A podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English PhD candidates by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature. on your favorite podcast platforms! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @SexLoveLit.
Ayanni Cooper and Corinne Matthews
We're taking a trip back in time this episode to do a deep dive on the classic fairy tale retelling, Ever After: A Cinderella Story. We consider what makes something a Cinderella story and how Ever After maps onto those criteria; our reactions to the main romance; and the tour de force performance that is Angelica Huston as the Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent. What's Sparking Joy this episode: The Residence on Netflix, Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim, and "The Hills of Tanchico" from The Wheel of Time season 3.CW: Brief mention of the potential of SA from (1:14:58-1:15:10)Show Notes:Take the SLL Audience Survey! Closes April 30th, 2025: https://forms.gle/AJhFuMDzjSZeTE1f8Support us on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/sexlovelitpodcastLinda Holmes's "A Girl, A Show, A Prince": https://www.npr.org/2015/03/13/392358854/a-girl-a-shoe-a-prince-the-endlessly-evolving-cinderella"The Hills of Tanchico" Clip: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIANPQJSAet/?igsh=MWhoczk0aHl4ZW92Zw==Listen to our Joy Sparked: SLL Song Recs playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50MNBI1kYKdJgxh8CzEJF1?si=d9df62854c684557Other lit mentioned this episode: The Little Mermaid, Cinderelle, Spiceworld, Prince of Persia, The Great Check out SLL Live in 2025:April 2025 - Romance in CNY: https://romanceincny.com/July 2025 - RomantiConn: https://www.romanticonn.com/On Future SLL Episodes: Dying for Sex (on Hulu), Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity.Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at SexLoveLitPodcast.com; on Instagram , Tumblr, and BlueSky @SexLoveLitPodcast. Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/sexlovelitpodcastOur cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr;Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US.Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
We recorded a thicc episode for you this month with our special guest Sarah, one of the hosts of the podcast Afternoona Asks! Together, we get into the nitty-gritty of red flag and green flag characters and cover a lot of ground: from what makes a red flag red and a green flag green, to the surprising gender dynamics of “flagging” characters at all.Along the way, we mention a lot of our favorite love interests, including Baek Seon of When the Phone Rings, Mr. Gu of My Liberation Notes, Captain Ri of gateway KDrama Crash Landing on You, and many, many more. (If you want an SLL drinking game, take a sip every time Ayanni says "interesting"
It's time for our annual SLL tradition of rounding up the pop culture of the previous year! We start with what pop-culture is "sparking joy” in February, our favorites of 2024, and what we're looking forward to in 2025.As a treat, Corinne's snark levels were very high this episode (lol).CW: Brief mention of S*icide from (1:06:51-1:06:54)Show Notes: Take the SLL Audience Survey! Closes March 28th, 2025: https://forms.gle/AJhFuMDzjSZeTE1f8 Support us on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/sexlovelitpodcast Check out Corinne's 2024 drama round ups on Tumblr: Korean Dramas: https://www.tumblr.com/starcrossed591/770716418956312576/kdrama-year-in-review-2024?source=share Chinese Dramas: https://www.tumblr.com/starcrossed591/771029764525916160/cdrama-year-in-review-2024?source=share Lit Mentioned By Section: What's Sparking Joy Feb 2025: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater, and My Old Ass Joy Sparked in 2024 - Yoga with Kassandra (https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithkassandra), Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan, My Sweet Mobster (KDrama), As If Love Does Not Exist (Webtoon), Blossom (CDrama), Kaos, True Detective (Season 4), Someone to Build a Nest In by John Wiswell, Poor Things, Challengers, Build Mama a Coffin: An Old Gods of Appalachia story (https://www.oldgodsofappalachia.com/episodes/2020-02-06/build-mama-a-coffin-trailer/202002061153231909) Joy Sparked in 2024, Deep Dives - Lovely Runner (KDrama),The Princess Royal (CDrama), Look Back, Flow, Nosferatu (2024) Future Joy Sparked in 2025: Back After This by Linda Holmes, Wheel of Time (Season 3), Witch Hat Atelier anime, Sinners Others: Extraordinary You, Goblin, Romance of Tiger and Rose, Love Like the Galaxy, Flourished Peony, Abbott Elementary, Blue Box, My Happy Marriage, Apothecary Diaries, Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun, Perfect Marriage Revenge, Marry My Husband, The Wild Robot Check out SLL Live in 2025: April 2025 - Romance in CNY: https://romanceincny.com/ July 2025 - RomantiConn: https://www.romanticonn.com/On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, and Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity.Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at SexLoveLitPodcast.com; on Instagram , Tumblr, and BlueSky @SexLoveLitPodcast. Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/sexlovelitpodcastOur cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr;Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US.Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
Joined once again by our younger siblings, Erin and Akinde, we dive right into Sarah J Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury spoilers in part two of our discussion. To kick things off, we start with our complicated feelings on main character Feyre. We also ask the hard hitting questions, like: are these sex scenes sexy? Why is there so much growling? And what would actually happen if the wings of the Illyrians were really that sensitive? As a heads up for people who adore these books: we're not here to kill your vibe! Still, while we do appreciate a lot of what Maas is doing, as well as her wider influence on pop culture, we do have some bones to pick. Also, we drop a few spoilers for some of the later books, so if you care about spoilers for books 3, 4 or 5, please be forewarned! Sorry for the delay on this one, folks! January was a month...but we left a treat for you at the end of this episode to make up for it. Show Notes: What's Sparking Joy (music edition): "Guess" by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish; Sable by Bon Iver; Keeping Company by Bill Laurance and Michael League; Rosie by Rosé; "Symptom of Life" by Willow; "Otokonoke" by Creepy Nuts. Listen to these (and other) songs that have sparked joy on our Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50MNBI1kYKdJgxh8CzEJF1?si=TA6c98XGQ2acsAC83BVfPA Other lit discussed this episode: Twilight & Fourth Wing The first ACOTAR episode: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e52-sarah-j-maas-romantasy-and-introducing-acotar-part-1-spoiler-free-theyre-fairies-and-the/ Correction: our yearly pop culture roundup will be recorded and posted in February, based on feedback from listeners. Check out SLL Live in 2025: April 2025 - Romance in CNY: https://romanceincny.com/ July 2025 - RomantiConn: https://www.romanticonn.com/ On Future SLL Episodes: What's Sparking Joy: 2024 Pop Culture Roundup, Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, and Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at SexLoveLitPodcast.com; on Instagram , Tumblr, and BlueSky @SexLoveLitPodcast. Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). TheSLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr;Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US. ACOTAR synopsis background music is "Nice Surprise" from Purple Planet Music (www.purple-planet.com). Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
