Share
Material Girls
Wonka x Antisemitism and Censorship with Leena Norms
In this week's episode, we're joined by the incredible Leena Norms (she/her) to talk about Timothée Chalamet's latest venture: Wonka.
This holiday blockbuster from director Paul King (Paddington, Paddington 2) made many people on the internet cringe even before it's release in mid December. It was notably in the *discourse* through memes and tweets that suggested Kylie Jenner perhaps got 'the ick' from Timmy's performance. The good news is that Marcelle, Hannah and Leena went to go see the movie opening weekend, so you don't have to! Unless, like Marcelle, you want to see it TWICE.
In this conversation, Marcelle, Hannah and Leena discuss Netflix's collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company (and Taika Waititi's connection!), Dahl's legacy in Britain's cultural imagination, and the lengths studios go to keep his work relevant to new audiences despite the rampant fat phobia and antisemitism within his texts. They talk Noodle, the notable absence of chocolate from the film's marketing, the Jewish writers behind the script, and, of course, Hugh Grant the Oompa Loompa.
To learn more about the research that went into today's episode, be sure to follow Witch, Please Productions on Substack at https://ohwitchplease.substack.com! And if you like our show, please share it with family and friends! Word-of-mouth is the primary way we reach new listeners who are interested in feminist materialist critique, pop culture and laughing at and from within *the discourse.*
***
Material Girls is a show that aims to make sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.
We'll be back in two weeks for another episode, but until then, be sure to check out all the bonus content we have on our Patreon at Patreon.com/ohwitchplease. You can learn more about the show at ohwitchplease.ca and on our instagram at instagram.com/ohwitchplease! Want more from us? Check out our website ohwitchplease.ca.
*Materialist Critique is, at its simplest possible level, a form of cultural critique – that is, scholarly engagement with a cultural text of some kind – that is interested in modes of production, moments of reception, and the historical and ideological contexts for both. Materialist critique is really interested in the question of why a particular cultural work or practice emerged at a particular moment.
Music Credits:
“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020
Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.
More episodes
View all episodes
2. Dopamine x Health Capitalism with Jesse Meadows
01:11:20||Season 2, Ep. 2For this episode, we're joined by Jesse Meadows (they/them) to discuss the most zeitgeist-y neurotransmitter around: dopamine! Have you been targeted Instagram Reels and Tik Toks about increasing your dopamine levels or managing ADHD through pleasure abstinence? Well that may have more to do with tech bros, billionaires and health capitalism than you think! Tune in for a conversation about pseudo-science, "hedonic Calvinism," eugenics, Big Pharma, manipulative algorithms and more! Check out Jesse's Dopamine Dispatch: https://www.sluggish.xyz/t/dopaminedispatch!To read more of Jesse's work, we HIGHLY recommend subscribing to Sluggish: https://www.sluggish.xyzYou can also find Jesse's video essays on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@slug.town***You can learn more about Material Girls at ohwitchplease.ca and on our instagram at instagram.com/ohwitchplease! Want more from us? Check out our website ohwitchplease.ca. We'll be back next week with a bonus episode, but until then, we mean it — go check out all the other content we have on our Patreon at Patreon.com/ohwitchplease! Patreon is HOW WE PAY OUR TEAM! We need your support to make the show. Thanks again to all of you who have already made the leap to join us on Patreon.Material Girls is a show that aims to make sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.*Materialist Critique is, at its simplest possible level, a form of cultural critique – that is, scholarly engagement with a cultural text of some kind – that is interested in modes of production, moments of reception, and the historical and ideological contexts for both. Materialist critique is really interested in the question of why a particular cultural work or practice emerged at a particular moment. Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.1.5. Material Concerns: Jurassic Park Pt. I
30:44||Season 2, Ep. 1.5You had so many great questions about Hannah's forthcoming book, Clever Girl and our Jurassic Park episode all about spectacle —and we answer a lot of them in part one of this Material Concerns episode! As a reminder, for just $5 USD/month you'll get part two, our extensive backlog, ad-free episodes, and oh so much more!***Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.1. Jurassic Park x Spectacle
