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PODCAST

Sex. Love. Literature.

Ayanni Cooper and Corinne Matthews

SLL is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Don"t forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature. on your favorite podcast platforms! You can find us on our website, SexLoveLitPodcast.com, and on Bluesky, Instagram, and Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast.

tv & film

All Episodes

00:41:33

E41 Divorce Comedies: An Introduction (Mini-Series,...

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2024/04/26

Welcome to our mini-series on Divorce Comedies! Over the next 4-ish episodes, we’re exploring this genre that caught us off guard with how much its makes us laugh, cry, and yell divorce! In this introductory episode, rather than focus on any one show, we get into the defining features of divorce comedies, why we wanted to talk about them, and whether or not they can be counted as rom coms. Show Notes: Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Lost You Forever, WWE: Wrestlemania, Nettle & Bone, The

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01:37:44

EP40 Hadestown

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2024/03/29

"See, on the road to Hell there was a railroad line..." It's time for a deep dive into the Broadway musical, Hadestown. We get into how the musical adapts the Grek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice & Hades and Persephone for a modern setting; the love stories–and tragedy–of the two core relationships; and the productive ambiguity of seeing it all happen on stage. Content Warning: Discussions of S*xual Assault from (1:06:41 - 1:14:05) Show Notes: Other Lit Mentioned this episode: The

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01:09:42

E39 Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2024) with Dr. and Mr. Cooper

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2024/02/29

Corinne wasn’t feeling well this week, so Ayanni called in the cavalry. This episode, she's joined by her spouse (and friend of the show) Andrew Cooper to talk about the new action-dramedy series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They give their general impressions, think about the series’ adaptation choices, and muse about the show’s depiction of married life. Show Notes: Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Jujutsu Kaisen, Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2009), Skip and Loafer, Dungeon

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00:53:05

E36 Lost You Forever Season 1 (Mini-Series Part 2,...

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/12/08

We’re continuing our three-part mini-series on Lost You Forever by diving right into a truck load of spoilers! In honor of the reverse harem-ness at all, we organized our discussion around leading lady, Xiaoyao, and her four suitors. This episode, we start with Xiaoyao herself–and her many abandonment issues. Then, we get into our complicated feelings about her charming, ambitious cousin, Cang Xuan and his dangerous pursuit of the throne. As a treat (for Corinne), we also talk about Xiaoyao’s bratty

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01:01:46

E35 Lost You Forever Season 1 (Mini-Series Part 1,...

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/11/27

CW: Brief mention of s*icide @ 30:00. Welcome to the first installment in our three part mini-series on the Chinese drama, Lost You Forever (Season 1). If you haven’t seen this drama, don’t worry–the first part of our mini-series is spoiler free! We give some context about the show set up, share some spoiler-free reactions, and wrap up with a game of F*ck, Marry, K!ll. Along the way, we also share all the reasons we think you should check out Lost You Forever–if it hasn’t already taken the top spot

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01:29:19

E34 Trope Spotlight: Demon Lovers with Dr. Sam Langsdale

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/10/27

Happy Halloween, SLL Listeners! This episode is a special spooky season treat: a Trope Spotlight episode on ~Demon Lovers~ 😈. We’re joined by comic-scholar, friend of the show, and fellow monster aficionado Dr. Sam Langsdale to tackle the deliciously demonic topic. Together, we parse through what makes a demon a demon-as well as what we want from a demon lover-throw in some monster theory, and share some of our many favorites. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:30 Opening Banter 02:57 Guest

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01:15:05

E33 Rinko-San Wants to Try (Rinko-san wa shitemitai)

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/10/13

This episode, on the recommendation of an SLL listener, we’re excited to do a deep dive into the Japanese Drama, Rinko-San Wants to Try. We get into how the show complicates conceptions of virginity, plays with the friends with benefits trope, and maybe get in our feelings a lil bit about a second female lead who really got under Ayanni’s skin. As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors

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00:55:55

E32 The Female Gaze (Part 2): Complication and Expansion

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/09/29

This is the second episode of our two part discussion on the Female Gaze. Since we laid some groundwork and gave some context in part one, this time around, we dive right in. In thinking through “the female gaze,” we ask questions of whom we presume is looking and who is being looked at. We also think about how the gaze becomes more complicated in our modern media context, especially when we move beyond binary, heteronormative understandings of gender and sexuality. We definitely recommend checking

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00:49:48

E31 The Female Gaze (Part 1): The Origins of the Gaze

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/09/29

We’re tackling a big topic in our two part discussion on “the female gaze.” What is the female gaze and why does it matter? In this first episode, we establish some context for the term by getting into the history of the “gaze” as a concept, the psychoanalytic origins of the Male Gaze as theorized by Laura Mulvey, and how the oppositional gaze, as coined by bell hooks, makes space for alternative ways of looking and being looked at. You can listen to "E32 The Female Gaze (Part 2): Complication

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00:52:08

LP 09 (Re)Introducing Ourselves: Dr. Ayanni and Dr....

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/08/25

Content warning: This episode contains a very brief discussion of sexual assault from 27:14 - 27:21. Happy 3rd Birthday to Sex. Love. Literature! 🎂 Since we started the show as English PhD candidates, the two of us have been through a lot. And now, over the last year, we’ve defended dissertations, donned our wizard robes, and officially both become doctors. To celebrate, this episode is all about us. Learn about our research, what projects we’re working on, and what we watch, read, and listen to

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00:51:18

E30 Netflix's Sex Education (Part 2) feat Dr. Michele...

