Unfortunately Required Reading

Episode 123: Not a Single Woman of Color Was Involved or Asked (The Second Sex)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 126:44

This week Amanda and Victoria explore Simone de Beauvoir's exploration of women, The Second Sex, and discuss intersectionality and a whole blend of modern-day f**kery.

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Isn't this An Episode of Family Guy (Uncle Tom's Cabin)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2025 114:38

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Uncle Tom's Cabin and its enduring (and destructive) legacy.

cabin family guy uncle tom

Tocqueville's American Travel Vlog (Democracy in America)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2025 119:00

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the possible series finale of the US by talking about Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America and his accurate, and not so accurate, talking points.

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That's Showbiz Kid (A Confederacy of Dunces)

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2024 128:09

This week Amanda and Victoria celebrate Victoria's birthday month with A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and the legacy of New Orleans. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

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Inconceivable! Anybody want a Peanut? (The Princess Bride)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 145:18

Somehow in this economy we get Baron Von Cheeseplate back on the show to discuss William Goldman's The Princess Bride, as well as how much we all hate that weird Evangelical puppet, Douglas. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

evangelical peanut princess bride inconceivable william goldman

The Haunted Audio (Turn of the Screw)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2024 97:00

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Henry James' novella, The Turn of the Screw. After Daddy's Little Harbinger shows up (Mothman) our audio started to have some problems, the episode crashing twice. The rest of his death story is posted on UnfortunatelyRequiredReading.com for the curious. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

haunted screw mothman henry james

Diet Malthus (Ishmael)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2024 89:36

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the Daniel Quinn book of Socratic dialogue with a gorilla, Ishmael. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

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This is My Roman Empire (I, Claudius)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2024 78:20

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Robert Graves' epic I, Claudius, and immediately questioning Graves' concepts of history. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

graves roman empire claudius robert graves

Episode 115: Word by Word (Bird by Bird)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 65:26

Happy Birthday Month to Amanda! This month, we discuss Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird (and Victoria actually does the shortest short story long.) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

anne lamott word by word

City of Naw (City of Night)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2024 87:12

This month Amanda and Victoria discuss City of Night by John Rechy for Pride Month and discuss the old ways and the new of Queer community and acceptance. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

night queer pride month

Following the White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland)

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2024 133:13

Baron Von Cheeseplate joins Amanda and Victoria to discuss Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, and the impact of this work on pop culture. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

adventures wonderland alice in wonderland lewis carroll white rabbit

Little Scam on the Prairie (Little House on the Prairie)

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2024 87:16

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, Manifest Destiny, the Minnesota Massacre, the lie of Westward expansion and why neither host can spell prairie. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

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Basically, Just Real Life in Late Stage Capitalism (Fahrenheit 451)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2024 95:08

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

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Episode 110: I Bet on Losing Dogs (Lady Chatterley's Lover)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2024 76:08

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Lady Chatterley's Lover, sex politics, and what DH Lawrence means by a "crisis." --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

dogs losing lover lady chatterley dh lawrence

Strong Independent Pilgrim (Little Women)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2024 91:26

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, and the myth of typical femininity. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

independent pilgrims little women louisa may alcott

A Bug's Life (Metamorphosis)

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2023 79:57

This month Amanda and Victoria discuss Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, traumatic childhood abuse, and the utterly depressing life of Franz Kafka. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

metamorphosis franz kafka

This Time, We Want to Join a Cult (or Build a Submarine)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2023 142:44

Baron Von Cheeseplate returns to discuss 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne with Amanda and Victoria. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

sea cult submarines jules verne leagues under

Do You Want to Get Sued? (The Shining)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2023 144:36

For Spooky Month Amanda and Victoria discuss Stephen King's infamous work The Shining, alcoholism, hotels, and Stanley Kubrick. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

stephen king shining stanley kubrick get sued

A Whole New World (Brave New World)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2023 126:55

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, ethnobotany, drugs, and enough weird stuff to fill a 2-hour podcast. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

brave new world aldous huxley whole new world

Episode 104: Paper Folding Peace Signs (Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2023 85:12

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr, as well as the atomic bomb and the lasting effects on America and how it is viewed internationally. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

america peace signs folding cranes sadako

Look Down (Les Miserables)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2023 82:59

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Victor Hugo's massive fan fiction, Les Misérables. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

victor hugo les miserables les mis look down

Is the Movie Better? (Breakfast at Tiffany's)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2023 66:56

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's. Happy Pride! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

movies breakfast happy pride truman capote

Animal Harm (Animal Farm)

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2023 97:02

This month Amanda and Victoria discuss George Orwell's Animal Farm, and the historical events that inspired it. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

harm george orwell animal farm

F*** You, Mark Twain

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2023 91:46

By some miracle, we made it to 100 episodes. This week we discuss Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and wonder why we give this book to children. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

adventures mark twain huckleberry finn

I Dreamed I Went to Mandalay Bay Last Night (Rebecca)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2023 70:01

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

last night dreamed mandalay bay maurier

Death From Above (The War of the Worlds)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2023 116:00

