Geek Herring

Have you been glued to your TV everytime Game of Thrones is on? We DEFINITELY have. And now that the series is completely over, we feel we need to dig into what we thought of season 8.

Because love it or hate it, the HBO hit show has come to an end. Many fans are happy with the outcome, but even more are outraged. What side of the fence are you on?

Of course, Geek Herring hosts, Monika and Amanda, have some pretty strong opinions on how season 8 has wrapped up. And they're talking about them - in full spoiler territory. So if you haven't watched it yet (who are you?!) and don't want to get spoiled (have you been staying off the internet all week!? Tell us your secrets!) - turn back now!

Want to know what we thought about:

• Danaerys and Jon Snow's relationship
• The Battle of Wintefell
• Who killed The Night King
• Sansa and Tyrion's touching crypt moment
• Tyrion's myriad of emotional scenes
• Arya's sex scene
• Ser Brienne of Tarth
• Brienne and Jamie
• Jamie and Cersei
• The razing of King's Landing
• Danaerys' last moments
• Drogon, the smartest dragon in the world... or the stupidest
• The fate of the Starks
• Bran the Broken
• And sooooo much more

Then tune in to this episode of Geek Herring! Fair f-bomb warning in advance.

What did YOU think of season 8?

One thing we want to be very, very clear about: We adore Game of Thrones. And whether we were disappointed with story pacing or not, the actors have been absolutely incredible with totally faultless performances and deserve every bit of credit in the world. Same goes for most of the crew, especially the cinematography and costuming departments. 

THANK YOU for 10 amazing years.

Have you been living under a rock?
If you haven't been obsessing over Game of Thrones, either in book or TV format, it's time to CHANGE THAT.

Pick up your copies of the books and DVD boxsets here:

• Buy the Game of Thrones book boxset on Amazon UK / Amazon US
• Buy Seasons 1-7 Game of Thrones on Blu-Ray on Amazon UK / Amazon US

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!

• Geek Girl Reviews: The Mask You Live In (Exploring Toxic Masculinity)
• Geeking Out About Robin Hobb: Fantasy That Represents – LGBTQ+, Gender Roles, Classism, + More
• Geeking Out: Looking Forward Into 2019

Love Geek Herring, please hop over to iTunes and leave us a review!

Join us on Discord!

Geek out with Geek Herring Online / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

This page contains some affiliate links. If you do choose to buy anything through our links, we’ll get a small kickback at no extra cost to you!

Image: © Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO

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Female game developers are an important part of the game industry! Women have an active and substantial role in not just indie games, but AAA titles as well, including some extremely well-known games. We're joined by Thom Knight from Three Extra Lives to take in some trivia before chatting about women in game dev.

First things first, as Thom is a trivia and indie game buff, he sets hosts Monika and Amanda a tough challenge. Do we know our female video game characters? The answer may surprise you! Or.... maybe it won't. We'll see!

Thom is the first male viewpoint coming on Geek Herring and is a feminist. He's keen to share his voice and thoughts on what he perceives to be the issues facing female game developers. 

He also talks about some of his favourite women in game development and the games they've created!

In this episode, we talked about:

• 9 Kick-Ass Women in Game Dev
• Charlotte Sutherland and Lord Winklebottom
• Kim Swift
• Rhianna Pratchett
• Kellee Santiago
• Humble Bundle

What's your favourite women led video game? We'd love if you shared it with us!

You can find Three Extra Lives

Online / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Twitch 
And on your favourite podcatcher!

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!

• Geek Discussion: All Those Video Game Boobs
• Geek Interviews: Video Game Music Composer Karina Pardus
• Geek Characters: Glorious Ladies of Warcraft

If you’ve been loving Geek Herring, please hop over to iTunes and leave us a review!

Join us on Discord!!

You can find us Online / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

This page contains some affiliate links. If you do choose to buy anything through our links, we’ll get a small kickback at no extra cost to you!

Special Guest: Thom Knight.

