Podcasts

So You Didn’t See Solo, A Fandomentalist Story

Published

5 months ago

June 11, 2018

Kylie

Julia, and Kylie watched the latest Star Wars movie because they are true nerds, but Gretchen didn’t. What are two girls to do but attempt to explain what they witnessed, while also discussing the ever-lovely Star Wars fandom at large.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 – Fandom news 6/11/18 edition
18:15 – Kelly Marie Tran is a ray of sunlight
30:45 – Kylie and Julia recap Solo
1:12:30 – Solo discussion

Related Pieces:

Related Topics:Featured Solo: A Star Wars Story Star Wars the fandomentalist

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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.

14 Comments

14

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Member

athena

#16548

You can flag a comment by clicking its flag icon. Website admin will know that you reported it. Admins may or may not choose to remove the comment or block the author. And please don't worry, your report will be anonymous.

I haven’t seen the movie, but I do find it hilarious that Han Solo is now a Mary Sue who for no logical reason is an ace pilot and can speak alien dialects. We can only wonder why so many fan boys are eating that shit up vs. the reactions to Rey and everyone else in TFA and TLJ.

Author

Kylie

#16552

He didn’t need a character arc because he was already perfection ^.^

Member

Olatunji Nuga

#16605

Actually, I’ve seen a lot them (well, those who didn’t boycott the film) call Han Solo call him a Gary Stu. So, I guess their willing to be consistent there.

Guest

Ashley

#16550

I went into this movie with VERY LOW expectations so as a result I…kind of ended up liking it? As a popcorn action flick with a few redeeming elements, but at least I didn’t feel my ticket money was wasted. On the L3 front, I read Daniel Jose Older’s novel Last Shot before I saw the movie. The frame of the plot takes place between ROTJ and TFA, but there are flashbacks for both Han and Lando. The flashback scenes for Lando and L3 fleshed the character out a lot more, and as a result I was predisposed to like… Read more »

Author

Kylie

#16551

Yeah I will say with just Solo to go off of, L3 is an uphill battle. I’m glad the Lucasfilm storygroup still has their stuff together on that front.

Guest

clarifiedwizard

#16553

I think the joke with L3 is not that she wants rights, it’s that she’s a *droid* that wants rights. It’s like a tongue-in-cheek thing about how Star Wars has never really had a robot uprising despite that being such a common sci-fi trope. Also the idea of your toaster or smartphone “rebelling” is kind of funny. It’s not meant to be applicable or analagous to humans.

Guest

clarifiedwizard

#16554

Also this story clearly isn’t really meant to have a moral or even rudimentary themes. It’s just a fun, Old Hollywood-style adventure through the Star Wars universe. Nothing more. In that same vein, I don’t think you’re really meant to engage with the characters as such, but rather with the tropes, the setting, and the cultural artifacts of Star Wars for their own sake. (Thus the musical cues when we see things like Han’s iconic blaster or Chewie in the co-pilot’s seat.)

Author

Kylie

#16582

I’d argue our entire podcast was engaging with the tropes. I think we just didn’t like them.

Member

Olatunji Nuga

#16606

That maybe true, but I think there’s a lot more interesting and fun films out there that are still running in theaters. I’d rather watch Infinity War or Deadpool 2 again than watch this again but YMMV.

Guest

Ruw

#16555

Well, the thing is that I indeed did not see Solo, so thanks for the very informative summary. One day it gets to Netflix or whatever and then I’ll probably watch it…

I’m slightly confused about Darth Maul though. I’m probably mixing things up and someone more knowledgable about the chronology can clarify, but didn’t he stop being a crime lord by the time the Empire took over? I thought he went into hiding on Malachor after Palps killed his brother, until Ezra bumped into him there in Rebels.

Admin

Gretchen

#16557

I’m with you on Maul. I hadn’t thought of it when Kylie and Julia were talking, but you’re right. I had assumed he went into hiding/stopped being a crime lord after Ahsoka chose to save Rex and let Maul go. I suppose canon didn’t really tell us what he did in between that moment and when we pick again with him in Rebels, but still. This doesn’t fit very neatly with where he is once he comes back into the Rebels timeline (e.g., stranded on Malachor for years after having gone searching for the Sith Temple and his ship crashed).… Read more »

Guest

Ruw

#16561

The more I think about it, the weirder it seems to me. By the end of the movie Han’s probably only a few years away from the events of the New Hope at best? Well, some novel or comic book will probably smooth over the inconsistencies. Maybe Qu’ira (sp?) dethroned him as the super crime boss right afterwards and only then he remembered his old grudge against the Sith for some reason…

Admin

Gretchen

#16562

It would have to be something like that. Unless Solo takes place earlier in the timeline. But if that’s the case, why end the movie with the clear seed to ANH? I’m with you, the more I think about it, the wonkier it seems.