You've asked, you've waited, and now, we're finally delivering! Welcome to our two-part deep dive on the international best selling Romantasy novels A Court of Thorns and Roses and a Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas. In this first, spoiler free episode, we touch on our initial reactions to the series, and think a bit about what romantasy is and why it's so appealing to so many readers. Plus, we're joined by some very special guests for these two episodes: our younger siblings! They may claim to have been manipulated into coming on the show, but we're glad to have them both on for this discussion
In case you haven't noticed, there's a lot going on *gestures everywhere*, so rather than get into anything too tragic, as we're wont to do, we've instead gathered some Comfort Media for Interesting Times (™)–that is, the pop culture we turn to when things are rough and we're in need of a boost to help us make it through. This episode, in the style of our Pop-Culture Round Ups, we trade off sharing cozy books, music, and TV shows that bolster our spirits and help us feel warm inside. Lit "rounded up" this Episode: Howl's Moving Castle (1986) by Diana Wynne Jones On a Sunbeam (2018) by Tillie Walden Eva Ibbotson's 5 romance book set in the early 1900's, but especially The Reluctant Heiress (1982) A Countess Below Stairs (1981) The Discographies of Maaya Sakamoto (Shounen Alice and Single Collection: Nikopachi (2003)) and Hikaru Utada (Bad Mode (2022) and Ultra Blue (2006) Show Notes: What's Sparking Joy: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree, Blue Box (aka Aoi no Hako) on Netflix Other lit discussed this episode: Spinning by Tillie Walden, My Happy Marriage, The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones, First Love (J-Drama) Correction: Tessa from The Reluctant Heiress is a staunch "republican," not "communist." Check out SLL Live in 2025: April 2025 - Romance in CNY: https://romanceincny.com/ July 2025 - RomantiConn: https://www.romanticonn.com/ On Future SLL Episodes: A Court of Thorns and Roses/A Court of Mist and Fury, Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, and Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at SexLoveLitPodcast.com; on Instagram , Tumblr, and BlueSky @SexLoveLitPodcast. Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). TheSLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr;Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
Sorry for the delay on this episode folks - October and November have been a lot. But, without further ado, here's Last Night at the Telegraph Club, episode two! Joined once again by Dr. Kai Chen, we dive right into Last Night at the Telegraph Club spoilers, starting with our feelings on Kath and Lily's relationship and the high-key stress of classroom makeouts. From there, we consider the queer space of the Telegraph Club, Lily's complicated and not always likable bestie Shirley, and our thoughts on the admittedly fraught ending. Show Notes: What's Sparking Joy: Bloom by (G)I-DLE, Crazy (feat Pink Pantheress) by LA SSERAFIM , Leon Other lit discussed this episode: How Sweet by NewJeans, Forever by Judy Blume, Crazy Rich Asians, Fellow Travelers, My Favorite Thing is Monsters Learn more about Dr. Chen's work on the UF University Writing Program website: https://writing.ufl.edu/directory/yukai-chen/ Support your local bookstore and Malinda Lo by getting Last Night the Telegraph Club and A Scattering of Light on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=malinda+lo Code Switch - "They Don't Say Our Names Enough" - https://www.npr.org/2020/06/26/884080764/they-dont-say-our-names-enough The Evening Crowd at Kirmser's: A Gay Life in the 1940s - https://bookshop.org/p/books/evening-crowd-at-kirmser-s-a-gay-life-in-the-1940s-ricardo-j-brown/9374706?ean=9780816636228 The Body and Its Dangers & Other Stories - https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-body-and-its-dangers-other-stories-allen-barnett/20854353?ean=9781608642922 Check out SLL Live in 2025: April 2025 - Romance in CNY: https://romanceincny.com/ July 2025 - RomantiConn: https://www.romanticonn.com/ On Future SLL Episodes: A Court of Thorns and Roses/A Court of Mist and Fury, Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, and Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at SexLoveLitPodcast.com; on Instagram and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast. Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). TheSLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr;Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
In classic SLL fashion, I welcome you to another accidental two-part discussion. This time, we're joined by Dr. Kai Chen to discuss Malinda Lo's award-winning novel, Last Night at the Telegraph Club. This episode, we keep things spoiler free by first giving some context for the book and then our overall impressions. (Plus, we get a bonus visit from Ayanni's 20 year old family cat.) Show Notes: What's Sparking Joy: Kevin can F*** Himself (on Netflix), Mayonaka Punch (on Crunchyroll), Are You The One (on Viki), and Delicious in Dungeon (on Netflix) Other lit discussed this episode: Goodbye My Princess, Evangelion, Ashe (by Malinda Lo), My Favorite Thing is Monsters Learn more about Dr. Chen's work on the UF University Writing Program website: https://writing.ufl.edu/directory/yukai-chen/ Support your local bookstore and Malinda Lo by getting Last Night the Telegraph Club on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/last-night-at-the-telegraph-club-malinda-lo/16520139?ean=9780525555278 Learn more Pen America and their various initiatives: https://pen.org/ Check out SLL Live in 2025: April 2025 - Romance in CNY: https://romanceincny.com/ July 2025 - RomantiConn: https://www.romanticonn.com/ On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at SexLoveLitPodcast.com; on Instagram and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast. Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). TheSLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr;Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
Welcome to our second episode on the Chinese Drama Lost You Forever, part 2! We jump right into Tushan Jing and Xiao Yao's relationship as the ostensible OTP of the show. From there, we consider just how sad our snake demon man Xiang Liu made us in his determination to push Xiao Yao away, as well as A'Nian's surprisingly poignant maturation arc. Lit Discussed this Episode: "Spring Snow" by 10 Centimeters, "Love Heart Cheat Code" by Hiatus Kaiyote, "Nightfalling" by John Park, Lovely Runner, Love Between Fairy and Devil(Plus, check out our new Spotify playlist that rounds up songs we love and that have sparked joy: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50MNBI1kYKdJgxh8CzEJF1?si=SjvEqPF_RdS7Y5-AXDH5zg&pi=u-5IZPrM2xRc-N)Show Notes:You can listen to all the previous Lost You Forever episodes on your favorite podcast platforms: Season 2, Part 1: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e47-lost-you-forever-season-2-episode-1-of-2-a-lot-of-sad-weddings-in-this-one/Season 1, Part 1 (no spoilers): https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e35-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-1-spoiler-free/Season 1, Part 2: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e36-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-2-spoiler-filled/Season 1, Part 3: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e37-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-3-spoiler-filled/Come see us LIVE at Romance in CNY: https://romanceincny.com/Planning for RomantiConn 2025 is already underway! https://www.facebook.com/groups/351611412074474/On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity, and A Court of Thorns and RosesDon't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at SexLoveLitPodcast.com; on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit; and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcastOur cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). TheSLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr;Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_USSex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