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Geek Girl in the News looks at the awesome or not so awesome news that will make you go either: "YAY" or "OMG I can't believe that." 

The latest and greatest geek girl news from April 2019 covers the next Tomb Raider installment, black hole scientist, Katie Bouman, vs internet trolls, Blizzard's employee pregnancy tracking, Game's Industries top 100 most influential women in game dev, Chicago's first black, lesbian mayor, and Shirley Curry (aka Skyrim Granny) getting immortalised in Elder Scrolls VI. 

What’s your take on these news articles? 

In this episode of Geek Girl in the News, we covered these news stories:

• MGM & Warner Bros Starts Climb Toward ‘Tomb Raider 2,’ Amy Jump To Write Script
• Online trolls are harassing a scientist who helped take the first picture of a black hole
• Related Twitter Thread
• Blizzard bribes female employees to track their sex, pregnancy, and moods
• Meet 100 of the most influential women working in the UK games industry
• Lori Lightfoot elected Chicago mayor, will be 1st black woman and 1st openly gay person to hold post
• 'Skyrim Grandma' Will Be An NPC In The Elder Scrolls VI

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!

• Geek Girl Reviews: The Mask You Live In (Exploring Toxic Masculinity)
• Geeking Out About Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster, Feminist
• Geek Out About Robin Hobb: Fantasy That Represents: - LGBTQ+, Gender Roles, Classism, + More

If you’ve been loving Geek Herring, please hop over to iTunes and leave us a review!

Join us on Discord!!

You can find us Online / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

Support Geek Herring

Avengers: Endgame just might be the perfect ending to a decade long love affair with these Marvel characters. Not only these characters, but the actors portraying them, have grown in our hearts and lives. Who hasn't had a conversation with their friends of Iron Man vs Captain America, right!?

This week on Geek Herring, it's all about Endgame - and there is literally no non-spoilery point of the show. After our spoiler warning, that is. And there is a real good lead up to the spoilers!

In this episode, we talk about how much we loved the film and how it really was the best way to bring all those strings together and finish the series. We also look at some (definitely not all) of the character progression and portrayal throughout this film and whether they're our MVPs or not.

Then we get serious and talk about some of the bigger real life issues the film deals with: loss, grief, politics, LGBTQ+, depression, alcoholism, PTSD, feminism, and more... lots, lots more.

If you haven't seen Avengers: Endgame, this episode probably isn't for you, because it's all about the spoilers (though saying that, we don't actually spoil the plot or the end, we dip in and out of that!). So grab your cape, shield, and hammer and get ready to geek out about Avengers: Endgame!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Paul Rudd on Conan O'Brien
• Karen Gillen's super sexy red carpet look
• Tom Holland Performs Rihanna's "Umbrella" | Lip Sync Battle
• Join us on Discord!

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!

• Geeking Out About Unicorn Store: Embrace Your Weird
• Geeking Out About Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster, Feminist
• Geeking Out: Looking Forward Into 2019

Love Geek Herring, please hop over to iTunes and leave us a review!

Geek out with Geek Herring Online / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

Support Geek Herring

In this week's episode of Geek Herring, we welcome a very special guest: Dr. Solveig "Sol" Haring. Sol is a scientist who focuses her videographic research on the interdisciplinary aspects of New Media, Ageing, and Gender. She teaches students at the University of Graz and Klagenfurt about Gender, Feminism, and more.

Sol states that everyone "performs" their gender every day and she further explains the scientific concept of "doing gender" which foundations lead back to Erving Goffman (1976). 

During her 25 years in science, she came across a lot of different definitions of gender and feminism. Sol explains how different approaches in Germany, the United States, or the United Kingdom have influenced her personal views on the topic and how she developed them over the years. 

We cover why it's important to watch our language and how it builds our reality. Sol gives tips on how we can further implement feminism into our everyday lives. 

Her approach to teaching and educating is always humour, which she states is something that needs to find it's way back into feminism in order impact more people. 

