Accio Politics

We've been guided by the politics of outrage forever, it seems. Today, Adri and Erin delve into Snape-level outrage in the last chapter of PoA. Is there such a thing as selective outrage and who wields it? Why do wizards not seem to care about emotional abuse but lose their shit when there's a very tame werewolf in their midst? So many questions, not enough time to fit them all. Speaking of oturag...

Time is a construct. And whoever can manipulate time wields power, which is exactly what Hermione does when she uses her time turner. Would Erin and Adri use the time turner? Sure, Adri wants to get more naps in, but Erin is feeling a bit iffy about the whole deal. Speaking about feeling iffy and time, Brett Kavanaugh got sworn into the Supreme Court and we have NOT GOOD feelings about it: https:/...

Join Erin and Adri as they tackle the topic of hope, dementors, patronuses, Brett Kavanaugh and rape culture, the new Crimes of Grindelwald trailer, and our collective political exhaustion. They talk about the heroes that gave us hope this week: Dr. Ford, Ana Maria Archilla, and Maria Gallagher: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/28/politics/anderson-cooper-flake-protester-cnntv/index.html Find us online...

What correlations can we make between the prison industrial complex and Azkaban? Who gets sentenced to serve in prison in our world vs who gets to skate by in the Wizarding World? We talk about technological advancements in determining innocence and guilt, and how those are infallible (much like magic, in this case). This makes us think about touch DNA and how it has been found to be slightly misr...

What do the Real Housewives Franchise have in common with the Harry Potter universe? Why is Professor Snape so extra? And why is Lupin reciting his life history? Join us as we talk about deceit and impersonation, what Ron and Adri have in common this week, and why Erin wants a Harry Potter reunion in the vein of Housewives Reunions. Today, we're talking about how there's a tool measuring rhetorica...

Secrets (even scandalous ones) are used to destroy and to protect, to keep others at bay, and to imprison us. We talk about Sirius' secret, Lupin's life-long secret, and about the things we keep from others. Speaking of which, we also talk about that wonderful New York Times op ed with the White House leak: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opinion/trump-white-house-anonymous-resistance.html Find...

In today's episode, we talk about manifest destiny, self-fulfilling prophecies, and chocolate shortbread. Probably not in that order. We also talk about Beto O'Rourke, the Florida governor primaries, and Professor Trelawney's suddenly gravely voice (does her deep voice makes her more believable?). Today's current event is the upset in the Florida primary:  https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2...

Join us for a discussion about quidditch and the sense of community amongst Hogwarts houses. We also have a very serious talk about snacking and baking, for which we are better qualified than for talking about sports. We also talk about the intersection between sports and technology: https://www.pcmag.com/news/363159/high-tech-perks-mean-sports-fans-are-no-longer-on-the-sideli Find us online: www....

Revenge: is it the same as justice? Who is motivated by revenge in this chapter? Is it just Snape? Join us as we discuss how revenge acts in this chapter and how revenge porn is just the absolute worst: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/01/us/politics/illinois-nick-sauer-catfish.html Find us online: www.acciopolitics.com Twitter: @acciopolitics Instagram: @acciopolitics Facebook: www.facebook.com/ac...

We're coming to you with a very special mailbag episode that answers questions like, is Fawkes a healer of sorts? Why didn't we mention him in the politics of healthcare episode? Can a patronus be in the shape of a dementor? What does a boggart actually look like if your biggest fear is a BOGGART? Do we ship Harry and Hermione? Spoiler alert: half of us do and it is CONTENTIOUS. Who would be our g...

Are you going to LeakyCon? Adri's going to be in a panel along some of your favorite podcast hosts: Harry Podder: A Panel of Potter Podcast Hosts on August 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM in the Phoenix room. Oh, Hogwart Houses. On today's episode, we debate whether Slytherins are low key sociopaths, ask ourselves why we don't get to see any more of the Hogwarts Houses, and ponder as to why people in houses d...

Are you going to LeakyCon? Adri's going to be in a panel along some of your favorite podcast hosts: Harry Podder: A Panel of Potter Podcast Hosts on August 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM in the Phoenix room. On today's episode, Erin is back with Adri to discuss the politics of souls in the Wizarding World. Is the patronus the manifestation of souls? We also talk about the idea that a soul is somehow tied wit...

