Feminist Frequency Radio

On this week’s show, we discuss the use of sound in John Krasinski’s new horror thriller A Quiet Place, whether Ebony would survive in this particular brand of apocalypse, the agony of living in a world without crunchy food, and whether seeing it in a theater is the best decision or the worst decision. We also talk about the sensitive way in which the film handles its deaf character, Regan, who is...

In this candid conversation, the last of our special JoCo Cruise interviews, Anita talks to hip hop artist Open Mike Eagle about both his evolution as a rapper and the evolution of hip hop as a whole. The two also discuss how our current political reality seeps into the fabric of everyday life, accepting that as an artist, you might start off creating some pretty bad art, and the horrors of bad sn...

In this week’s episode of Feminist Frequency Radio, Anita and the gang discuss Netflix’s tantalizing new food documentary series Ugly Delicious, which explores the collisions of food, culture, and history. When does culinary tribute cross over into culinary appropriation? How do we handle beloved foods that have become saddled with deeply racist associations? Whose cuisine is considered valuable a...

In our latest JoCo Cruise interview, Anita talks to writer and showrunner Amy Berg, who has worked on shows such as Leverage, Eureka, Person of Interest, and Starz’ current hit sci-fi series Counterpart. Here, Berg recounts the bold way she once got Joss Whedon’s attention, the unproduced Lost script that helped her make a name for herself, and all the things that go into being showrunner on a maj...

In this week’s episode, Carolyn has visited the OASIS of Ready Player One and lives to tell Anita and Ebony the tale, demonstrating her own knowledge of obscure pop culture trivia and criticizing RPO for its use of the woman-as-trophy trope familiar to so many of the properties that inspired it. The gang then moves on to ABC’s Roseanne revival, which pulled in huge numbers of viewers. Is it an imp...

“I can’t talk about airline food anymore!” In this conversation recorded aboard the JoCo Cruise, Anita talks to comedian Jackie Kashian about how the realm of stand-up comedy has changed in the 30 years or so that she’s been in the business. The material has evolved, sure, but the gender dynamics are shifting too, and that’s a good thing in what has historically been a very male-dominated industry...

This week, Anita and Caro talk all about their experiences at this year’s Game Developer’s Conference, touching on the shifting politics of the industry, the important voices that go unheard, and, of course, their favorite games of the show. Learn how Carolyn totally saved Anita’s life during the event, and hear Caro gush over the Outerlands documentary series, which she considers a must-watch for...

In the third of our JoCo Cruise interviews, Anita talks to the very funny writer/performer/actor John Hodgman about his unusual career, from his stint as an “expert” on anything and everything on The Daily Show to the unlikely way in which he landed the gig of a lifetime, playing the PC in the tremendously successful PC vs. Apple ad campaign. From there, the two embark on a thoughtful conversation...

In this week's episode, the Feminist Frequency Killjoys (call us, Marvel) unleash a torrent of opinions about Netflix's Jessica Jones; from its complicated wrestling with trauma to the ways in which people of color are often used as narrative tools in the service of white women's healing. Then we gush over the mobile game, Florence, which Caro called "both a beautiful game and also a game abo...

In the second of our JoCo Cruise interviews, Anita talks with fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss about the power of stories, from the ones we create around the table with friends when playing D&D to the ones projected on the big screen, and why professional storytellers have a responsibility to use their power for good. The conversation touches on their shared love for Moana and delves into the l...

In this week’s podcast, Anita opens the door on some of the strange imagery from her dreams. Then, we work through our feelings about Ava DuVernay’s film adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s children’s classic, A Wrinkle in Time and discover that maybe how you feel about this movie depends on how in touch you are with your inner child. Also, because so many people seem to wrongly think that we “agree...

While Anita was aboard the 2018 JoCo Cruise, she took the opportunity to talk to some of the amazing creators who were trapped at sea with her! In this first JoCo interview, she speaks with the amazing sci-fi writer N.K. Jemisin, creator of the acclaimed Broken Earth series. The conversation covers how Jemisin became a professional writer, the exciting new era of fantasy writers who are pushing pa...

In this episode, Anita and Carolyn are joined by special guest, comedian Irene Tu! We all endured the epic Oscars ceremony last weekend to discuss our favorite moments, our reactions to the winners, and whether or not things in Hollywood are actually getting better. Then, in keeping with the cinematic theme, we recount our disorienting experiences in the shimmer after seeing Annihilation. What doe...