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/07/28

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of bullying in the narrative from (13:05 - 19:00) and sexual assault from (37:21 - 48:50). This is the second of our two-parter on Netflix’s Sex Education with filmmaker, writer, and scholar Michele Meek! We dive right into the sex with this one, starting with depictions of sex in the show, how we feel about the ways consent does and does not work in-universe, and Corinne works through her angry feelings about Season 3 headmaster, Hope

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00:58:29

E29 Netflix’s Sex Education (Part 1) feat Dr. Michele...

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/07/14

Content warning: While we don’t discuss sexual assault in detail, we do mention it a few times, since it often comes up in conversations about consent. We've got a treat for you all this episode! Along with your usual fabulous co-hosts, we’re joined by filmmaker, writer, and scholar Michele Meek to discuss the Netflix show Sex Education. In the first of two episodes with Michele, we first learn about her exciting new book, Consent Culture in Teen Films: Adolescent Sexuality in US Movies. Then, in

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01:23:12

E28 Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/05/22

We’re doing a deep dive into the Shondaland Netflix show, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story! This episode, we talk about the steamy, but bittersweet romance of George and Charlotte, the evolution of the inimitable Lady Danbury, and how this new Bridgerton tale makes space for the complex desires of mature women. Like most Bridgerton series, this one has a large cast. Skip to (18:56) to bypass the character and series introductions. A quick note to bolster our discussion of minstrel shows, they

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01:24:39

E27 Trope Spotlight: Friends to Lovers

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/04/19

This episode, we’re talking about the in’s and out’s of the Friends to Lovers trope. We cover what we think makes for a great friends to lovers story, what really really doesn’t, and throw in a ton of examples. (Only half of which are Kdramas.) What's Sparking Joy ran a little long this episode, so it won't hurt our feelings if you want to skip to the end (19:36). Lit discussed this episode: The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir (webnovel & Cdrama version), Next in Fashion, Love Between Fairy and

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00:49:49

E26 Hit the Spot aka Fanta G Spot (Part 2)

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/03/08

This episode continues our deep dive into the sexy and sex-filled Korean web-drama Hit the Spot, aka Fanta G Spot. We get into the ways that the drama centers female pleasure, how it balances education with fantasy, and ask if consent can really be sexy. (Spoiler: yes.) If you haven't listened to part one, check it out for our take on the show’s setup, the cast of characters, and for our reactions to the two main romances. On a more serious note, here’s a recent article about one actresses

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00:56:43

E25 Hit the Spot aka Fanta G Spot (Part 1)

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/03/08

We’re diving into the spicy Korean web-drama Hit the Spot, aka Fanta G Spot. There was so much ground to cover (and once again, so much sex) that we’re splitting our discussion into two parts. In part one–which you’re reading about right now–we give some context for the show’s setup, introduce the cast of characters, and share our reactions to the two main romances. Make sure you listen to part two for our thoughts on the ways the drama centers female pleasure, how it balances education with

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00:57:36

LP 08 Sparking Joy in 2023: A Pop-Culture Roundup

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/02/03

It's time for our yearly celebration of pop-culture: "What's Sparking Joy 2023!" We start off with a round of “What’s Sparking Joy” for us in January, move on to thinking about our favorite pop culture of 2022, what we’re looking forward to in 2023, and a round of pop-culture predictions. We also take a moment remembering KPOP! Broadway and our experience seeing the final performance of its run. (You can pre-order the original cast recording of KPOP! or stream the song "This is My Korea" to give

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01:06:43

E24 Love Between Fairy and Devil (Part 2, Spoiler...

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/01/03

This is our spoiler-filled deep dive into the Chinese Drama, Love Between Fairy and Devil. (If you'd like to hear our take on the drama sans-spoilers, check out "E23: Love Between Fairy and Devil (Part 1, Spoiler Free)".) In this episode, we cover the show’s multifaceted depictions of love, the scenes that made us cry, and a spicy take about the show’s finale. Plus, there's a special behind-the-scenes bonus blooper for y'all at the end of the episode~ Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love

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00:38:33

E23 Love Between Fairy and Devil (Part 1, Spoiler Free)

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2023/01/03

Happy New Year, SLL Listeners 🎉🎉 For our first episode of 2023, we’re diving into our first Chinese Drama discussion with the high fantasy romance Love Between Fairy and Devil. If you haven’t seen this drama, don’t worry! The first part of our conversation--AKA this episode right here--is spoiler free! We give some context about the fantastic storytelling, the fabulous cast of characters, and all of the reasons we think you should give Love Between Fairy and Devil a try. (When you're ready for

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00:53:09

E22 "Lore Olympus and/as Young Adult Literature"...

Sex. Love. Literature. ·

2022/10/24

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault, from (28:34 - 35:55). At the last YASA Conference, we answered the very pressing question on the mind of every Lore Olympus reader: Why is Hades So Hot? (Read: many, many reasons.) This time around we broaden our focus by putting Lore Olympus in context. In our "semi-academic" style, we discuss how this adaptation of the Hades & Persephone myth blurs the boundaries of young adult literature through audience, themes, and what

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