Material Girls

Gilmore Girls x Normporn with Karen Tongson

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For this episode, we're joined by the incredible Karen Tongson, Professor of Gender & Sexuality Studies, English, and American Studies & Ethni...

Sweet Potato Fries x Food Imperialism

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Remember about fifteen years ago when we all went a little nuts for sweet potato fries? What was going on there? Well it turns out, that beloved appet...

Dungeons and Dragons x Ludology

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you play D&D? Do you have a friend who does, but you don't totally *get* what it is? Did you see the recent film Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Am...

Material Concerns: Wonka and Twilight Bonus Pt. I

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There was so much more to say about Wonka and Twilight. In Part I of this bonus episode (aka a 'Material Concern' episode), we talk about fatphobia in...

Twilight x Girl Culture with Jackson Bird

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob or some secret third option?**Marcelle asks this question only at the very end of the episode, and you know why? Bec...

Introducing Making Worlds with Hannah McGregor

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're so excited to announce that our new show, Making Worlds, begins January 25th!This video podcast, hosted by Hannah McGregor (maybe you know them?...

Wonka x Antisemitism and Censorship with Leena Norms

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, we're joined by the incredible Leena Norms (she/her) to talk about Timothée Chalamet's latest venture: Wonka.This holiday blo...

Merry-terial Girls: An Incomprehensible Holiday Bonus

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Witch, Please Productions is on break for the holidays! Of course we still wanted to put some fun content out while we’re away from our computers, s...

The Night Circus x Reading Ecosystems

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of Marcelle's favorite books is The Night Circus, so she decided to be brave and do an entire episode about the best-selling fantasy novel by Erin...

Bonus Episode: Sitcom and Reframing Israel-Palestine Beyond Security Discourse

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We hit our fundraising goal for Palestine Children’s Relief Fund in October and this is the bonus episode we promised as a thank you for your suppor...

Blackout Tuesday x Platformization

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At Material Girls, we’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of using social media for social change and what those calls imply about the role of soc...

Patreon Preview: Taylor Swift Pt. I

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We had to talk about Taylor Swift more — especially as so many of you had great comments, feedback and specific inquiries! We structured this b...

Les Misérables x Encoding/Decoding with Erin Keif

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're so lucky to be joined this episode by Erin Keif (she/her) of the beloved Headgum podcasts Hey Riddle Riddle and Sitcom DnD. If you're a fan of L...

Taylor Swift x Intimate Publics with Margaret H. Willison

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Given last week's release of 1989 (Taylor's Version), we just had to have Swiftie and Tay-lore expert Margaret H. Willison (she/her) on the show to ta...

Star Wars x Mass Culture

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why is Star Wars so popular? What were the material conditions that set the first film, A New Hope, up for success in 1977? What can a Marxist critiqu...

Bridgerton x Reading the Romance with Vanessa Zoltan

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we talk about Bridgerton with a very special guest — Vanessa Zoltan. We discuss Bridgerton the book series and its move into the mai...

Patreon Preview: Avatar Pt. 1

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We had to talk about Avatar more — especially James "horny for the ocean" Cameron. We structured this bonus like our usual Patreon-only Q&A...

Avatar x Hypermediacy

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you love James Cameron's Avatar upon its release in 2009? Have you since watched it and thought, huh, now what were we thinking 14 years ago? Were...

Goblin Mode x the Abject with McKayla Coyle

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we’re asking why ‘goblin mode’ is so danged zeitgeist-y such that in 2022 it became the Oxford English Dictionary's Word of the ...

Queer Eye x Cruel Optimism

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What makes the Fab Five so fab? In this episode, Hannah leads Marcelle through a discussion of contemporary masculinities and their commodification vi...

Patreon Preview: The Barbie Movie Pt. 1

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We had to talk about the Barbie movie! We structured this bonus like our usual Patreon-only Q&A episodes, only this time we only answered question...

Barbie x Petro-Capitalism

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We had to talk about Barbie! This episode is all about Barbie dolls and way they took over the toy industry in the 90s. We've since recorded an episod...

Spare x Tender Masculinity

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's here! Welcome to the first episode of Material Girls, a scholarly podcast about pop culture co-hosted by Hannah McGregor and Marcelle Kosman.This...

Material Girls: An Introduction

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Material Girls! A new show from the team behind the beloved podcast, Witch, Please. Every episode you'll get your pop culture fix with some...

Appendix: The Witch, Please Wrap Up

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Well Witches... we're here, at the end of Witch, Please the podcast. If you've been following us on Instagram, then you know that we are so grateful f...

Appendix: Fan Studies Revisited

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For our final regular episode, we decided to revisit Fan Studies! We begin with a review of our episodes on Foucault and authorship, Michel de Certeau...