Are you going to LeakyCon? Adri's going to be in a panel along some of your favorite podcast hosts: Harry Podder: A Panel of Potter Podcast Hosts on August 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM in the Phoenix room. On today's episode, Adri and Luke from The Podcast That Must Not Be Named discuss justice and what it means for different people. How is Lucius Malfoy's idea of justice different from Hagrid's? Current e...

Erin and Adri discuss our current politics by revisiting the theme of surveillance. Is the marauder's map the only way that we see surveillance in this chapter? Give us a listen and see if you agree with our discussion. Current event: Walmart patented a way to surveil their employees in order to monitor their performance: https://www.engadget.com/2018/07/12/walmart-patent-audio-surveillance-tool/...

Erin and Adri have some news to share! BABY ALERT! When they get that out of the way, they discuss how weakness is different from vulnerability and how sometimes weakness is exploited for a nefarious end in politics. Current event: Trump's upcoming visit to the UK and how this is just so embarrassing for Americans: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/08/donald-trump-visit-britain-th...

Adri and Erin discuss authority and how it can cater to different personality types in and outside of the Wizarding World in in chapter 8, "The Flight of the Fat Lady," of Harry Potter and the Prisoner with Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. This episode's current and chilling event comes courtesy of the LA Times and the post-apocalyptic reality we're hurtling towards: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-...

Adri and Erin discuss fear and what it shapes the politics of our world and the Wizarding World in in chapter 7, "The Boggart of the Wardrobe," of Harry Potter and the Prisoner with Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. They talk about an op-ed published in The Atlantic , called "Evangelical Fear Elected Trump" by John Fea: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/06/a-history-of-evangelical-fear/5635...

Erin and Adri are joined by none other than Luke and Melissa from The Podcast that Must not Be Named. They talk about canon (what counts, what doesn't), the movie adaptations, growing up with the fandom, and being bookworms. This is part 1 of a series. For the second part in this discussion, hop on over to their feed. 

Adri and Erin discuss perception in its many forms in chapter 6, "Talons and Tea Leaves," of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. Erin is super psyched about this episode because it's when we first meet one Professor Trelawney. Adri is less so, but she is rolling with it. Today's episode on perception reminded us of marketing and its place in the political landscape of today:...

Join us as we discuss policing and those terrifying dementors on chapter 5, "The Dementor" of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. Dementors are cloaked in darkness and this means we could assign any face to their terrifying demeanor, which made us think of uniforms and how these can render people faceless, therefore untouchable. The militarization of the police and the abuse...

Adri and Erin discuss the politics of youth and agency in Chapter 4, "The Leaky Cauldron" of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. We discuss agency and how Harry and the trio are allowed to engage with the wizarding world on their own terms, sometimes to disastrous consequences. This politic made us think about immigrant children being possibly detained at Military bases: http...

Adri and Erin discuss the politics of wizarding transportation in Chapter 3, "The Knight Bus" of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. What modes of transportation are available to the wizarding public? This made us think about the future of transportation and what that means for public transportation in America: https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/12/17346014/future-of-transportat...

Erin and Adri discuss the politics of prejudice in Chapter 2, "Aunt Marge's Big Mistake" of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. We discuss how Aunt Marge is a see you next Tuesday kind of person and how she exemplifies that prejudice, especially blood prejudice is rampant in both the wizarding and the muggle world. Adri has a serious bone to pick with our hero's narrator and...

Adri and Erin discuss the politics of non-traditional students in Chapter 1, "Owl Post," of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. We talk about barriers to learning, how learning institutions can mimic the prison system, and how academia is absolutely an isolating institution. This politic reminds us of non-traditional students in academia: https://badgerherald.com/news/2018/04...

Erin and Adri are joined by Justine from the Cutaways Podcast to talk about the movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets . Find us online: www.acciopolitics.com Twitter: @acciopolitics Instagram: @acciopolitics Facebook: www.facebook.com/acciopolitics Leave us a voicemail: 915-996-1699 Our theme and transition music was written and recorded by the very talented Kayla Sluka. In a...