Sweater Weather

Naomi and Aaron discuss the excellent HBO comedy Hacks, starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbender. Also, we chat about Canada geese attacking university students, Ken from Barbie being Canadian because he's played by Ryan Gosling, Hacks as wish fulfillment for creative types, the challenge of making standup comedy funny in fiction, and Calgary's variable air pressure. Sweater Weather podcast websit...

Naomi and Aaron talk the haunting HBO drama, The Last of Us, which just premiered its second season, starring the terrific Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay. We also have a heart-to-heart about the Canadian Happiness Index, Aaron's pitch to the CBC for a Letterkenny-meets-Red Dawn prestige show, Naomi waiting for news about her novel, fake deadlines in the publishing industry, seeking recognition, our...

In this episode of Sweater Weather, we kick things off with jokes about Mark Carney's bestselling book and Mike Myers flaunting a Canadian Tire shirt on SNL, exploring what a truly "made in Canada" store might stock. But the heart of this episode is our revisiting This Hour Has 22 Minutes, the Canadian sketch comedy mainstay that's been running on the CBC since 1993. We reminisce about its edgy al...

In this episode, we kick things off talking Amazon's sale of "Canada as a 51st state" merchandise and the strong opinions it has generated among famous Canadians, as well as some questionable examples of Canadian Content available on Amazon Prime. But the main focus of our discussion is the British mini-series, Adolescence, which  centers around a 13-year-old boy accused of a serious crime.  We'll...

In this episode of Sweater Weather, Aaron starts off by telling some jokes about the Canadian election: Who would fictional Canadian characters vote for? What should you do now that the GST on first homes is gone? Naomi laughs politely. Then we talk about Canadian Bacon, the 1995 film from director Michael Moore, starring John Candy, Rhea Perlman, and Alan Alda, a satire about an American presiden...

In this episode of Sweater Weather, we're chatting about the iconic Hudson's Bay Company. From its astonishing roots in Canadian history to its role as a shopping haven for generations, we're sharing our personal memories about wandering the aisles as teens, breaking up with bad boyfriends in the food court, and scoring those legendary (and somehow, perpetual) 70% off sales. Could this episode be...

In this episode of Sweater Weather, we chat about the iconic TV series Mad Men, exploring its themes, characters, and why it might just be the "Great American Novel" of television. We kick things off with some personal writing updates—Naomi is deep into ghostwriting and editing, while Aaron has written about 20,000 words of a novel he hopes will end up being very short.  But the real focus is on M...

In this week's episode of Sweater Weather, we discuss what constitutes The Great Canadian Novel. After sharing our personal writing updates—Naomi's ghostwriting projects and Aaron's progress on a comedic novel—we tackle the complex question of national identity in literature. We explore how Canadian literature often defines itself in opposition to American culture, and we examine why Canadian writ...

In this episode of Sweater Weather , Aaron and Naomi kick things off with a chat about their writing projects, genre expectations, and how different types of thrillers evoke distinct emotions. They discuss the balance between entertainment and edification in storytelling and what makes a book emotionally immersive. Then, they shift gears to talk about  The Wild Robot , the Oscar-nominated animated...

After an update on our writing — Aaron is trying to choose what novel to write next, Naomi is busy with editing and ghost-writing projects — we discuss the Apple TV thriller Severance, focusing on its intriguing sci-fi premise and character-driven narrative. Severance presents a world where people undergo a procedure to become unaware of their outside lives during their workday, essentially becomi...

After progress updates on our writing  – Aaron finished his novel manuscript! Naomi had two items of writing-related good news this week! – we get real about the writing process. We reflect on how you have to wait forever for everything in the publishing business, and the frustrations of continually seeking external validation. Then we discuss a pet theory Aaron is working on, which considers the...

In this week's episode of Sweater Weather, we open a cultural time capsule: Dallas. We revisit the long-running, prime-time soap opera that captivated our parents and grandparents from 1978 to 1991. As kids, we watched it along with the adults (it was considered sacrosanct "mommy time" in Aaron's house) although we were too young to understand its nefarious characters and wacky plot lines. We were...

Aaron and Naomi kick off this episode of Sweater Weather reflecting on their creative journeys in 2024. Then they discuss Robert Eggers' visually stunning yet narratively unsatisfying film, Nosferatu (2024), and they explore how primal fears influence the horror genre.  Naomi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/na.oh.mee/   Naomi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naomiklewis  Aaron on Inst...