Introducing Gender Playground with Marcelle Kosman and Raimi Marx

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're thrilled to share the pilot episode of Gender Playground!Gender Playground is a new show from Witch, Please Productions and is co-hosted by long...

Bonus Ep: Shame Spiraling with Ely Kreimendahl

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus episode, Hannah and Marcelle are joined by comedian and podcaster Ely Kreimendahl (she/her) for a discussion about shame, relationships,...

Appendix: Critical Adoption Studies with Nia

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're joined by Nia (they/them) for a conversation about critical adoption studies — a field of scholarship that explores adoption as a le...

Appendix: Anti-Fatness with Aubrey Gordon

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're so excited to be joined by Aubrey Gordon (she/her) for an episode about anti-fatness in the Harry Potter series. We begin with a quick review of...

Appendix: Giggle-ology with Dix McDevitt

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As you know, we love to laugh! That's why we were thrilled when a brilliant listener, Dix McDevitt (she/her), pitched us an episode about giggling in ...

Appendix: The Author

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We said we would and so we did! Here is our episode on l'auteur! In this episode, Marcelle leads us through a brief Revisions segment because there is...

Bonus Ep: Hogwarts Legacy with Michelle Thompson

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus episode, Marcelle is joined by Michelle Thompson to discuss Hogwarts Legacy! If you've been curious about this game and the shitstorm su...

Appendix: Witch Hunts with Niki Fitzgerald

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we bring in a guest, Niki Fitzgerald (she/her), to talk about Witch Hunts. Niki is an NHS doctor specialising in Care of the Elderly a...

Appendix: Holocaust Studies with Andrea Dara Cooper

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to our Appendix Season — a chance to look at the Harry Potter series as a whole.In this episode we bring in a guest, Andrea Dara C...

Appendix: Sentimentality, Revisited

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our Appendix Season — a chance to look at the Harry Potter series as a whole. To kick it off, we're revisiting Sentimentality with a...

Bonus Ep: #WitchPleaseTellMe Team Edition

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're on a break! Please enjoy this episode of #WitchPleaseTellMe, a monthly Patreon perk we're sharing with you in between seasons! We'll be back in ...

Book 7, Ep. 9 | The Deathly Hallows Wrap Up

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we wrap up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and thus Season Seven of Witch, Please. We talk about Hermione and Ron's sex life in ...

Bonus Ep: Women for Iran

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We'll be back in two weeks for our final Season 7 Wrap-Up Episode, but this week we're sharing a bonus interview from Patreon. We were so honored to h...

Book 7, Ep. 8 | House Elves with Jessica Marie Johnson

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're finally here, Witches — at our long-awaited House Elves episode. We've been talking about Dobby, Kreacher, Winky and the general house elf pop...

Book 7, Ep. 7 | Sentimentality

13 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the wise words of Lizzo, it's about damn time! Our latest episode is all about Sentimentality, an 18th century philosophical intervention that emer...

Bonus Ep: Comfort Creatures

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re taking a little break to gear up for the holiday season. So instead of enjoying a regular episode, please enjoy this episode of Comfort Creatu...

Book 7, Ep. 6 | Eugenics

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we do a deep dive into eugenics, a nineteenth-century pseudosciences that justified a lot of racist, ableist, and generally violent o...

Book 7, Ep. 5 | Resurrection with Matt Potts

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Potts is back to talk about resurrection! We first revisit theory Matt introduced to us last season on our episode about "the soul" and then cons...

Book 7, Ep. 4 | New Media

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're back with a new episode on New Media! To begin, we revisit Print Culture, Critical Archival Studies and the work of Canadian theorist Marshall M...

Bonus Ep: A Sentimental Education

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hey Witches! We'll be back on Tuesday with our regularly scheduled episodes, but we thought we'd give you the promised sneak peek at Hannah's new book...

Unlocked Patreon Exclusive: Sparks Fly with Maia Kobabe

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Maia Kobabe (e/em/eir) has been censored enough! We're putting this exclusive bonus interview out to the public because it was just so dang fun to rec...

Book 7, Ep. 3 | Motherhood with Erin Wunker

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our journey through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with another special guest, Erin Wunker! Erin is a settler scholar and an Associa...

Book 7, Ep. 2 | Historical Memory with Shira Lurie

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our journey through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with a special guest, Shira Lurie! Shira joins us to discuss historical memory in...

Book 7, Ep. 1 | Chosen One Narratives Revisited

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we begin Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! We cannot believe we're already at the start of Book 7, but honestly, we're so excited...

Unlocked Patreon Exclusive: Witch, Please Tell Me

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're still on a break and gearing up for our seventh season all about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Of course, we didn't want to leave you wi...