Your girls had a lot of feelings and a lot to say about the most recent installment of the Chinese drama Lost You Forever. So welcome to part one of our deep dive that starts with our overall reactions to the show. Then, we go into Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao's complicated relationship, and especially how some of the changes in adaptation from the novel affect how it all ties together at the end. Lit Discussed this Episode: Mayonaka Punch, The Earl Who Isn't, Love Like the Galaxy, Snowfall, Little Women (2019), Goodbye My Princess Show Notes: Come see us LIVE at Romance in CNY: https://romanceincny.com/ Planning for RomantiConn 2025 is already underway! https://www.facebook.com/groups/351611412074474/ You can listen to all the previous Lost You Forever episodes on your favorite podcast platforms: Part 1 (no spoilers): https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e35-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-1-spoiler-free/ Part 2: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e36-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-2-spoiler-filled/ Part 3: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e37-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-3-spoiler-filled/ On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at SexLoveLitPodcast.com; on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit; and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
Due to circumstances entirely within our control, we interrupt your regularly scheduled SLL programming for a special summer edition of our What's Sparking Joy: Pop Culture Round Up. In addition to checking in about what we've been watching, reading, and listening to so far this year, we each share three pieces of media that continue to live rent free in our heads. Lit Discussed this Episode: Lost You Forever Season 2 (no spoilers), Challengers, There's a Door in this Darkness, A Sign of Affection, The Princess Royal, The Bear, and The Midnight Romance in Hagwon Content Warning: Familial de*th is mentioned twice in this episode, at (26:12) and again at (48:40) Show Notes: Come visit Ayanni at the SLL table during RomantiConn this July! The vendors room is free to visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/romanticonn-2024-a-romance-author-signing-event-tickets-786820470207 ; https://www.facebook.com/groups/351611412074474/ Other Lit Mentioned this Episode: Love Between Fairy and Devil; Crash Landing on You; My Dearest; Red, White and Royal Blue; The Legend of Shen Li; Wedding Impossible; Captivating the King; Bitterblue; Silent; Romance is a Bonus Book; One Spring Night; Something in the Rain; Crash Course in Romance On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at SexLoveLitPodcast.com; on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit; and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
Welcome to our second episode on Bridgerton, season three! Picking up where we left off, we jump right into close reading Polin's main sex scenes. From there, we think about what made us adore the side plots through discussion of Benedict, Francesca, and Violet's storylines this season. Note: there are Bridgerton book spoilers from (37:36 - 38:14) and again from (39:27 - 39:47). Make sure to listen to part one of our season three discussion- E44 Bridgerton, Season 3: "I need some f*replay, okay?!" (Episode 1 of 2): https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sexlovelit/episodes/E44-Bridgerton--Season-3-I-need-some-freplay--okay---Episode-1-of-2-e2ldc1t/a-abd482b Show Notes: Come visit Ayanni at the SLL table during RomantiConn this July: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/romanticonn-2024-a-romance-author-signing-event-tickets-786820470207 Hear Corinne repping for SLL over on the VoxPopCast: https://voxpopcast.com/wp/2024/06/24/e324-unpacking-bridgerton-season-3-penelope-queerness-and-fandom-reactions/ Other Lit Mentioned this episode: What's Sparking Joy: "Black Dog" by Taylor Swift, "Do 2 Me" by Kaytranada feat Anderson .Paak and SiR On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
Members of the ton rejoice! Both halves of Bridgerton, season three have finally dropped. We had so many thoughts about this latest installment of the regency romance series that–just like Netflix–we split our conversation in two. In this first episode, we consider the season as a whole, break down Pen and Colin's long awaited transition from friends to lovers, and start to craft "Bridgerton, Season Three: the Corinne and Ayanni Cut." The second part of our conversation drops on Saturday, June 29th. Show Notes: Come visit Ayanni at the SLL table during RomantiConn this July: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/romanticonn-2024-a-romance-author-signing-event-tickets-786820470207 Hear Corinne repping for SLL over on the VoxPopCast: https://voxpopcast.com/wp/2024/06/24/e324-unpacking-bridgerton-season-3-penelope-queerness-and-fandom-reactions/ Other Lit Mentioned this episode: What's Sparking Joy: Last Night at the Telegraph Club and Meet Yourself (Chinese Drama) Because This is My First Life, My Liberation Notes, Pop Culture Happy Hour On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.
Time for the third installment of our divorce comedy mini-series! While we didn't initially plan to include this show, we're talking about the recently concluded Korean drama Queen of Tears. We consider whether or not the show is actually a divorce comedy at all, how it deploys divorce in the development of the main relationship, and what about this second chance romance really resonates. We also touch on some of the other things that did–and didn't–work for us in the drama as a whole. Content warning: Because of the nature of the show we're discussing, there are mentions of fictional s*icide at 9:50, 11:41, and 40:44; discussion of a fictional miscarriage starting at 43:20; and discussion of fictional terminal illness throughout. Show Notes: Come visit Ayanni at the SLL table during RomantiConn this July: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/romanticonn-2024-a-romance-author-signing-event-tickets-786820470207 Read Corinne's Tumblr post on Drama Recs for KDrama Beginners: https://www.tumblr.com/sexlovelitpodcast/747784569802080256/sex-love-lit-girlies-i-watched-crash-landing-on?source=share Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon), Twenty Sided Tavern, Baulder's Gate, Dungeons and Dragons, The Guy She's Interested in isn't a Guy at All; Lovely Runner, Crash Landing on You, Cinderella and the Four Knights, My Love From Another Star, Legend of the Deep Blue Sea, Gaus Electronics, Let's Talk About Chu, Mine, Little Women, Vincenzo, The Interest of Love On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond.
Welcome to the second installment of our divorce comedy mini-series! This episode, we're talking about the 2023 Korean Drama Doctor Cha. We get into her messy, maddening marriage, why her husband belongs in the trash, and the rewards of watching our leading lady find herself again. Content warning: brief mention of s*icidal ideation @ 32:03 Show Notes: Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Apothecary Diaries, Lost Your Forever, Legend of Shen Li, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Because This is My First Life, Fight for My Way, Our Blues, A Witch's Love On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond.