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss HG Wells as The War of the Worlds. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

death war worlds war of the worlds hg wells

The Ultimate KGB C*ck Block (Doctor Zhivago)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2023 79:29

This is the reuploaded version of our episode on Doctor Zhivago. Some listeners advised the end had been cut off by our editing software. Thank you! This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the drag that is Doctor Zhivago and why it was so scary to the USSR. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

doctors ussr zhivago

A Guide to Why Your Black Friends Are Exhausted (A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2023 91:38

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

guide narrative exhausted frederick douglass black friends

The Return of Two Host One Mic (The Secret Garden)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2023 50:58

Amanda and Victoria FINALLY get to record together in person for the first time in....almost three years? Welcome back with The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. We discuss ableism, rest cures, and the garden metaphor. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

gardens secret garden one mic frances hodgson burnett

A Thinly Veiled Cult Metaphor? (Jonathan Livingston Seagull)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2023 53:49

This week Amanda and Victoria read a book that managed to break Victoria, Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

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Cottage Core White Girl Fantasies (The Witch of Blackbird Pond)

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2022 58:20

Amanda and Victoria discuss The Witch of Blackbird Pond and why Kit definitely would have been found guilty of witchcraft in Connecticut. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

witches connecticut cottages fantasies white girls cottagecore blackbird pond

Being a Mermaid is Just One Giant Metaphor, Isn't It? (Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid)

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2022 79:43

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the uncomfortable dating history of Hans Christan Andersen...wait, we mean The Little Mermaid. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

little mermaid metaphor hans christian andersen one giant

Do Androids Dream of Dick? (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2022 71:43

This week Amanda and Victoria read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick, the book that was adapted loosely into Blade Runner. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

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So You're Saying I Can Dodge? (Neuromancer)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2022 94:02

Amanda, Victoria, and special guest Baron Von Cheeseplate discuss William Gibson's Neuromancer. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

dodge william gibson neuromancer

Trauma All the Way Down (The Haunting of Hill House)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2022 70:09

This week Amanda and Victoria cover spooky season with Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

trauma haunting hill house way down shirley jackson haunting of hill house

Episode 88: It Was a Monkey? (Murders in the Rue Morgue)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2022 56:08

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe for Spooky Season. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

murder monkeys spooky season edgar allan poe rue morgue

These are the MF Jokes (Oedipus Rex)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2022 77:35

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Sophocles' work Oedipus Rex (aka Oedipus the King) and make surprisingly few jokes about incest. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

jokes oedipus sophocles oedipus rex

Sexting in the Time of Cholera (Love in the Time of Cholera)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2022 68:44

This week Amanda and Victoria read Love in the Time of Cholera. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

love time sexting cholera

Encanto with Incest (One Hundred Years of Solitude)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2022 79:01

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the most beloved Latin American novel of all time, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

solitude latin american encanto incest one hundred years gabriel garcia marquez

Sartre Diem (No Exit)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2022 76:02

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Sartre's one-act play No Exit. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

die m sartre no exit

A Night with Uncle Tennessee (The Lady of Larkspur Lotion)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2022 66:14

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Tennesse Williams' one act play, The Lady of Larkspur Lotion. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

tennessee uncle lotion larkspur

Mimosas are Not the Only Brunch Beverage (Oranges are Not the Only Fruit)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2022 69:58

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Jeanette Winterson's Oranges are Not the Only Fruit. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

fruit brunch beverage oranges mimosas jeanette winterson only fruit

Getting Dragged by Gods (the Iliad)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2022 89:53

This week we discuss the Iliad for Pride month. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

pride gods iliad dragged

nolite te bastardes carborundorum (The Handmaid's Tale)

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2022 76:07

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and despair. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

tale handmaid margaret atwood nolite

Another Robbie Burns Inspired Book (Of Mice and Men)

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2022 66:32

This week Amanda and Victoria unpack Of Mice and Men, the exploitation of the American worker, and the utter exhaustion of existence. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

american men mice of mice robbie burns

Like Ducks on a Frozen Pond (Catcher in the Rye)

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2022 67:25

This week Amanda is drug kicking and screaming into a book they didn't have to read in school and Victoria has flashbacks to dating people who need therapy. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

frozen ducks pond catcher in the rye

Being an Adult at 13 Sucks (Dicey's Song)

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2022 42:23

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the heartbreaking book Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voight. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

song adult sucks dicey

Irish Catholic Childhoods are Hard (Angela's Ashes)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2022 71:19

his week, Amanda and Victoria discuss the memoir Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

childhood ashes irish catholic frank mccourt

Unfortunately Apt War Allegory is a War Allegory

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2022 69:59

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Art Spiegelman's Maus and the Holocaust. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

holocaust maus allegory art spiegelman

And Nothing Has Changed Since 1974

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2022 72:09

This week Amanda and Victoria are exhausted and discuss James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

james baldwin if beale street could talk

A thinly veiled excuse to talk about Cruel Intentions (Dangerous Liaisons)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2022 79:35

This week Amanda and Victoria decide to discuss Cruel Intentions instead of Dangerous Liaisons. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

excuse veiled cruel intentions dangerous liaisons thinly