The Fandomentalist Tackles Gender and the Let Down

Gretchen, Julia, and Kylie talk about a couple of their faves that are actively scaring them right now and how to cope, and also help Kylie plan the perfect gender-reveal cake for her sister’s baby.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 – Fandom news
16:30 – Unnecessarily gendered things
32:15 – Adaptational maxim #3, rearrangements
44:45 – Media & the let-down

Kylie

Kylie is a Managing Editor at The Fandomentals on a mission to slay all the tropes. She has a penchant for complex familial dynamics and is easily pleased when authors include in-depth business details.

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Julia

Julia is a Managing Editor at The Fandomentals with far too many hobbies and complex emotions. She may or may not be an actual Martell.

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Gretchen

Bi, she/her. Gretchen is an unabashed nerdy fangirl and aspiring sci/fi and fantasy author. She has opinions about things like media, representation, and fandom. She serves as a Managing Editor for The Fandomentals.

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Voted Thanks!

Farah

Disney seems to be striving for better representation in its recent shows lately. SVTFOE’s recently finished season had gay kissing in the background (when before they couldn’t even sneak the transgender symbol in Gravity Falls) AND a very interesting possibility of a trans/genderqueer character. Also there’s a Disney series coming in April called Andi Mack where the titular character is a preteen biracial girl with her shockingly complicated family dynamic and usual teen problems which is also Not A Sitcom. So Disney, can you please leave your classic animated movies alone and reprioritise on the stories that matter in this day and age?
- Kylie
  
  At least if we’re getting 5,000,000 reboots can they do something with it that isn’t a straight retelling? What are these things even bringing to the table?
  - Gretchen Ellis
    
    Right? Cinderella at least gave a minor variation. As much as I love BatB, it’s basically a retelling with a gay minor character thrown in who is basically a joke.
    
    Give me a queer retelling, or greater racial or religious diversity. Give me something different or a new twist, otherwise, what’s the point? Are we just to assume money is the only object?
- Gretchen Ellis
  
  Andi Mack sounds like a delightful show, btw.
  - Farah
    
    Apparently they got the first episode up on the Disney Youtube Channel. It really has a different feel from Disney’s previous live-action series. I love Andi already.
    - Gretchen Ellis
      
      If I have time, I’ll have to check it out. I’ve never watched a lot of Disney live-action TV shows, but this one sounds intriguing.
Katie

I can’t believe I had to listen to y’all insist that Lost was bad and that the Frodo / Sam sections of LotR are boring in the same podcast. It’s like you’re trying to mock me.
- Kylie
  
  Lossstt is terrible! One day you and I will need to have it out about that.
  
  But Frodo and Sam, it’s not that they’re boring, but the first time through the pacing transition is just jarring, coming off of everything that happened. I’m not sure split-books was the best structure.
  - Katie
    
    You are making me want to go spend hours re-watching chunks of it so that I can write a spirited defense.
    
    (I would, however, never argue the fact that big sections of Lost are garbage. It’s garbage I sort of love still, but that’s another matter).
    
    Nah, that’s fair. I always liked their sections better, so it didn’t necessarily bother me. I have no problem with the split structure, but I could definitely understand an argument for integrating them.
    - Gretchen Ellis
      
      Perhaps giving you fodder for a new article was our intent all along.
      - Katie
        
        I *guess* I should branch out beyond Tolkien at some point.
      - Gretchen Ellis
        
        https://media.giphy.com/media/Upo3rvSZAswIo/giphy.gif
Jennawynn

I just… “IT FUCKING ANNOYS THE FUCK OUT OF ME.” …me too.
ember_firedrake

Difficult as it is to acknowledge, I really appreciate your addressing the direction Black Sails has taken this season. It’s such a shame, considering last year I was telling everyone how this was my favorite show on TV, for me to be this wary of the series ending. I really hope they can deliver a satisfying narrative by the end of it, but some of their choices this season have seemed really contrived.
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