Welcome to our mini-series on Divorce Comedies! Over the next 4-ish episodes, we're exploring this genre that caught us off guard with how much its makes us laugh, cry, and yell divorce! In this introductory episode, rather than focus on any one show, we get into the defining features of divorce comedies, why we wanted to talk about them, and whether or not they can be counted as rom coms. Show Notes: Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Lost You Forever, WWE: Wrestlemania, Nettle & Bone, The Legend of Shen Li, Romance is a Bonus Book, Grace and Frankie, Crazy Stupid Love, Let's Get Divorced, 500 Days of Summer, Stranger's Again, Mine, Rinko-San Wants to Try, Be Melodramatic On Future SLL Episodes: Dr. Cha, Strangers Again, and Let's Get Divorced, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond.
"See, on the road to Hell there was a railroad line..." It's time for a deep dive into the Broadway musical, Hadestown. We get into how the musical adapts the Grek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice & Hades and Persephone for a modern setting; the love stories–and tragedy–of the two core relationships; and the productive ambiguity of seeing it all happen on stage. Content Warning: Discussions of S*xual Assault from (1:06:41 - 1:14:05) Show Notes: Other Lit Mentioned this episode: The Story of Ming Lang, Lore Olympus, When I Arrived at the Castle, Speak, Beka Cooper Trilogy, Alanna the Lioness Quartet On Future SLL Episodes: Divorce Comedies (featuring Dr. Cha, Strangers Again, and Let's Get Divorced), and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond.
Corinne wasn't feeling well this week, so Ayanni called in the cavalry. This episode, she's joined by her spouse (and friend of the show) Andrew Cooper to talk about the new action-dramedy series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They give their general impressions, think about the series' adaptation choices, and muse about the show's depiction of married life. Show Notes: Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Jujutsu Kaisen, Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2009), Skip and Loafer, Dungeon Meshi, Tell Me That You Love Me, Let's Talk About Chu, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Ironman, Pen15, Blue Eyed Samurai, Pluto, Atlanta On Future SLL Episodes: Hadestown, Divorce Comedies, and A Court of Thornes and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:07 Saying Hi to Andrew 05:51 What's Sparking Joy 15:20 Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Smith 19:54 First Impressions 24:43 Spoiler Discussion Begins 1:05:47 Coming Up on SLL
Happy New Year, y'all! We continue our annual tradition of checking in about what pop-culture is "sparking joy” in January, our favorites of 2023, and what we're looking forward to in 2024. (CW: discussion of parental and sibling death.) Oh, and did we mention we have a tumblr now? www.tumblr.com/sexlovelitpodcast Show Notes: Check out Charcooll--the awesome artist who did our cover art-- on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/) and on RedBubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/charcooll/shop?asc=u) Lit Mentioned By Section: What's Sparking Joy: Lady Liar, Ms. Abbott and the Doctor, Link: Eat Love Kill Joy Sparked in 2023 - Rapid Fire: Lost You Forever, The Boy and the Heron, Kiss Bet, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse, The Story of Kunning Palace, American Fiction, The Marquis Who Musn't, Being Monsters, Till the End of the Moon, A Guest in the House Joy Sparked in 2023 - Deep Dive: Call it Love, Ancillary Justice, A Journey to Love, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Future Joy Sparked in 2024: Lost You Forever: Part 2, The Prisoner of Beauty, All There Is (podcast), Jeong Nyeon, Baulders Gate 3 Others: What If...?, The Marvels, Let's Get Divorced, Dr. Cha, Strangers Again Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast Our cover art is by Charcooll (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:58 Opening Bander 09:11 What's Sparking Joy 16:37 2023 Joy Sparked - Rapid Fire 36:06 2023 Joy Sparked - Deeper Dive 1:02:37 Looking Forward to 2024 Joy 1:14:24 Pop-Culture Predictions 1:22:28 Closing Out/Future SLL Episodes
CW: Discussion of s*xual assault, and brief mentions of drugging and s*icide, from 1:00:27 – 1:04:15 You've made it to the third and final installment of our semi-accidental mini-series on the Chinese Drama, Lost You Forever. (You either really like us, or you really like Lost You Forever, and we appreciate you either way.) We know you've been waiting for it, so this episode, we finally get to the last three main players fighting for Xiaoyao's heart: Fenglong of the Central Plains; Xiang Liu, everyone's favorite nine-headed sea snake demon man; and last but certainly not least, Tushan Jing, soft beta baby boy of the year. Don't forget to listen to part one, "E35 Lost You Forever Season 1 (Mini-Series Part 1, Spoiler Free)," and part two, “E36 Lost You Forever Season 1 (Mini-Series Part 2, Spoiler Filled),” if you haven't already. Show Notes: Lost You Forever Soundtrack (on Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/6opCSvYhh5CiAioySGp0Nm?si=7a6e1432558947d0 Other lit mentioned this episode: Till the End of the Moon Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:24 Opening Bander 02:32 What's Sparking Joy 6:30 Fenglong doesn't stand a chance 17:58 It's thirsting for Xiang Liu hours 41:14 Poor, sweet Tushan Jing 1:06:30 Some Final Thoughts 1:14:38 Closing Out
We're continuing our three-part mini-series on Lost You Forever by diving right into a truck load of spoilers! In honor of the reverse harem-ness at all, we organized our discussion around leading lady, Xiaoyao, and her four suitors. This episode, we start with Xiaoyao herself–and her many abandonment issues. Then, we get into our complicated feelings about her charming, ambitious cousin, Cang Xuan and his dangerous pursuit of the throne. As a treat (for Corinne), we also talk about Xiaoyao's bratty half-sister, A'nian, because she's the worst (and the best). Don't worry Fangfeng Bei and Tushan Jing fans, stay tuned for part three of our discussion for our hot takes on the rest of the harem. Don't forget to listen to part one, "E35 Lost You Forever Season 1 (Mini-Series Part 1, Spoiler Free)," if you haven't already. Show Notes: Lost You Forever Soundtrack (on Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/6opCSvYhh5CiAioySGp0Nm?si=7a6e1432558947d0 "You & Me" by Jennie (on Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/track/6gcuJpHu0Ey30D5WR76y98 Other lit mentioned this episode: Crash Landing on You, You & Me by Jennie, Pharaohs by SBTRKT, Goodbye My Princess Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:32 Opening Bander 07:17 What's Sparking Joy 12:51 Starting with Xiaoyao 31:58 Cang Xuan Time 51:44 Closing Out
