Hot and Bothered

Vanessa Zoltan and special guest Professor Matt Potts meet at a mansion in Singapore to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about Crazy Rich Asians. This week we discuss the tension at the heart of Asian American identities, how family pressures preserve class divides, and the allure of opulence. We finish the episode by calling journalist Jiayang Fan to talk to us about the import...

For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Racquel Gates is back to dissect the ending of Coming to America with Hannah. They discuss what Lisa gives up in moving to Zamunda, the Disney princess evocations, and the many roles played by Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. Don't forget to check-out Racquel's book, Double Negative: The Black Image and Popular Media ! --- If we give you butterflies, consider s...

Hannah McGregor and special guest Professor Racquel Gates meet in the fictional country of Zamunda to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about Coming to America. This week we discuss the tensions between Eddie Murphy and John Landis, what makes a 'black' film, and Racquel's concept of formal negativity. We finish the episode checking in with Vanessa for her thoughts on the movie.&...

Have you missed Hannah these past two weeks? Never fear! They recorded a whole episode of their podcast, Material Girls, all about Dirty Dancing. We're sharing it this week before we move onto our next movie, Coming to America . Here's the Material Girls episode summary: In this episode, Marcelle and Hannah are joined by Andrea Warner (she/her), the author of The Time of My Life, an exploration of...

For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Vanessa and Lauren Sandler try not to cry their way through the ending of of Dirty Dancing . They discuss the music choices, the class politics, and the side characters they wish they heard more from. --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis with Va...

Vanessa Zoltan and special guest Lauren Sandler meet in the Catskills to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about Dirty Dancing –  one of our favorite movies of all time.  This week we discuss the abortion plot line, Baby’s relationship with her father, and the difference between desire and love. We finish the episode with an interview sociologist Phil Brown on the histo...

For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Hannah and Vanessa break down the many endings of Titanic . They explore the meaning of the Heart of the Ocean diamond necklace and this movie's theology of heaven. As we mention in the episode, Hannah has a new book out! You can buy Hannah's new book, Clever Girl: Jurassic Park, here . --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Pa...

Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about Titanic –  our first movie in our cross-class romance series.  This week we explore hubris, whether it's possible to divorce James Cameron from the film, and what we consider a ‘shipwreck.’ We finish the episode with an interview with musicologist Julie...

For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Vanessa and Hannah examine the last scene of Kate & Leopold . They discuss what it would mean to time travel to the past for love and what they would bring with them to 1876.  --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis with Vanessa and Hannah...

Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet traveling through time to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about Kate & Leopold . It's our final Meg Ryan movie! This week we explore what it meant for Meg Ryan to be a rom-com star at 40 years old and the American fantasy of British history. We finish the episode with an interview with the chief historian of The Center for Brooklyn Hi...

For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Vanessa and Casper take a close look at the last two scenes of French Kiss . They discuss Kate's financial sacrifice for Luc and what it means that she's willing to up and move to France. --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis with Vanessa and Cas...

Vanessa Zoltan meets Casper ter Kuile on a beach in Cannes to record this week’s episode, all about the 1995 movie French Kiss directed by Lawrence Kasdan. This week we discuss the 'criminal with a heart of gold' trope and the power of kissing. We finish the episode with an interview with anxiety coach Dave Carbonell , all about aerophobia (a fear of flying). Next week, Casper is back to look at t...

For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Vanessa and Hannah dissect (and relentlessly mock) the last scene of You've Got Mail . They discuss the lack of actual communication in this scene and the supposed charm of Joe Fox. --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis with Vanessa and Hannah. H...

Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet on the Upper West Side of Manhattan to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about You’ve Got Mail . We’re onto our final Meg Ryan/Nora Ephron collaboration.  This week we explore how politics intersect with attraction and interview the former Editorial Director of Publisher’s Weekly, Jim Milliot, about the history of big box bookstores. N...

For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Vanessa and Hannah tackle the last scene of When Harry Met Sally . They discuss the interstitial ‘couch scenes’ which recur throughout the movie and the few details we learn about Harry and Sally’s life after reconciliation.  --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonu...

Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about When Harry Met Sally . We’re continuing our deep-dive into Meg Ryan with the movie that put her on the map as leading-lady material. This week we explore whether 'opposites attract' is really a romantic principle we believe in and interview Profe...

After our wide-lens analysis of a movie, we're going to spend a week closely studying its final scene. These scenes, which are often Happily Ever Afters, tell us a lot about what's important to the movie and its idea about love and coupledom. In this week's scene, the characters Annie, Sam, and Jonah finally get to meet each other on the top of the Empire State Building. --- If we give you butterf...

Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet at the top of The Empire State Building to record their first episode of Hot and Bothered together, all about the 1993 classic Sleepless in Seattle . It’s got Meg Ryan, it’s got Tom Hanks, it’s directed by Nora Ephron. What more could you want?  For the next nine weeks, we’re thinking about the influence and impact of Meg Ryan as a rom-com super st...

Well folks – we've arrived! Our tenth and final episode of our How To series about How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days . We've puzzled over its messaging, marveled at its efficiency, and learned a lot about the mechanics of film-making. On today's episode, Vanessa shares her concluding thoughts on the movie and brings her lingering questions to the brilliant cultural critic Anne Helen Petersen. We end th...

We can't wrap-up a deep-dive into How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days without talking about the most memorable part of the movie – the yellow dress Kate Hudson wears in the climax of the film. And while we're at it, it's worth obsessing over all the costumes in this film because this is a movie steeped in fashion. To help us unpack the craft of costume design, we're welcoming Colin Wilkes on the sho...

The music of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days runs the gamut from country-pop songs to whimsical orchestrations. To the modern ear, it all sounds very specific to an early 2000s rom-com moment. This week, to help us understand that moment and the history of movie music more broadly, we have Julie Hubbert on the show. Julie Hubbert is the LaDare Robinson Memorial Professor of Music at the Universi...

When watching at rom-com, have you ever noticed that the stars just kind of glow? That their skin looks silky smooth and their apartments are always sun-drenched? Lighting design and camera movement play a huge role in giving rom-coms their particular aesthetic, and those things (we're pretty sure) are part of the art of cinematography. This week, to help us understand the history of cinematograph...

The success of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is built around the chemistry and star-power of its two leading actors: Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. To truly understand this film, we have to understand the way movie stars operate in Hollywood, what casting these two actors meant in 2003, and what it means today. Helping us in that task is Russell Meeuf , a professor in the school of Journ...

After talking about setting last episode, we wanted to dig even deeper into the physical space inhabited by Ben and Andie. How does the design of their workplaces, apartments, and date-nights affect how we perceive each of their characters? To help us tackle this topic, we're joined by Production Designer Stuart Blatt. Stuart walks us through the role of Production Designer, how he works with othe...

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days , like many Rom-Coms, is set in New York City. It’s got fire escapes, taxi cabs, and a dramatic Manhattan Bridge scene.  In order to understand this film, we have to understand: What is it about New York that is so ripe for romance? And what parts of the city are highlighted in this movie and why? To help us answer those questions, we’re joined by Eric Hynes, the...