Member

Jordan F

#16590

The most interesting thing about this podcast, for me at least, was seeing the gulf in between the kind of dumb shit we hand wave away in movies we like versus the dumb shit we nitpick in movies we don’t. And I say ‘we’ because we all do it. So much of the stuff you guys came down on (Corellian customs, Niffler poop, the Kessel Run space monster, the pretend Han-Chewie fight and Han speaking Shyrriwook (sic?)) I just didn’t really mind because I just generally enjoyed the ride. It was totally meaningless of course, but I didn’t really go… Read more »

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Podcasts

Ladies First Looks at WLW Film

Published

4 days ago

November 8, 2018

Elizabeth

Elizabeth is back from the Canadian wilderness and joins Kori in a look at wlw film including Fingersmith, Tipping the Velvet, and Appropriate Behavior. Also, relationship tropes.

Podcasts

It’s So Bad It’s Good on The Fandomentalist

Published

1 week ago

November 5, 2018

Kylie

Julia, Gretchen, and Kylie discuss some of their favorite pieces of ironic enjoyment, as well as a trope generally deemed ‘bad’.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 – Intro & fandom news 11/5
18:30 – Movies so bad they’re good
34:40 – The damsel in distress trope
56:20 – TV shows so bad they’re good

Podcasts

Write To Survive Podcast: Halloween Spooktacular II feat. Nina Alvarez

Published

1 week ago

November 3, 2018

Dan

This is a JAM-PACKED episode as we reach the best single day in the entire year: HALLOWEEN!
Light the pumpkins, spice the cider, and get ready for two hours of spooky, scary goodness!
First, Dan and Brigid discuss the War on Halloween and how they’re celebrating the auspicious day.
Then, an interview with Nina Alvarez from Cosmographia books on her newly curated collection: “Early American Gothic: Stories and Poems.” They discuss her work as an indie publisher, what Cosmographia’s “By Candlelight” series is, and just what the word “gothic” even means!
Finally, a good mix publication opportunities for writers of a more horrific persuasion, including a particularly “ruff” one for LGBT writers!
And, as a bonus, the hosts have recorded some of their favorite bits of poetry and fiction for you to enjoy throughout the episode, so be sure to listen to every spine-tingling second!

0:00- Spooky Celebrations: Samhain and the War on Halloween

20:41- Brigid reads “Ghost House” by Robert Frost

Music: Nocturne in C sharp minor ‘Lento con gran espressione’, B. 49 (Op. posth.) by Frédéric Chopin, performed by Aya Higuchi, used under Creative Commons

22:44- Interview w/ Nina Alvarez from Cosmographia Books

87:33- Dan reads Poem 670 (“One need not be a Chamber—to be Haunted—”) by Emily Dickinson

Background Sound: “Atmosphere Horror-4” by julius_galla via freesound.com

88:44- Discussion of Publishing & Publishing Opportunities

Vex Me No More Witch Anthology

Requirements: We want your witch stories! Though they do not necessarily have to be female-centric, they do need to be tales of powerful, unique beings. Remember, this is a horror anthology, so while you can have elements of other genres, we want to be scared.

Reprints: Yes, but it will be $25 token payment.

Length: short stories up to 5,000 words

Payment: 0.02/word & contributor copy

Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Queer Werewolves

Requirements: Whether your werewolves are in space, school, or ruffing it in the outdoors, it doesn’t matter to us! We are looking for stories that span genres and tones. Your werewolves may be moody or the life of the party. All that matters is that they are openly queer and that there is an engaging story around them to be told.

Content creators do not need to identify as queer and/or LGBT+, however preference will be given to own voices and/or LGBT+ creators.

Length:

Short Fiction: 1,000-2,000 words is the preferred length and we will not accept any piece over 3,250 words.
Comics: Comic pitches require a 1-3 paragraph synopsis, creator bio, and links to the artist’s portfolio (if applicable). Comics may be a maximum of 8 pages long. Creators can submit up to 3 pitches.

Payment: Rates may change depending on Kickstarter funding.

Comic Script – $10 CAD/page
Comic Art – $50 CAD/page
Short Stories – $0.07 CAD/word

Dream Realms

Requirements: An integral part of the writings of H.P. Lovecraft dealt with forays into, and results from explorations of, a dream realm. We want you to tell us more about those realms, but we want the stories to be true to the Lovecraft ideas.

Length: Stories must be between 3000 and 7500 words (query for longer) and double-spaced, 12 pt New Roman Font. We prefer paragraph indents to tabs.

Payment: Payment will be a contributor copy of the book and $25.00 per story regardless of word count

Year’s Best Hardcore Horror

Requirements: The story was originally (or will be) published in a 2018 anthology, single author collection, magazine, or online magazine. Self-published anthologies and collections are acceptable as well.

Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Length: Up to 6000 words. Word count is flexible and longer works will be considered but please note the max payment is $60.00.

Payment: 1 cent a word for reprint rights. ($60 max)