CW: Brief mention of s*icide @ 30:00. Welcome to the first installment in our three part mini-series on the Chinese drama, Lost You Forever (Season 1). If you haven't seen this drama, don't worry–the first part of our mini-series is spoiler free! We give some context about the show set up, share some spoiler-free reactions, and wrap up with a game of F*ck, Marry, Kill. Along the way, we also share all the reasons we think you should check out Lost You Forever–if it hasn't already taken the top spot on your favorite dramas list. Parts 2 and 3 of our Lost You Forever mini-series dropping on December 8th! Show Notes: Lost You Forever Soundtrack (on Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/6opCSvYhh5CiAioySGp0Nm?si=7a6e1432558947d0 Lit discussed this episode: Love Between Fairy and Devil, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, As If Love Does Not Exist, Perfect Marriage Revenge, Story of Ming Lan, Love and Redemption, Love You Seven Times Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music for this episode is “TipToes” by Myuu. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:16 Opening Banter 06:19 What's Sparking Joy? 15:36 It's Lost You Forever Time 22:24 LYF Characters 27:36 LYF Political Landscape 34:23 What We Love About LYF
Happy Halloween, SLL Listeners! This episode is a special spooky season treat: a Trope Spotlight episode on ~Demon Lovers~
This episode, on the recommendation of an SLL listener, we're excited to do a deep dive into the Japanese Drama, Rinko-San Wants to Try. We get into how the show complicates conceptions of virginity, plays with the friends with benefits trope, and maybe get in our feelings a lil bit about a second female lead who really got under Ayanni's skin. As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike–along with their counterparts in other industries/countries, who also deserve fair wages and labor protections–none of the works we discuss here or in other episodes would exist. Lit discussed this episode: Get Up EP by NewJeans, Pop Culture Happy Hour (this episode specifically: https://www.npr.org/2023/08/15/1193958358/newjeans-is-a-new-kind-of-k-pop-juggernaut), My Dearest, Hit the Spot, Because This is My First Life, Lost You Forever, Friends With Benefits, No Strings Attached, Nevertheless..., Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Sex Education Bonus reading (aka works cited & consulted): Jones, Gretchen. "'Ladies' Comics': Japan's Not-So-Underground Market in Pornography for Women." U.S.-Japan Women's Journal, English Supplement, no. 22, 2002, pp. 3-31. Lieber-Milo, S. “Cute at an Older Age: A Case Study of Otona-Kawaii”. Mutual Images Journal, no. 10, Dec. 2021, pp. 93-108, doi:10.32926/2021.10.lie.otona. Sato, Kumiko. "From Hello Kitty to Code Row Kewpie: A Postwar Cultural History of Cuteness in Japan." Asian Intercultural Contacts, vol. 14, no. 2, 2009. https://www.asianstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/from-hello-kitty-to-cod-roe-kewpie-a-postwar-cultural-history-of-cuteness-in-japanA.pdf Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Recorded September 2023 SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond.
This is the second episode of our two part discussion on the Female Gaze. Since we laid some groundwork and gave some context in part one, this time around, we dive right in. In thinking through “the female gaze,” we ask questions of whom we presume is looking and who is being looked at. We also think about how the gaze becomes more complicated in our modern media context, especially when we move beyond binary, heteronormative understandings of gender and sexuality. We definitely recommend checking out "E31 The Female Gaze (Part 1): The Origins of the Gaze" before listening to this one. As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike–along with their counterparts in other industries/countries, who also deserve fair wages and labor protections– none of the works we discuss here or in other episodes would exist. Lit discussed this episode: Get Up EP by NewJeans, Spicy by Aespa, Her Private Life, See You in My 19th Life, My Love Story with Yamada-Kun at Level 999; The Song of the Lioness Quartet, The Immortals Quartet, The Lunar Chronicles, A League of Their Own (TV Series), Bonus reading (aka works cited & consulted): Bowers, Susan R. “Medusa and the Female Gaze.” NWSA Journal, vol. 2, no. 2, 1990, pp. 217-235. Benson-Allott, Caetlin. “No Such Think Not Yet: Questioning Television's Female Gaze.” Film Quarterly, vol. 71, no. 2, 2017, pp. 65-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/FQ.2017.71.2.65. Forster, Stefani. “Yes, there's such a thing as a ‘female gaze.' But it's not what you think.” Medium. !2 Jun 2018. Accessed 13 February 2020. https://medium.com/truly-social/yes-theres-such-a-thing-as-a-female-gaze-but-it-s-not-what-you-think-d27be6fc2fed. Dyhouse, Carol. Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire. Oxford University Press, 2017. Hemmann, Kathryn. "Queering the Media Mix: The Female Gaze in Japanese Fan Comics." Transformative Works and Cultures, no 20, 2015. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2015.0628. hooks, bell. "The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators." Black Looks: Race and Representation, Routledge, 2014. Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Visual and Other Pleasures, Indiana University Press, 1989. Phillips, Leah. Female Heroes in Young Adult Fantasy Fiction: Reframing Myths of Adolescent Girlhood. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023. Wilton, Tamsin. Sexual (Dis)Orientation: Gender, Sex, Desire and Self-Fashioning, Palgrave Macmillian UK, 2004. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
We're tackling a big topic in our two part discussion on “the female gaze.” What is the female gaze and why does it matter? In this first episode, we establish some context for the term by getting into the history of the “gaze” as a concept, the psychoanalytic origins of the Male Gaze as theorized by Laura Mulvey, and how the oppositional gaze, as coined by bell hooks, makes space for alternative ways of looking and being looked at. You can listen to "E32 The Female Gaze (Part 2): Complication and Expansion" right now! A quick editorial note: We incorrectly mention that polo originated in China. Sources consider what would be modern day Iran as the location of origin for the game. As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike–along with their counterparts in other industries/countries, who also deserve fair wages and labor protections– none of the works we discuss here or in other episodes would exist. Lit discussed this episode: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, Vincenzo, The Story of Ming Lan Bonus reading (aka works cited & consulted): Bowers, Susan R. “Medusa and the Female Gaze.” NWSA Journal, vol. 2, no. 2, 1990, pp. 217-235. Benson-Allott, Caetlin. “No Such Think Not Yet: Questioning Television's Female Gaze.” Film Quarterly, vol. 71, no. 2, 2017, pp. 65-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/FQ.2017.71.2.65. Forster, Stefani. “Yes, there's such a thing as a ‘female gaze.' But it's not what you think.” Medium. !2 Jun 2018. Accessed 13 February 2020. https://medium.com/truly-social/yes-theres-such-a-thing-as-a-female-gaze-but-it-s-not-what-you-think-d27be6fc2fed. Dyhouse, Carol. Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire. Oxford University Press, 2017. Hemmann, Kathryn. "Queering the Media Mix: The Female Gaze in Japanese Fan Comics." Transformative Works and Cultures, no 20, 2015. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2015.0628. hooks, bell. "The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators." Black Looks: Race and Representation, Routledge, 2014. Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Visual and Other Pleasures, Indiana University Press, 1989. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Content warning: This episode contains a very brief discussion of sexual assault from (27:14 - 27:21). Happy 3rd Birthday to Sex. Love. Literature!