Bonus Ep: Fandom Forward with Lark and Jessie

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're in between seasons and thrilled to bring you a one-off bonus conversation with beloved podcasters Lark Malakai Gray and Jessie Blount. You may k...

Book 6, Ep. 9 | The Half-Blood Prince Wrap Up

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we wrap up Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and thus Season Six of Witch, Please. We talk Hermione in Granger Danger and fashi...

Book 6, Ep. 8 | Life Writing

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we discuss Life Writing. We begin with a review of the monomyth and Structuralism, followed by a deep dive into the work of Sidon...

Book 6, Ep. 7 | Marginalia

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we dig into Marginalia! After a brief revision of our episodes on Print Culture and Fan Studies, we take a look at the it's long histo...

Book 6, Ep. 6 | The Soul with Matt Potts

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are joined by Matt Potts, co-host of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. Matt is a reverend and a professor at Harvard specializing i...

Book 6, Ep. 5 | Security Theatre

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we get into Security Theatre — and what a timely topic it is! We go over what we learned from Book 3, Episode 6 with Mercedes Eng who walk...

Book 6, Ep. 4 | Masculinity Studies with Aspen

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we're talking about Masculinity Studies with our special guest, Aspen!We begin with a brief review of our episodes on Feminist Theory...

Book 6, Ep. 3 | Rape Culture

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hey friends! Please skip this episode if that feels right for you. We'll be back in two weeks and we want you to take care of yourselves first!In this...

Book 6, Ep. 2 | Hauntology

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we are talking ghosts! Tune in for a conversation with our guest, Lydia, as we consider Hauntology as an analytical tool for better u...

Book 6, Ep. 1 | Slytherin Pedagogy

22 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we begin Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by revisiting pedagogy! If you've enjoyed our past episodes about the professors at H...

Inside Our Patreon: #WitchPleaseTellMe Q&A

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re releasing some insider Patreon bonus content instead of a regular episode! Please enjoy this #WitchPleaseTellMe Q&A from May 202...

Book 5, Ep. 9 | The Order of the Phoenix Wrap-Up

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we wrap up The Order of the Phoenix, and thus Season Five of Witch, Please. We talk Hermione in Granger Danger and fashion in Lewk Bo...

Book 5, Ep. 8 | Mad Studies with Aisha Wilks

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we're joined by Aisha Wilks (she/her) for a dive into Mad Studies. Pulling on past episodes about Disability Studies, Critical Race Th...

Book 5, Ep. 7 | Media Studies: The Wand is the Message

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Marcelle leads us through an overview of famous Edmontonian and Media Studies scholar, Marshall McLuhan! We tackle McLuhan's “Tetrad...

Book 5, Ep. 6 | Centaurs with jaye simpson

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we are joined by jaye simpson to talk about centaurs! jaye is an Oji-Cree Saulteaux Indigiqueer from the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation. The...

Bonus Ep: Witch, Please After 8: A Holidate

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hey Witches! We’re dropping this Bonus Episode into your feed as a little end-of-year thank you for everything you’ve done to make the Witch,...

Book 5, Ep. 5 | Shapeshifting

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we take a closer look at the range of shapeshifters we meet in the Harry Potter series. Between Animagi, Werewolves, Metamorphmagi, V...

Book 5, Ep. 4 | Fan Studies with Amanda Allen

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Well Witches, we finally did it — we recorded an episode about fan studies and fan-fiction. And our wonderful guest, Amanda K. Allen (she/her), made...

Book 5, Ep. 3 | Publics

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we dig into publics! The Order of the Phoenix is absolutely brimming with secret, self-organized clubs and we're taking some time to conside...

Book 5, Ep. 2 | PTSD with Addie Merians

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are joined by the wonderful Dr. Addie Merians. Addie (she/her) is a postdoc in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She has her PhD in c...

Book 5, Ep. 1 | Critical Archival Studies

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for Season 5! You know what that means, Witches? It means we have a whole season coming your way about Harry Potter and the Order of the Pho...

Inside Our Patreon: Bonus Episode with Ella McLeod

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hey Witches! We're dropping into your feed today with a special bonus episode featuring guest Ella McLeod. Ella joined Hannah and Marcelle in June for...

Book 4, Ep. 9 | The Goblet of Fire Wrap-Up

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's hard to believe, but we are at the end of season four and thus at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! In this wrap-up episode, we dis...

Book 4, Ep. 8 | Magical Capital

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we return to a question that has challenged us since the beginning of this podcast: what’s the deal with the Weasleys’ class stat...

Book 4, Ep. 7 | Monstrous Women with Jess Zimmerman

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are joined by author Jess Zimmerman (she/they) to discuss the history of monstrous representation in cultural texts across history....

