Today’s agenda: The Secret to Success for Pokémon GO’s Communtiy Days

In the cusp of an ever-changing environment, Community Day is a stable pillar of hope for the Pokémon GO player base, offering veteran and newbie players alike a chance at easy shinies, extra candy, and exclusive moves.

But it’s not just about shinies— It’s also a great way to get moving and spend time outside with your community! So how has Community Day managed to remain such an eagerly anticipated part of the game, while raids and battles have crashed and burned?

Listen in as we discuss a brief history of Community Day events, our experiences with them, and what sorts of Pokémon we can expect (and want) to see in the future, as well as a brief discussion on how the similarly-structured Limited Research Day events offer opportunities where Community Day does not.

Today’s agenda: Is DLC Ruining Mario Sports?

It’s not news to anyone that Mario boasts an impressive resume: plumbing, princess-rescuing, a doctorate, go-kart racing, the mustachioed marvel has even had his hand in a number of professional sports.

Mario sports games (tennis, golf, etc.) have become an expected staple of nearly every new Nintendo console, just like with Mario Kart and Mario Party. However, the Mario sports titles have become subject to scrutiny in recent years, with common complaints including being “too repetitive” or not having a substantial enough single player mode. And with a rumored new baseball game in development, and several gamers dubious over its potential, many are quick to assume that DLC is to blame for the recent drop in quality.

But is DLC really the problem? Listen in as we discuss and compare every installment of Mario Tennis, Golf, and Strikers to see just how much content Nintendo’s really putting up to bat.

Welcome to the first episode of a new TGAP mini-series called Queerness in Kids’ Media, where we discuss positive representations of queerness and LGBTQ themes in children’s TV and movies!

Today, we talk about ‘Gonzo-Rella’ from ‘Muppet Babies’ (2018). The episode centers around Gonzo (a male character) wanting to wear a dress while attending the babies’ make-believe royal ball, and after being told that boys can only dress as knights, assumes the guise of “Gonzo-rella” and teaches his friends that it’s okay to go against the norm.

While the episode’s message is primarily about how people should be able to dress and act however they want without having labels assigned to them, many have taken it to be “transgender propaganda” or “normalizing crossdressing”, going so far as to say the subject is too sexual for kids. Listen in as we discuss our LGBTQ views on ‘Gonzo-rella’, and why seeing a Muppet wearing a dress probably won’t cause the downfall of American heterosexuality.

Today’s agenda: SpongeBob QUEERPants? Silly Sea Sponge or LGBT Icon?

Whether or not you’ve seen the show, everyone knows SpongeBob SquarePants— most 90s & 2000s kids can’t go a week without quoting a SpongeBob episode or a SpongeBob meme. But beyond being a pop culture icon, SpongeBob has made a name for himself in more ways than one.

While a lot of late 90s/early 2000s male cartoon protagonists were often crude, loud, mean, or struggled with typical “boy” problems like crushes or bullies, SpongeBob stood out from the crowd by being a lot more childish— more gentle and feminine, even, and that’s led some people to questioning the gender and sexual identity of this fictional sea sponge. Not to mention, tons of queer adults & teens grew up with SpongeBob and gladly welcome him as one of their own.

So who better to discuss this concept than a couple of queer bitches who LOVE SpongeBob? Joining us today we have a HUGE SpongeBob fan, returning guest GodUsoppSHC!

Today’s agenda: Hoenn Tour - The Good, the Bad, and the FUTURE!

The Hoenn Tour is the third iteration of an event that Pokémon GO has done since 2021, celebrating each of the generations of Pokémon and giving players a chance to ‘catch ‘em all’, including rare and exclusive Pokémon they may not normally have access to, such as Mythical Legendaries and Regional Pokémon. 2021 celebrated the Kanto region, 2022 celebrated Johto, and this year celebrated the Hoenn region— introducing new additions such as Primal Kyogre and Groudon, and the long-awaited Kecleon.

As the first version of the Tour events to be released in a post-pandemic world, tons of players were excited to get out there and revisit the Hoenn region, but this Tour was quite a ways different from the past ones, for better and worse. So, what changed? How did players feel about it? What did we feel worked? What did we not like? And what could these changes mean for the Sinnoh Tour next year? Let’s jump into it!

Today’s agenda: The SUPERB Mario Bros. Movie

After nearly 30 years, Super Mario is back on the big screen, and it’s a smash hit!

The massive collaborative effort between Nintendo and Illumination Studios (the very same behind the little jumpsuit-wearing yellow Minions you see all over your mom’s Facebook page) was met with mixed reception upon its initial announcement, but ended up breaking box office records and making history for animated movies as a whole. Critics seemed to dislike it, but audiences worldwide have shared their praises over the film’s vibrant, cartoony visuals, and the treasure trove of easter eggs and references catered toward both Nintendo newbies & old-school Mario fans.