Content warning: This episode contains discussion of bullying in the narrative from (13:05 - 19:00) and sexual assault from (37:21 - 48:50). This is the second of our two-parter on Netflix's Sex Education with filmmaker, writer, and scholar Michele Meek! We dive right into the sex with this one, starting with depictions of sex in the show, how we feel about the ways consent does and does not work in-universe, and Corinne works through her angry feelings about Season 3 headmaster, Hope Haddon. Make sure to listen to "E29 Netflix's Sex Education (Part 1) feat Dr. Michele Meek" for the first part of our conversation. To learn more about Michele and her work, visit MicheleMeek.com. As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike–along with their counterparts in other countries, who also deserve fair wages and labor protections– none of the works we discuss here or in other episodes would exist. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Episode was recorded in May 2023.
Content warning: While we don't discuss sexual assault in detail, we do mention it a few times, since it often comes up in conversations about consent. We've got a treat for you all this episode! Along with your usual fabulous co-hosts, we're joined by filmmaker, writer, and scholar Michele Meek to discuss the Netflix show Sex Education. In the first of two episodes with Michele, we first learn about her exciting new book, Consent Culture in Teen Films: Adolescent Sexuality in US Movies. Then, in our discussion proper, we introduce Sex Education; decide whether or not we really like the main character, Otis, and other members of the ensemble cast; and work through some of the secondhand embarrassment often associated with teen sex comedies. Mark your calendars and turn on your SLL notifications: "E30 Sex Education (Part 2) feat Dr. Michele Meek" will drop on July 28th, 2023! To learn more about Michele and her work, visit MicheleMeek.com. Corinne got really excited during What's Sparking Joy and it ran a little long, but if you want to get right to the Sex Education content, you can jump (15:35 - 24:48). Also, if you're a Sex Education fan and want to skip the background/character info, you can bypass (25:49 - 30:48). As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Lit discussed this episode: The Graceling Trilogy, Vinland Saga (Season 2), To the End of the Moon, The End of Sex Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Episode was recorded in May 2023.
We're doing a deep dive into the Shondaland Netflix show, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story! This episode, we talk about the steamy, but bittersweet romance of George and Charlotte, the evolution of the inimitable Lady Danbury, and how this new Bridgerton tale makes space for the complex desires of mature women. Like most Bridgerton series, this one has a large cast. Skip to (18:56) to bypass the character and series introductions. A quick note to bolster our discussion of minstrel shows, they rose in prominence and popularity in the mid-1800s and—to be explicit—relied upon mocking racial stereotypes of Black folks. For more information about the history of minstrelsy and it's afterlives in our modern media, check out Racial Innocence: Performing American Childhood from Slavery to Civil Rights by Robin Bernstein and Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books by Philip Nel. (And more sources to come!) Make sure to visit Mav and the rest of our friends @ VoxPop over on their site: https://voxpopcast.com/wp/ Lit discussed this episode: KPOP! Broadway, Suzume, "Flower" by Jisoo, Bridgerton, the novels of Julia Quinn, Till the End of the Moon, Game of Thrones, VSQ Performs Prince by Vitamin String Quartet Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
This episode, we're talking about the in's and out's of the Friends to Lovers trope. We cover what we think makes for a great friends to lovers story, what really really doesn't, and throw in a ton of examples. (Only half of which are Kdramas.) What's Sparking Joy ran a little long this episode, so it won't hurt our feelings if you want to skip to the end (19:36). Lit discussed this episode: The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir (webnovel & Cdrama version), Next in Fashion, Love Between Fairy and Devil, I'm The Villainess, So I'm Taming The Final Boss, The Romance Between Tiger and Rose, Avatar the Last Airbender, Soundtrack #1, Happiness, Law Cafe, Reply 1988, A Love So Beautiful, Fight For My Way, Le Morte d'Arthur, Hospital Playlist, The Kiss Bet, Veronica Mars, The 100, Bluebox, Hometown Chachacha, The Graceling Series: Winterkeep, Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Brooklyn 99, Semantic Error, Something in the Rain/Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food, Dealing with Dragons, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Nevertheless,..., Mass Effect 2, When Harry Met Sally, The Good Place, Romance is a Bonus Book, Someday or One Day, Crash Course in Romance, Your Name, The Story of Ming Lan, Ella Enchanted Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
This episode continues our deep dive into the sexy and sex-filled Korean web-drama Hit the Spot, aka Fanta G Spot. We get into the ways that the drama centers female pleasure, how it balances education with fantasy, and ask if consent can really be sexy. (Spoiler: yes.) If you haven't listened to part one, check it out for our take on the show's setup, the cast of characters, and for our reactions to the two main romances. On a more serious note, here's a recent article about one actresses experiences of working on Hit the Spot and being filmed topless: https://www.koreaboo.com/news/x-rated-k-drama-hit-spot-actress-yeonji-coerced-filming-nude-scene-releases-statement/ Lit discussed this episode: Summer Strike, Ditto by New Jeans, Business Proposal Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
We're diving into the spicy Korean web-drama Hit the Spot, aka Fanta G Spot. There was so much ground to cover (and once again, so much sex) that we're splitting our discussion into two parts. In part one–which you're reading about right now–we give some context for the show's setup, introduce the cast of characters, and share our reactions to the two main romances. Make sure you listen to part two for our thoughts on the ways the drama centers female pleasure, how it balances education with fantasy, and more! Most importantly though, we need your thoughts on Roy Choi with a beard or without. Will y'all vindicate Ayanni's appreciation for stubble? Or will you side with Corinne's approval of a clean shave? Let us know on Twitter, Instagram, or by answering the Spotify poll~ Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @SexLoveLit. Lit discussed this episode: Blue Lock, Lovestruck in the City, Interest of Love, Crash Course in Romance Articles on cis women and faked orgasms: Barnett, Michael D., et al. "Motivations for faking orgasm and orgasm consistency among young adult women." Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 149, 2019, pp. 83-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.05.031. Fahs, Breanne. "Coming to power: women's fake orgasms and best orgasm experiences illuminate the failures of (hetero)sex and the pleasures of connection." Culture, Health & Sexuality, vol. 16, no. 8, 2014, pp. 974-988. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2014.924557. Herbenick, D., H. Eastman-Mueller, Tc. Fu, et al. "Women's Sexual Satisfaction, Communication, and Reasons for (No Longer) Faking Orgasm: Findings from a U.S. Probability Sample." Archives of Sexual Behavior, vol. 48, 2019, pp. 2461–2472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01493-0. Hevesi, Krisztina, et al. "Faking Orgasm: Relationship to Orgasmic Problems and Relationship Type in Heterosexual Women." Sexual Medicine, vol. 9, no. 5, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esxm.2021.100419. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