01:00:00||Season 2, Ep. 1In this episode, Hannah and Marcelle discuss what made Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993) the ultimate CGI summer blockbuster, the history of American spectacle, and the monstrosity of the movie's out-of-control lady dinosaurs! Hannah leads this episode and if you're left wanting more, we have great news: their forthcoming book, Clever Girl: Jurassic Park, is available for preorder right now! Clever Girl "is a smart and incisive exploration of everyone’s favorite dinosaur movie and the female dinosaurs who embody what it means to be angry, monstrous, and free." Classic Hannah!!!!And do you want even better news? The whole Witch, Please Productions team is gathering this October to celebrate Hannah's book at Coach's beloved childhood bookstore, Women & Children First! Join us on October 11th at 7 pm CST to hear Hannah in conversation with Marcelle about Clever Girl! We want to see you! Come join us!Clever Girl: https://ecwpress.com/products/clever-girl-jurassic-park-pop-classicsSave the Date: https://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/event/person-event-clever-girl-hannah-mcgregor***You can learn more about Material Girls at ohwitchplease.ca and on our instagram at instagram.com/ohwitchplease! Want more from us? Check out our website ohwitchplease.ca. We'll be back next week with a bonus episode, but until then, we mean it — go check out all the other content we have on our Patreon at Patreon.com/ohwitchplease! Patreon is HOW WE PAY OUR TEAM! We need your support to make the show. Thanks again to all of you who have already made the leap to join us on Patreon.Material Girls is a show that aims to make sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.*Materialist Critique is, at its simplest possible level, a form of cultural critique – that is, scholarly engagement with a cultural text of some kind – that is interested in modes of production, moments of reception, and the historical and ideological contexts for both. Materialist critique is really interested in the question of why a particular cultural work or practice emerged at a particular moment. Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.Material Concerns: Why Is the Team So Hot & Other Important Questions
20:49|We continue our summer slowdown with a new Material Concerns episode once again featuring answers to YOUR questions. Marcelle is in Ontario for a family TRIP (not a vacation because kids are present!!) and Hannah is recovering from travels east!In this episode, they answer your hard hitting questions like "why is your team so hot!!!!?" Part two of this conversation will be available at all our tiers on Patreon on Thursday! For just $5 USD/month you'll get to hear Marcelle and Hannah discuss more about Reservation Dogs and what's goin on in their lives!***Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.22. Reservation Dogs x Production Sovereignty with Karrmen Crey
01:07:52||Season 1, Ep. 22We're so thrilled to be joined by the incredible Karrmen Crey (she/her) for this episode about FX's coming-of-age dramedy, Reservation Dogs! Released via Hulu from 2021-2023, this show is notable not only for its rich storytelling and beloved protagonists (shoutout to Bear, Cheese, Elora, and Willie Jack!), but also for its entirely Indigenous creative team from the creators to the cast and crew. In this episode, Marcelle (who is a huge fan of the show) offers some insight into how Reservation Dogs came to be. We're talking co-creators Sterlin Harjo and Taiki Waititi, the success of Thor: Ragnarok, and the influence of both The Sundance Film Festival and Toronto’s imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival. Karrmen then helps Marcelle and Hannah think through Indigenous sovereignty in the context of cultural production, pulling on her own research about the rise and influence of Indigenous media. And then, FINALLY, Marcelle, Hannah and Karrmen talk about specific episodes and characters that mean something to each of them. If you haven't watched the show already, you'll still get a ton out of this episode that really breaks down the material effects of representation created by the represented.Karrmen Crey is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University. To learn more about her work, check out Producing Sovereignty: The Rise of Indigenous Media in Canada, available now!You can learn more about Material Girls at ohwitchplease.ca and on our instagram at instagram.com/ohwitchplease! Want more from us? Check out our website ohwitchplease.ca. We'll be back next week with a bonus episode, but until then, we mean it — go check out all the other content we have on our Patreon at Patreon.com/ohwitchplease! Patreon is HOW WE PAY OUR TEAM! We need your support to make the show. Thanks again to all of you who have already made the leap to join us on Patreon.***Material Girls is a show that aims to make sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.*Materialist Critique is, at its simplest possible level, a form of cultural critique – that is, scholarly engagement with a cultural text of some kind – that is interested in modes of production, moments of reception, and the historical and ideological contexts for both. Materialist critique is really interested in the question of why a particular cultural work or practice emerged at a particular moment. Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.Material Concerns (Live!): Theory, Heart Flutters and Coach On Mic Pt. I
