In Pop Fiction Women we deep-dive into the complicated women of books, movies and TV shows, along with the women that bring them to life behind the scenes. Thin...
In today’s episode we dive into The Substance, written and directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore in an Oscar-worthy performance (go watch her acceptance speech from the recent Golden Globes win stat!). In case you’ve somehow been out of the loop, the film centers on Elisabeth Sparkle, a Jane Fonda–esque actor and fitness icon who is abruptly laid off from her TV show by a misogynistic producer, Harvey (Dennis Quaid, who is a scene stealer). Desperate to reclaim her relevance, she turns to the Substance, a black-market treatment that allows her to spawn Sue (Margaret Qualley)—a younger, better version of herself. The two versions cannot coexist, however, so Elisabeth must alternate between herself and her alternate every seven days—or else. What could go wrong? Ummmm…one cannot begin to imagine. It’s a “bonkers” film the likes of which we have never seen before, which means you HAVE to check it out! It’s a feminist body horror movie that has us talking about the violence of control over women, the violence of one’s own thoughts, the horrors imposed on women by society and ourselves, and our deeper takeaway messages.
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1:26:46
High-low Therapy - defying gravity, the afterlife, and anger
Welcome to a new segment called high-low therapy, where we let a deck of cards take us to places we never expected. On this episode, Carinn is the dealer and Kate in the hot seat. We touch on time travel, theme songs, belief in the afterlife, and how we feel about anger.
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33:36
Sash Bischoff & 'Sweet Fury': Debut Discussions
On this episode of Debut Discussions, we welcome Sash Bischoff, to discuss her novel Sweet Fury, a story about a beloved actress who is cast in a feminist adaptation of the Fitzgerald classic Tender Is The Night, but finds herself the victim in a deadly game of revenge in which everyone, on screen and off, is playing a part.
Sash shares her journey from actor and theatre director to published author and the supportive network of fellow writers that helped her along the way; the role of rage in creative expression, the narrative structure of her novel, the gray areas of morality and justice, and the cultural implications of misogyny. We also get woo woo and discuss the mystical aspects of writing.
Listen now to Sash’s story!
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36:48
Side Bar on our mission, Kate's vision, and vacations - January 9, 2025
We’re back with our first Sidebar of 2025 and we’re discussing our renewed commitment to our podcast mission, how we spent our holiday break, and where we stand on our personal vision, goals and directions for the new year…a cocoon and a butterfly! Listen now to hear more!
The PFW Sidebar is now in session!
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42:13
Fiona Davis & 'The Stolen Queen': Complicated Conversations Series
On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction novels, to discuss her latest, The Stolen Queen, which she describes as Thelma and Louise meets Indiana Jones!
Fiona discusses her journey from actress to journalist to novelist, the viral Met Gala picture (involving Kim Kardashian!) that inspired the novel, and the complexities of writing historical fiction. She shares insights on character development, the importance of research, and the ethical considerations surrounding art repatriation. The conversation also touches on the serendipitous nature of writing, which we love!
The Stolen Queen is out now!
In Pop Fiction Women we deep-dive into the complicated women of books, movies and TV shows, along with the women that bring them to life behind the scenes. Think Fleabag and Phoebe Waller Bridge, Normal People and Sally Rooney, and so much more. In each episode you can expect us to: * Break down the protagonist as we ask what makes her complicated? * Identify the best scenes, which can mean sweetest, funniest, or most badass. Anything we love. * Recount the cringiest scenes. The ones that make you squirm. Sometimes it’s self-sabotage, sometimes it’s growth, but it’s always part of the process of becoming our complicated selves. * Play arm-chair therapist in What’s Your Damage, Heather? An homage to the iconic line in Winona Ryder’s Heathers, we discuss how these characters got to be the way they are. * “What She Said” - the segment where we scour every essay and interview with the women behind the scenes and share some of our favorite first person quotes. Real life is as interesting as fiction here. * Look into our crystal ball and ponder where these characters are six months later and five years later. Typically, Kate gets very real and Carinn gets buck wild. * Provide a takeaway, aka that part in the podcast where we try to sound deep. We leave you with some parting wisdom, challenge each other with thought-provoking questions inspired by the work, and urge you to “stay complicated.”
New Zealand