It's time for our yearly celebration of pop-culture: "What's Sparking Joy 2023!" We start off with a round of “What's Sparking Joy” for us in January, move on to thinking about our favorite pop culture of 2022, what we're looking forward to in 2023, and a round of pop-culture predictions. We also take a moment remembering KPOP! Broadway and our experience seeing the final performance of its run. (You can pre-order the original cast recording of KPOP! or stream the song "This is My Korea" to give the fabulous cast some love.) What media are you looking forward to this year? Some Episode Notes: Ayanni was so excited this episode, she forgot how to speak and count! The 4th anniversary of SLL with be this summer ❤️ ...and it's Lee Jae Wook
This is our spoiler-filled deep dive into the Chinese Drama, Love Between Fairy and Devil. (If you'd like to hear our take on the drama sans-spoilers, check out "E23: Love Between Fairy and Devil (Part 1, Spoiler Free)".) In this episode, we cover the show's multifaceted depictions of love, the scenes that made us cry, and a spicy take about the show's finale. Plus, there's a special behind-the-scenes bonus blooper for y'all at the end of the episode~ Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Happy New Year, SLL Listeners
Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault, from (28:34 - 35:55). At the last YASA Conference, we answered the very pressing question on the mind of every Lore Olympus reader: Why is Hades So Hot? (Read: many, many reasons.) This time around we broaden our focus by putting Lore Olympus in context. In our "semi-academic" style, we discuss how this adaptation of the Hades & Persephone myth blurs the boundaries of young adult literature through audience, themes, and what it means to "come of age." Catch Corinne and Ayanni at the first ever, live Sex. Love. Literature. Q&A session on Tuesday, November 1st at 4:30pm ET as part of this year's Young Adult Studies Association (YASA) Conference! Register to join in on the fun and hear great presentations by other speakers. YASA will take place from October 31st to November 4th 2022; you can register for the conference here - https://yastudiesassociation.com/yasa2022/. Other lit discussed this episode - Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Kiss Bet, Ghost Wife, Half-Ghost, Brass and Sass, Yumi's Cells (Webtoon & Kdrama), Midnight Poppyland, Let's Play, and Goblin (aka Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) because Corinne couldn't help herself. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault, beginning at (18:55). In this special episode, we ask the question on the mind of all Lore Olympus readers: why is Hades so hot? This episode was originally recorded in 2020 for the the inaugural Young Adult Studies Association Conference, so it leans a little more academic than our usual episodes. We get into how how cartoonist Rachel Smythe's adaptation of Hades and Persephone myth plays with dark prince tropes, retools familiar characters, and grapples with difficult concepts. And make sure to check out our next Love Olympus episode, coming out on Monday, Oct 24th! For more on conference presentations, check out "E11 Special Episode — Tamora Pierce was Our Judy Blume: Sex (Ed) in YA Fantasy" (Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts) Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. (Episode was originally recorded in late 2020.)
This episode is the second of our two-parter on Bridgerton, Jane Austen, and the appeal of the Regency Romance genre. Continuing our tête-à-tête with Mav and Hannah from Vox Popcast, we get into why Netflix's Persuasion may or may not have sucked, other delightful Jane Austin adaptations, and what ingredients we absolutely have to have to make a regency romance work. You can find Hannah, Mav, and VoxPop wherever you get your podcasts. But here are links to one of the episodes we mention: e218. Does The Bechdel Test Fail The Bechdel Test? Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @SexLoveLit. Lit discussed this episode includes: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Bridgerton, Belle, Woman of Color, Fire Island, Romeo & Juliet, Romeo + Juliet, The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, The Lizzie Bennett Diaries, Christmas Calendar, Christmas Inheritance, Mansfield Park, and more! The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. “What's Sparking Joy” BGM is Candy-Coloured Sky by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Back in your ear holes for the first time since May, we're fresh off our summer hiatus. This episode we're joined by friends of the show, and fellow pop-culture connoisseurs, Mav and Hannah from VoxPopcast. In part inspired by Netflix's recent Persuasion adaptation as well as the continued success of Bridgerton, we wanted to put regency romances in context. In the first of two parts, we get into what, exactly, a regency romance is, why people love them so much, and our own experiences watching them. (Hint: it's the bosoms.) What's Sparking Joy sparked a little more than we expected, but you can skip (09:25-26:35) to get to the main discussion. Also, a quick correction: Love Like the Galaxy takes place 2000 years ago, not 1000. You can find Hannah, Mav, and VoxPop wherever you get your podcasts. But here are links to some of the episodes we mention: e219. Why We Still Love the Jurassic Park Franchise e201. The Romance Show: (Hannah wouldn't let us call) Love In The Time Of COVID e208. What Time Is It? It's Bridgerton Time! (Again) Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @SexLoveLit. Lit discussed this episode includes: Love Like the Galaxy, Riverdale, Claim to Fame, Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park: Dominion, Obsession (Board Game), Alchemy of Souls, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Yumi's Cells, Afternoona Delight Podcast, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Bridgerton, Unmarriageable The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. “What's Sparking Joy” BGM is Candy-Coloured Sky by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
In the second of two episodes on Netflix's Love is Blind, we continue our discussion with June and Lauren on dating reality television. We get into the gendered expectations around love and sex; why you should never feel guilty about enjoying reality shows; and our guests' favorite matchmaking show of all time, Are You the One? You can find Lauren and June's new show, Under Review, where ever you get your podcasts. (But here's a link to their Spotify page: https://open.spotify.com/show/1H32AGeE1ZQeRSNfy3AATI?si=422e16fdf7bf4e8e) *SLL will be on hiatus through September 2022* Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @SexLoveLit. Lit discussed this episode includes: Love Is Blind, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Mr. Sunshine (Kdrama), Are You The One?, A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, Iron Chef, Nailed It, Survivor, and more~ The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. “What's Sparking Joy” BGM is Candy-Coloured Sky by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