When Sol isn't working as a self-employed researcher out of her old farmhouse in Carinthia or teaching students the necessity of feminism, she is playing in her queer-feminist country-rock-band Haring and the Trouts or she plays the bass and sings the blues whenever she has the chance.

Find Sol's work on her website or on YouTube.
Listen to Haring and the Trouts on Soundcloud.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!

• Geek Girl Reviews: The Mask You Live In (Exploring Toxic Masculinity)
• Geeking Out About Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster, Feminist
• Geeking Out About Robin Hobb: Fantasy That Represents – LGBTQ+, Gender Roles, Classism, + More

Love Geek Herring, please hop over to iTunes and leave us a review!

Geek out with Geek Herring Online / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

Image Credits: Zackary Drucker | The Gender Spectrum Collection

Special Guest: Dr. Sol Haring.

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Unicorn Store is Brie Larson's directorial debut! It's a bright, colourful, and totally extra coming of age film tackling some pretty tough issues. Learning to love yourself and those around you for who they are, even if you come with extra glitter and rainbows, and embracing your weird ass self, even when it feels like the whole world's against you.

We both loved this film (some a bit more than others) and think that it brings up elements of life that everyone needs to think about. While the extraness might appeal to most of Gen Z and lots of Gen X (otherwise known as the Millennials), the lessons it teaches are so widely applicable.

If you've ever felt like you don't belong, or you feel like your parents just don't get you, or maybe the whole world doesn't get you - this is a film for you. It's heartwarming, endearing, and full of colour, mystery, and magic! 

Hosts Monika and Amanda don't see completely eye-to-eye about this film, and some pretty in-depth debate happens after a spoiler warning. Did Amanda manage to change Monika's mind??

You'll have to listen to find out!

Check out Unicorn Store on IMDB and watch it on Netflix for yourself!

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!

• Geeking Out About Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster, Feminist
• Geek Girl Reviews: The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs
• Geek Girl Community: Support, Sisterhood, and Friendship

Love Geek Herring, please hop over to iTunes and leave us a review!

Geek out with Geek Herring Online / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

Support Geek Herring

In this episode of Geek Girl Reviews, we watched the 2015 documentary, The Mask You Live In. This touching and eye-opening documentary gives incredible insight into the societal and cultural expectations placed on boys and young men in America. When you see this and hear from these boys living this pressure, it's easier to understand where toxic masculinity comes from.

While we're a geek feminist podcast, it's so important to understand why toxic masculinity exists. Though not the norm for most men, toxic masculinity is so hate filled and violent that it breeds and seeps its way through society and culture as a whole. But why does it happen?

We get critical about The Mask You Live In, which is available on Netflix, but really - the overarching theme of this episode is that there IS an epidemic and there IS a problem.

Depression manifests itself in boys in a much different way than girls - boys act out, scream, and get violent. Did you know that teenage boys have the highest suicide rates out of any other demographic in the US? And that it's 5x higher than girls of the same age?

Why? How have we failed our boys in such a way that they believe there to be no better option that to take their own lives?

We also look at how pop culture, from video games to movies, represents masculinity and why this has an impact on growing boys.

How can we support our young boys through adolescence? What can we do to make sure we're more aware of their struggles and challenges?

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!

• Episode 22: Geek Discussion: Rape, Steam, & Responsibility
• Episode 7: Geek Discussion: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Cast Them
• Episode 3: Geek Girl Stereotypes: How the World Sees Us

Love Geek Herring, please hop over to iTunes and leave us a review!

Geek out with Geek Herring Online / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

Support Geek Herring

Our critical geek culture podcast is officially 6 months old! Thank you so much for joining us for the last 25 episodes. We're celebrating what it means to be a geek feminist and what avenues hosting Geek Herring has opened up for us.

We've also invited our listeners to tell us how Geek Herring has helped them become better geek feminists and other ways it's impacted their lives!