30:21|Welcome back to another Material Concerns episode! We recorded this episode live for all our Patreon supporters so you'll notice there's a slightly different vibe; namely, Coach is on mic! We talk theory, past episodes, what's making our hearts flutter these days, and more. If you want more, tune into Part II, all about the second half of Bridgerton Season Three, through our Patreon. Become a paid supporter at any tier and you'll get access to the video and to the audio!We'll be back in two weeks with a regular episode! Until then, xo!***Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.21. Tupperware Parties x Cruel Optimism
01:04:38||Season 1, Ep. 21Have you ever been to a Tupperware party? Or perhaps a Pure Romance party? Avon? Then you may be familiar with pyramid schemes! In this episode, Marcelle guides Hannah through the history of Tupperware parties and their rising popularity post WWII. She then offers some Lauren Berlant theory (which always makes for a good episode!!); specifically, their concept of "cruel optimism." If that sounds familiar, it's because we first visited this theory in our Queer Eye episode. Enjoy the episode and become a Patreon supporter today to attend our LIVE episode recording on July 12th at 5 pm EST!You can learn more about Material Girls at ohwitchplease.ca and on our instagram at instagram.com/ohwitchplease! Want more from us? Check out our website ohwitchplease.ca. We'll be back next week with a bonus episode, but until then, we mean it — go check out all the other content we have on our Patreon at Patreon.com/ohwitchplease! Patreon is HOW WE PAY OUR TEAM! We need your support to make the show. Thanks again to all of you who have already made the leap to join us on Patreon.***Material Girls is a show that aims to make sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.*Materialist Critique is, at its simplest possible level, a form of cultural critique – that is, scholarly engagement with a cultural text of some kind – that is interested in modes of production, moments of reception, and the historical and ideological contexts for both. Materialist critique is really interested in the question of why a particular cultural work or practice emerged at a particular moment. Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.Material Concerns: Dirty Dancing, Bridgerton and Summer Camp Pt. I
32:27|We continue our summer slowdown with a new Material Concerns episode featuring answers to YOUR questions. As a reminder, we're still releasing episodes every two weeks, but every other episode will be a Material Concerns episode; an unscripted, more casual conversation between Marcelle and Hannah. In this episode, they talk about how Dirty Dancing, summer camp, Bridgerton, the female gaze and so much more. If you enjoy the episode, head over to Patreon.com/ohwitchplease for Part II! The rest of the conversation is available at all our tiers. For just $5 USD/month you'll get to hear Marcelle and Hannah discuss a bit more about Bridgerton.***Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.20. The Last of Us x Adaptation Theory
01:02:09||Season 1, Ep. 20In this episode, we're talking about the HBO series The Last of Us, which was adapted from the popular video game of the same name! If you like the show, zombie content, playing video games, or thinking about how art gets transcoded across mediums, then this episode is for you! AND if you don't know what transcoding means, then this episode will really knock your socks off because Marcelle does a great job defining the word — as well as adaptation itself! Together, Hannah and Marcelle consider the process of adaptation and the intertextuality between original content and its adaptation(s). Of course, for all you Last of Us fans, they also talk about Long, Long Time — aka the Bill and Frank episode. And without spoilers!You can learn more about Material Girls at ohwitchplease.ca and on our instagram at instagram.com/ohwitchplease! Want more from us? Check out our website ohwitchplease.ca. We'll be back next week with a bonus episode, but until then, we mean it — go check out all the other content we have on our Patreon at Patreon.com/ohwitchplease! Patreon is HOW WE PAY OUR TEAM! We need your support to make the show. Thanks again to all of you who have already made the leap to join us on Patreon.***Material Girls is a show that aims to make sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.*Materialist Critique is, at its simplest possible level, a form of cultural critique – that is, scholarly engagement with a cultural text of some kind – that is interested in modes of production, moments of reception, and the historical and ideological contexts for both. Materialist critique is really interested in the question of why a particular cultural work or practice emerged at a particular moment. Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.