears, we thought we should revisit the game with our final thoughts, a discussion of the game’s tropes and themes, and whether we recommend it to others. Warning: contains spoilers for all episodes of the game as well as some discussion of potentially triggering themes. Some Links You Might Find Interesting: Butterfly of Doom via TVTropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ButterflyOfDoom) Hide Your Lesbians via TVTropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HideYourLesbians) Hella Talk: An Interview With Ashly Burch on Chloe Price, Queerness, & ‘Life is Strange’ via FemHype (http://femhype.com/2015/10/27/hella-talk-an-interview-with-ashly-burch-on-chloe-price-queerness-life-is-strange/) Bury Your Gays via TVTropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BuryYourGays) Review: Life is Strange Episode 4 - On Soap Operas, Glurge, and Unreal Stakes (http://www.themarysue.com/review-life-is-strange-ep-4/) Origin of the “Interactive Pricefield Museum” (http://ymiiac.tumblr.com/post/131558378292/lets-appreciate-for-a-moment-that-theres-an)

We’re back with episode 25 (whoa! 25 episodes!), discussing false empowerment. What does false empowerment mean? Does dubious intent on the part of a creator mean you can’t feel empowered by something? What the heck is going on in Sucker Punch? We’ll attempt to answer these questions, except for what’s going on in Sucker Punch—that’s a mystery for the ages.