Naomi and Aaron discuss the TV show The Littlest Hobo (1979-1985). [This episode was originally paywalled, but here it is in its entirety!] This week on Sweater Weather, we ride the rails of nostalgia with The Littlest Hobo, the classic Canadian TV show about a lone German Shepherd who runs and swims and flies in hot air balloons across the land, bringing joy to everyone he meets (except the bad g...

Naomi and Aaron discuss the TV show Breaker High (1997-98). [ This episode was originally paywalled, but here it is in its entirety for free!] Ahoy, Sweater Wearers! This week we sail back to the late 90s and into the Canadian teen sitcom Breaker High, a much requested topic for our show. Airing from 1997 to 1998 on YTV, Breaker High captured the imaginations of young viewers by setting high schoo...

Naomi and Aaron discuss the TV show C'est Comme Ça Que Je T'aime (2020-2024). [If you enjoy Sweater Weather, become a patron of the show on Patreon. Go to patreon.com/canadiansweate r for details.] In this episode we gush over the Québécois TV series C'est Comme Ça Que Je T'aime, also known by its less interesting English name, Happily Married. (You can watch C'est Comme Ça with English subtitles...

Naomi and Aaron discuss the film Hard Core Logo (1996). [If you enjoy Sweater Weather, become a patron of the show on Patreon. Go to patreon.com/canadiansweate r for details.] In this episode of Sweater Weather , we're diving deep into one of Canada's most iconic cult films, Hard Core Logo (1996). Directed by Bruce McDonald and based on Michael Turner's novel-in-verse, this mockumentary captures t...

Naomi and Aaron discuss the TV show The Trades (2024). [If you enjoy Sweater Weather, become a patron of the show on Patreon. Go to patreon.com/canadiansweate r for details.] This week Aaron and Naomi dive into the greasy world of The Trades, a Crave original TV show co-produced by the Trailer Park Boys. The Trades is a blue-collar, workplace comedy starring Rob Wells (aka Ricky from the Trailer P...

Naomi and Aaron are joined by author Marcello Di Cintio to discuss the TV show Letterkenny (2016-2023). [If you enjoy Sweater Weather, become a patron of the show on Patreon . Go to patreon.com/canadiansweate r for details.] How are ya now, Sweater Wearers? In this episode, we're joined by friend and award-winning author Marcello Di Cintio to discuss the Crave original series, Letterkenny, the Can...

Naomi and Aaron discuss the documentary Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe (2023).  [Want more Sweater Weather in your life?  Subscribe to Sweater Weather on Patreon for access to our premium episodes. As a patron, you'll receive a brand new Sweater Weather every week! Go to patreon.com/canadiansweater for details.] This week we rumage around our Tickle Trunk and pull out this wonderful docume...

Naomi and Aaron discuss the TV show Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (2023-). [Want more Sweater Weather in your life?  Subscribe to Sweater Weather on Patreon for access to our premium episodes. As a patron, you'll receive a brand new Sweater Weather every week! Go to patreon.com/canadiansweater for details.] In this edition of Sweater Weather, we wade into the murky world of Law & Order Toro...

Naomi and Aaron discuss the novel Bear (1976). Subscribe to Sweater Weather on Patreon . In this episode, we re-visit the controversial and classic Canadian novel Bear (1976) by Marian Engel. The winner of the Governor General's Award for fiction, Bear is known for its scandalous content and has sparked discussions for decades with its unconventional narrative about a woman's romantic relationship...

Naomi and Aaron discuss the film BlackBerry (2023). Subscribe to Sweater Weather on Patreon . In this episode, we dive into the movie BlackBerry (2023), starring Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton and Matt Johnson (Johnson also directed the film). The film rides a wave of early 2000s nostalgia and explores a pre-smartphone era. We reminisce about never having a BlackBerry ourselves while people around u...

Naomi and Aaron discuss the documentary I Am: Celine Dion (2024). Support Sweater Weather on Patreon .  In this episode of Sweater Weather, Aaron and Naomi discuss the documentary I Am: Celine Dion (2024), which is available on Amazon Prime. They explore Celine's image, her massive success, and her corny yet undeniably popular style. The documentary itself focuses on Celine's current battle with S...

*TW: This episode includes discussion of sexual violence.* Today we talk Ducks, Kate Beaton's celebrated graphic memoir — winner of Canada Reads, a New York Times Notable Book — about her two years working in the oil sands of Fort McMurray, where men outnumber women fifty to one. Harsh economic realities forced Beaton to leave her Cape Breton home for northern Alberta, where she found strange beau...