This episode, we're joined by Lauren and June, two fellow PhD candidates and podcasters, to discuss Netflix's Love is Blind and other dating/matchmaking reality shows. In the first part of two, we discuss how being on a reality show turns people into characters, get into our own reality TV viewing practices, and discover that Ayanni has seen way more of them than she thought! You can find Lauren and June's new show, Under Review, where ever you get your podcasts. (But here's a link to their Spotify page: https://open.spotify.com/show/1H32AGeE1ZQeRSNfy3AATI?si=422e16fdf7bf4e8e) Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @SexLoveLit. Lit discussed this episode includes: Love Is Blind, Below Deck: Sailing Yacht, The Bachelor, Next, I Love New York, Business Proposal, Thirty-Nine, Obey Me: One Master to Rule Them All, Mr. Sunshine, Dear Shandy, Tick Tick Boom, The Floor is Lava, Millionaire Matchmaker, Too Hot To Handle and more~ The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. “What's Sparking Joy” BGM is Candy-Coloured Sky by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
In this "La Petite," we check in about pop culture that has brought us joy in the past and present, and hopefully will continue do so in the future. We start off with a round of “What's [Was] Sparking Joy” for us in January, move on to thinking about our favorite pop culture of 2021, and then what we're looking forward to in 2022. What media are you looking forward to this year? You can find Corinne on episode 199 of Vox Popcast, Nancy Drew & the Hidden Staircase to Pop Culture Immortality~ Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @SexLoveLit. All the lit discussed this episode: Midnight Poppy Land by Lilydusk Our Beloved Summer Ranking of Kings Bad Mode by Utada Hikaru Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore Hospital Playlist Mad for Each Other Daebak Realty Doom At Your Service Yumi's Cells Arcane Jujutsu Kaitsen Welcome to Your Fantasy (podcast) Afternoona Delight (podcast) In the Serpent's Wake by Rachel Hartman (and Tess of the Road) Into the Spider-verse 2 His Dark Materials Everything, Everywhere, All At Once Destiny 2 (This episode was recorded on January 22.) The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. “What's Sparking Joy” BGM is Candy-Coloured Sky by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US We used a room tone from http://www.freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/
In the first SLL episode of 2022, we get into why we love (and love to hate) love triangles. We talk what makes a love triangle truly top-tier, second male lead syndrome, and–let's be honest–a lot of Kdramas. But don't worry, we talk about other stuff too! As an extra special treat, we're joined by the wonderful Lia Riley, romance author and co-host of the KDrama podcast, Afternoona Delight. You can find Afternoona Delight at www.afternoonadelight.com, on Instagram (@afternoonadelightpodcast), Twitter (@Afternoonadeli1), Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/AfterNoonaDelightPodcast), and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @SexLoveLit. List of media mentioned coming soon!
In part two of two of our The Great, Season Two deep dive, we focus more on the second half of the season. We take a closer look at Peter and Catherine's evolving relationship, how sex is used to build story, and why, to quote Aunt Elizabeth, “Women don't end up with men who fuck their mothers.” If you'd like more info about where the season begins, as well as in-depth character introductions, listen to the first part of our The Great mini-arc (Episode 14). You can find The Great on Hulu. Media mentioned in "What's Sparking Joy": "Millennial Love" from the Search: WWW soundtrack "Se Acabó" by Bomba Estéreo Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @SexLoveLit.
Welcome to the first of our two-part deep dive on Hulu's "anti-historical" comedy-drama: The Great, Season 2. We had so much to say (and honestly, there was just so much sex) we decided to break our discussion in half. This episode, we focus on where we find Peter, Catherine, and the Russian Court as the season opens on Catherine's chaotic coup. Now that she has Russia, what's she gonna do with it? You can find The Great on Hulu. Media mentioned in "What's Sparking Joy": Happiness (KDrama, Viki); The Wheel of Time (Amazon); Doom At Your Service (Kdrama, Viki); Arcane (Netflix); Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @SexLoveLit.
The SLL crew takes a trip to the seaside and deep dives into another Korean drama: Netflix's Hometown Cha Cha Cha. This episode, we're joined by friend/spouse-of-the-show Andrew Cooper as we chat about the "manic pixie dream guy," the allures of small-town neighborhood stories, and ask ourselves how much rom com is too much rom com
In the third and final installment of our keyword mini-series, we ask the burning question “Why Literature?” We cover the difference between "Capital L" and "lowercase l" literature, the so-called canon, and tie it all back to why/how we choose which books, tv shows, films, and other media we discuss on the pod. ...And we somehow end up being even more thirsty on main than usual
We know we've been missing in action for a hot minute, so this episode we let you know what's been going on in our lives and check in about what media has been ✨sparking joy✨. We've been doing everything from playing video games, to reading Webtoons and (gasp!) actual books, to (of course) watching KDramas. This episode has a little something for everyone! All the lit discussed this episode: star-crossed by Kacey Musgraves (https://www.kaceymusgraves.com/) Destiny 2 (https://www.bungie.net/) (and Antibaar, https://masseffect.fandom.com/wiki/Antibaar) Monthly Magazine Home (https://www.viki.com/tv/37882c-monthly-magazine-home) Because This Is My First Life (https://www.netflix.com/title/81167119) The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin (https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/n-k-jemisin/the-city-we-became/9780316509855/) Clawshot! by Ayme Sotuyo (https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/clawshot/list?title_no=621465&page=1) My Giant Nerd Boyfriend by Fishball (https://www.webtoons.com/en/slice-of-life/my-giant-nerd-boyfriend/list?title_no=958&page=1) Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block (https://www.francescaliablock.com/books/weetzie-bat) Lovestruck in the City (https://www.netflix.com/title/81340910) Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @SexLoveLit.
In the second installment of our podcast keyword mini-series, we continue our reflection on the first year of SLL and ask the question, “Why Love?” We get into the entanglement of sex and romance, our favorite (and least favorite) romance tropes, and other kinds of love that matter to us in the stories we read, watch, and share. (If you took a shot whenever we mention a KDrama this episode, you would get *very* drunk #SLLDrinkingGame.) Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @SexLoveLit.
Join us for the first of our meta-mini-series on our titular keywords, "Why 'Sex'?" Instead of looking at a particular text, we reflect on the first year of SLL. We chat about our research, the ways we approach questions about sex, and the complexities of desire and desirability. (While you're listening, see if you can count how many accidental sex-puns we make
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