Book 4, Ep. 6 | The Return of Pedagogy

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're revisiting pedagogy, Witches!We first tackled this topic to kick off Season Three by defining the term and considering the teaching methods of v...

Book 4, Ep. 5 | Trans Studies with Taylor Allgeier-Follett

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a must-listen, Witches!Guest Taylor Allgeier-Follet joins Hannah and Marcelle for a conversation on Trans Studies and The Goblet of Fire. Tayl...

Book 4, Ep. 4 | Post-Critique

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when Marcelle asks Hannah to do an episode on gay whimsy? We get an episode on post-critique! Dive into this theory with Hannah and Marce...

Book 4, Ep. 3 | Critical Race Theory with K. Alex

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You don't want to miss this episode, Witches!Guest K. Alexandra joins Hannah and Marcelle for a conversation about Critical Race Theory and The Goblet...

Book 4, Ep. 2 | The Nation State

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine this... imagined communities! In this episode, Hannah and Marcelle talk all about the Triwizard Tournament and the Goblet of Fire's relationsh...

Book 4, Ep. 1 | Structuralism

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Guess what Witches, it's time to jump on the Hogwarts Express because we're back with our fourth season — all about Harry Potter and the Goblet of F...

Book 3, Ep. 7 | Prisoner of Azkaban Wrap-Up

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Well Witches, it’s time to hop on the back of the nearest hippogriff and fly into the sunset, because we’re officially wrapping up Harry Potter an...

Book 3, Ep. 6 | The Prison Industrial Complex with Mercedes Eng

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Special guest, poet and educator Mercedes Eng, joins us to take a closer look at Azkaban, the carceral logic of the wizard world, and how it reflects ...

Book 3, Ep. 5 | Werewolves: A Metaphor?

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Greetings, Witches!Our last two episode on Animal Studies and Disability Studies laid the groundwork for this week's episode all about how to read Rem...

Book 3, Ep.4 | Disability and Resistant Readings with with Tea Gerbeza

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Greetings, Witches!In this episode, we're once again applying a disability studies lens to the wizarding world. This time, we're looking at questions ...

Book 3, Ep. 3 | Animal Studies Revisited

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Witches, meet us at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.We're returning to the rich territory of animal studies to understand the limitations of human vs...

Book 3, Episode 2 | Time Travel

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Greetings, Witches!As always, we're eternally grateful for the time you spend listening with us. In this episode, we're unpacking the mechanics of tim...

Book 3, Ep. 1 | Pedagogy

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Attention, class!This is the episode all of you superbly studious witches have been waiting for! We draw upon our own expertise as longtime students a...

Introducing: The Real Question

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Greetings, Witches!We’re excited to bring you a special something from our partners at Not Sorry Productions. The Real Question is a new podcast fro...

Book 2, Ep. 7 | Chamber of Secrets Wrap-Up

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Well, Witches, we've reached the end of another book together. We spend this episode, among other things, revisiting the tragic squandering of Hermion...

Book 2, Ep. 6 | Print Culture

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Beloved bookish witches, join us for a discussion of print culture as it appears in the wizarding world. We'll unpack our own biases and beliefs about...

Book 2, Ep. 5 | Celebrity Studies

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we've brought together the Who's Who of the Wizarding World for the event of the season you won't want to miss – an episode on Celebrity S...

Book 2, Ep. 4 | Disability Studies with Jes Battis, PhD.

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Special guest, Jes Battis PhD, joins us to unpack the history of disability studies and help us understand both the characters in Harry Potter and the...

Book 2, Ep. 3 | The Gothic

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Beware, Witches! Deep in the belly of a dark and chilly castle lurks an abundance of secrets! In case you hadn't noticed, the Harry Potter books are c...

A Holiday Special from the Archives featuring Neale Barnholden!

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Season's Greetings Witches!In this most magical of seasons, we are bringing you a bright star from our archives—a holiday special featuring Neale Ba...

Book 2, Ep. 2 | Queer Theory

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We have an episode for you that, in our professional opinion, is very gay. And by gay we mean inviting expansively, radically, resistantly queer readi...

Book 2, Ep.1 | Feminist Theory

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Greetings Witches! We're so excited to be moving on to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with you! Break out your feminist reading glasses, beca...

Book 1, Ep.6. | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Wrap-Up

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We've arrived at the end of our journey though Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but before we dig into the Chamber of Secrets, we have a few ...

Book 1, Ep.5 | Trauma with Lucia M. Lorenzi, PhD.

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Special guest, Lucia M. Lorenzi, PhD, joins us to unpack trauma theory and helps us understand both the characters in Harry Potter and the world they ...