This episode is a relaxed celebration where we take some time to chill out together, sharing our excitement about what we've achieved since starting out 6 months ago, and definitely geeking out over our beloved podcast!

In this episode, you'll find out:

• What Amanda and Monika's favourite episodes so far are
• Whether there are any shows we didn't like
• How hosting Geek Herring has changed our lives
• What we're most looking forward to in the next 24 episodes

PLUS Special Guest Appearances From:

• Thom Knight of Three Extra Lives | Twitter
• Frazley the Gnome of FrazlCast | Twitter

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!

• Geek Discussion: Rape, Steam, & Responsibility
• Geeking Out About Robin Hobb: Fantasy That Represents – LGBTQ+, Gender Roles, Classism, + More
• Geek Interview: Cosplay, Conventions, Community, & Gender with Anna
• Geek Discussion: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Cast Them
• Geek Characters: Badass Witches of Harry Potter

Love Geek Herring, please hop over to iTunes and leave us a review!

Geek out with Geek Herring Online / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

Support Geek Herring

Geek Girl in the News looks at the awesome or not so awesome news that will make you go either: "YAY" or "OMG I can't believe that." 

The latest and greatest geek girl news in March 2019 covers the Women’s History Month, NBA 2k draft picks, history’s first all female spacewalk (however since recording, has been cancelled due to incorrect space suit size!), Brie Larson’s directorial debut, and Final Fantasy XIV race confirmations!

What’s your take on these news articles? What are your favourite books by women you think we should read?

In this episode of Geek Girl in the News, we covered these news stories:

• Women’s History Month
• 10 Must-Read Books to Honor Women’s History Month
• Warriors Draft First Woman into NBA 2k League
• 2 Astronauts are Scheduled for the First All-Female Spacewalk in History
• NASA Updates Spacewalk Assignments, Announces Final Preview Briefing
• Check Out the Whimsical Trailer for Brie Larson’s Directorial Debut Unicorn Store
• Final Fantasy 14 Announces New Dancer Job, Hrothgar Race, and More
• Square Enix Considering Fan Feedback Over Final Fantasy XIV Online’s Controversial New Races

Buy the books we talked about on this episode

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Buy on Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon DE
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Buy on Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon DE
• My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Buy on Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon DE
• Hunger by Roxanne Gay. Buy on Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon DE
• I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. Buy on Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon DE

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!

• Geeking Out About Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster, Feminist
• Geek Out About Robin Hobb: Fantasy That Represents: - LGBTQ+, Gender Roles, Classism, + More
• Geek Characters: Final Fantasy Reveals Playable Viera Race

If you’ve been loving Geek Herring, please hop over to iTunes and leave us a review!

You can find us Online / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

This page contains some affiliate links. If you do choose to buy anything through our links, we’ll get a small kickback at no extra cost to you!

Support Geek Herring

You already know that Captain Marvel is the first female Marvel superhero to have a movie made about her, but do you know just how incredible the film has been for women in the industry? Geek Herring breaks it down for you, celebrating an almost exclusively female crew, exploring the strong friendships the franchise is built on, and even giving you a bit of a Captain Marvel history lesson.

What started out as full intentions to talk about every nuance and scene we loved about the film turned into so much more - in fact, we barely mentioned the actual film once!

But our love for Captain Marvel, Brie Larson, her creators, directors, and writing team are clear. The existence of this movie is more than just a female superhero in a leading role. We’re seeing a shift and new era of female dominance in action movies.

You get the added bonus in this episode of hearing Amanda give a bit of a background history about the Captain Marvel comics through the years, some pretty big mistakes the writers made in the early 80s, and the creation of a feminist icon.

Do you love Captain Marvel as much as we do? Share this episode with your friends <3 

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others!

Geek Girl in the News: February 2019
Geek Interviews: Video Game Music Composer Karina Pardus
Geek Girl Community: Support, Sisterhood, and Friendship

If you’ve been enjoying Geek Herring, please hop over to iTunes and leave us a review!

You can find us Online / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

Support Geek Herring