As avid gamers & Mario lovers, we were guaranteed to talk about the Mario Movie at some point! Join us as we discuss our thoughts, criticisms, favorite parts, and hopes for a sequel— with special guest, GodUsoppSHC!

(Oh, and we pretty much talk about the ENTIRE movie. SPOILER ALERT!)

Today’s agenda: Why Mario Party Superstars Is Still SUPER

Mario Party Superstars is quite the enigmatic entry to the Mario Party franchise— nobody expected its announcement, and yet, as soon as it came out, Nintendo’s interest in it faded away faster than your stars during Chance Time.

Advertised as a celebration of all the mainline Mario Parties, Superstars has a collection of minigames and boards from past titles (which is quite the step up from the previous “collection” installment, Mario Party: The Top 100). As such, it’s a great way for retro Mario Party fans & Mario Party newcomers to enjoy the charm of the original games. It even totes a landmark achievement as the first Mario Party game to release with fully-functional online play right from the start, allowing for Mario Party lovers all over the world to play together.

However, it’s been over a year and a half since the game came out, and there hasn’t been anything in the way of updates or DLC. Most people expected more boards, minigames, or even new characters to release over time, yet the game hasn’t changed at all since its October 2021 debut. But people still love to play this game all the time, including us! Join SpiderStaryu, Dreadianz, and special guest DirtyDan_DG as we discuss why we love Mario Party, what we still love about Superstars, and how the game could be even MORE super in the future.

Today’s agenda: Niantic says: “Pokémon GO to Hell”

In Episode 3, we talked about the escalating trend of FOMO (fear of missing out) tactics being used against Pokémon GO players in attempt to get them to spend more on microtransactions.

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse, Niantic announced what could possibly be their most controversial update yet— An increase in the price of remote raid passes, and a daily limit on the number of remote raids players can do each day.

People are pissed, but why exactly? Join us as we discuss how raids have evolved over time, how COVID-19 changed Pokémon GO, and how Niantic’s view of how the game should be played can’t work in a post-COVID world.

Today’s agenda: The Purple Pamphlet— A Look Into the Past, a Reflection of the Present

In 1964, one of the most influential yet overlooked pieces of anti-homosexual propaganda was published: Homosexuality and Citizenship in Florida, also known as the “Purple Pamphlet”.

Produced during the heyday of the Lavender Scare, when thousands of gay men and women lost their jobs, and were considered public threats due to looming fears of communism and the destruction of “the American way of life”, the Purple Pamphlet was made as a window for straights to look into the gay lifestyle, learn their mannerisms and slang, and the danger they posed to America’s youth.

The pamphlet was received poorly due to its “obscene and pornographic nature”, but a shocking amount of it remains relevant to this day as a parallel to today’s anti-gay sentiments. Join us as we take a deep dive into the pamphlet, reading and discussing every page in the fourth and final part of a four-part series.

In this episode, we finish reading the glossary of gay slang, then discuss how harmless fetishes and immoral acts (such as bestiality or rape) are lumped together in the same category of “deviate and psychopathic sex crimes”.

Finally, we summarize the pamphlet as a whole, and how despite garnering a strong negative reaction from the public, its anti-sex AND anti-queer rhetoric are still seen today in the form of gays being labeled as groomers, and even queer youths harassing each other on the internet over identities and fictional fetishes.

Today’s agenda: The Purple Pamphlet— “Degenerate Acts” and Criminalizing Homosexuality (Part 3)

In 1964, one of the most influential yet overlooked pieces of anti-homosexual propaganda was published: Homosexuality and Citizenship in Florida, also known as the “Purple Pamphlet”. 

Produced during the heyday of the Lavender Scare, when thousands of gay men and women lost their jobs, and were considered public threats due to looming fears of communism and the destruction of “the American way of life”, the Purple Pamphlet was made as a window for straights to look into the gay lifestyle, learn their mannerisms and slang, and the danger they posed to America’s youth.

The pamphlet was received poorly due to its “obscene and pornographic nature”, but a shocking amount of it remains relevant to this day as a parallel to today’s anti-gay sentiments. Join us as we take a deep dive into the pamphlet, reading and discussing every page in Part 3 of a four-part series. 

In this episode, we discuss how sex (especially gay sex) is demonized and punished by the law, Florida state laws regarding sexual deviancy, and examine the beginning of the Pamphlet’s glossary, including the language used to oppress queer people and the language queer people used to fight back.