Welcome to our very first live episode of Feminist Frequency Radio! Recorded at sea aboard the JoCo Cruise, this episode finds Anita and Femfreq friend and board member Felix Kramer in conversation with actor and writer Wil Wheaton! The conversation reaches far and wide, with talk of Wolfenstein II, our shifting relationship to sci-fi in our increasingly dystopian present, confronting your privile...

In this impromptu supplement to this week's main episode of Feminist Frequency Radio, Ebony takes a few minutes to share some thoughts on how Black Panther skillfully navigates themes of culture, history, and the difference between appreciation and appropriation, with one scene in particular serving as a pointed commentary on who gets to own the past.

This week, on a very special episode of Feminist Frequency Radio, we go all in on Black Panther! From the wonders of Wakandan technology to all the fantastic female characters, from the breathtaking costumes to the surprisingly persuasive politics of the film’s soulful villain, we spend almost the entire show discussing the newest (and brightest) star in the Marvel cinematic universe. Segment time...

On this week’s FFR, we suit up to join the crew of the ill-fated (and surprisingly hungry) international space station featured in The Cloverfield Paradox! Ebony gives us her best Irish accent and Carolyn questions the difference between good-bad movies and bad-bad movies while we navigate the rubble of the film’s plot and praise the performance of Gugu Mbatha-Raw. We also discuss the recent decis...

On this week’s Feminist Frequency Radio, Carolyn makes her triumphant return to the podcast and celebrates by making Anita and Ebony go see Call Me by Your Name, leading Ebony to recount the seemingly eternal experience of watching the film and forcing Anita to face questions about whether she’s ever been in love. We also talk about the fantastic new platformer Celeste which brilliantly meshes its...

This week, Anita and Ebony are joined by the wonderful feminist Muslim Iranian-American comedian Zahra Noorbakhsh, who brings a bevy of insights to the table: How does the CW superhero show Black Lightning pay homage to the 60s sitcom Bewitched? How is the “manventure” movie Jaws actually about intersectional feminism? Zahra reveals all this and more, as the gang also talks about Saturday Night Li...

This week’s Very Special Episode is AAA-rated! Anita takes a trip to Chicago and ropes in Feminist Frequency superstar Ashley Fellows and Vulture writer Angelica Bastien to discuss camp, perspective, and the cycle of abuse in I, Tonya. Anita segues seamlessly into a critique of how the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement are being mischaracterized to paint grey areas in issues of consent where grey areas...

This week on Feminist Frequency Radio, Guillermo del Toro’s latest film The Shape of Water divides the crew! Find out which of us were seduced by the film’s tender love story and which of us have no souls as we contemplate just what it means to fall in love with a fish man. (This discussion may involve Ebony busting out one of her patented Hater Rants.) We also talk about prominent women criticizi...

With rainfall lending a lovely natural ambiance to the conversation, we discuss the power of representation in Black Panther and the formation of the Time's Up initiative to combat cultures of sexual harassment in every industry. This brings us to the highlights and disappointments of the politically charged 75th Annual Golden Globes. After discussing everything from Oprah's powerful speech to the...

Happy New Year, everyone! We get 2018 off to a perfectly smooth start as Anita leaps us forward in time by launching us right into a conversation about the Doctor Who Christmas Special, which marked both the end of Peter Capaldi's tenure as the Doctor and the introduction of Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to ever fill the Doctor's shoes. We also talk about Carolyn's favorite game of last year, t...

On this, our sixth episode of FFR, we go all in on Star Wars: The Last Jedi! (Yes, we dig into the nitty-gritty and there are spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, you may want to return to the main segment of this episode later.) Why are some people so upset about this film? How do Anita, Ebony and Carolyn feel about Rian Johnson's unconventional entry in the Star Wars saga? Which of th...

On this week’s episode of Feminist Frequency Radio, the gang rejoices as Anita returns from Europe and records her first FFR stateside! We wonder what kind of magic spell Johnny Depp cast to make some people feel like his presence in The Crimes of Grindelwald is A-OK, and we ponder the profound depths of meaning revealed in the new trailer for Death Stranding. Ebony offers one of her patented Hypo...