Interviews &c.

Can I Still Read Harry Potter?

I was honored to co-write and host this short 2020 documentary for BBC Radio 4 exploring how Harry Potter fans are responding to JK Rowling’s transphobia . 

Vox’s Today, Explained

• The Deep Fake — explaining deepfake technology and the rise of celebrity porn manipulation on Reddit)
• “Congress Just Broke the Internet” — a rundown on the dire implications of FOSTA-SESTA for the internet
• “Golden State Killer Opens Pandora’s Box.” A true campfire story about a notorious serial killer.
• “Delete your account.” In which I explain why internet trolls pursued James Gunn and Sarah Jeong in 2018.
• “Tumblr’s war on sex.” Why Tumblr’s adult content ban is about so much more than just porn.
• “OK Boomer” — Why the “OK Boomer” meme is not at all the dismissive ageist retort it’s been branded.
• “The Disappearance of Gabby Petito”  — discussing why this tragic case was everywhere, and why it matters
• “Chappelle’s Show(down with the trans community)” — walking you through the controversy over Dave Chappelle

 

Vox’s Tell Me More:

• Cancel culture, canceled:  explaining recent developments in cancel culture hysteria
• K-Pop is Everywhere but on the radio: explaining why K-pop is everywhere but on the radio! 
• Why Satanic Panic never really ended, discussing QAnon, conspiracies, Lil Nas X, and the Satanic Panic hysteria

 

TV, radio, podcast interviews, etc:

• Reunited with my BBC producer Sam Peach for a segment on the word “woke” and its evolution.
• Trust Me: joined this fantastic podcast exploring cults and the psychology behind them for an episode on conspiracies, Satanic Panic, and my own personal experience battling a cult.
• Joined Texas Public Radio for an invigorating call-in discussion about the ethics of true crime.
• Popped round to BBC World to talk House of the Dragon!
• Chatted with the CBC’s Day 6 about Satanic Panic and the latest season of Stranger Things!
• Had a great time on Pop Cultured with The Skimm discussing comedy’s existential crisis.
• Spoke to Art for the End Times about J.K. Rowling.
• Had a really amazing chat with the Name 3 Songs podcast, a feminist fandom and pop culture podcast, about the Depp-Heard trial and its larger implications for culture. A really wide-ranging conversation touching on just about every aspect of my complex and wide-ranging beat.

• Appeared on The Laura Coates Show on Sirius FM to discuss the dynamics of public protest.
• Chatted with Ali Wentworth about cancel culture for her Shondaland podcast Go Ask Ali
• Discussed Squid Game for the Korean Broadcasting System
• Spoke to the Daily Dive about the Horror Century
• Spoke to Brian Lehrer on WNYC about the Horror Century
• Appeared in HBO’s Monica Lewinsky -produced cancel culture documentary, 15 Minutes of Shame
• Talked to Times Radio about Korean culture
• Talked to BBC’s Front Row about BTS
• Spoke to Buzzfeed Daily re: Jeopardy!
• Chatted about BTS with Connecticut Public Radio
• Did a wonderful call-in show about K-pop with WPR!
• Spoke to Vice UK’s Justice seriesabout cancel culture
• Discussed the controversy over Cuties with The Only Podcast About Movies
• Appeared on All Things Considered to discuss Netflix’s social media reality show The Circle
• Appeared on CBS News to discuss the implosion of the Romance Writers of America
• Appeared on Central Ave to discuss voice acting and racism
• Discussed Lovecraft Country with The 21st
• Spoke to The Conversationalist about “OK, Boomer”
• Vox’s Reset: Appeared on Recode’s tech culture podcast to discussthe fallout of FOSTA-SESTA in the year since it passed. (Pair with the Today, Explained episode!)
• Decoder Ring: “The Johnlock Conspiracy.” I was so happy to discuss the Johnlock Conspiracy with host Willa Paskin.
• Discussed cancel culture on The Cincinnati Edition
• Vox’s Worldly: “Understanding the New Zealand Attack.” Features my breakdown on the role memes played in the Christchurch shooter’s manifesto.
• Discussed the history of Friday the 13th with KPFA Radio.
• Discussed the Manson Family murders and legacy with Connecticut Public Radio.
• Other numerous radio spots over the years discussing everything from Gamergate to Net Neutrality on Portland’s XRAY.FM, to meme culture on BBC Trending, and Stranger Things on Viewpoints; guested on SiriusXM Insight to discuss horror for Halloween

 

Conventions & Panels:

Fun Stuff:

Other podcast appearances:

• The Kurt Locker: Overboard (1987). I got to return for another episode with the Cool Breeze posse, this time to discuss Overboard, aka “the quintessential gaslighting rom-com”!
• Chatted with Eye of a Duck about Silence of the Lambs
• Cool Breeze Over the Mountains: I was so happy to appear numerous times on this wonderful podcast celebrating Keanu Reeves, discussing “The Watcher,” “Constantine, ” “The Lake House,” and “Replicas.”
• I discussed my harrowing experience battling a cult in college with the Corpus Delicti podcast!
• I’m Shaping Opinion: “Remembering AIM.”  Dropped in to about the demise of AOL Instant Messenger, and the bygone time of intimacy on the internet before social media.
• Empty Frames: “Shredding Banksy.” Had a great chat with Tim and Lance about Banksy and modern art!
• It’s All Fine. Chatted with Allison Stock’s fantastic fandom podcast about my fandoms, first Inception and then The Untamed, in two parts!.
• Fansplaining: “Real Person Fiction.”  Hung out with good friends for a chat about one of my favorite modes of fanfic.
• Genuinely Obsessed: Sat down with my Kaleidotrope co-creator EGT for a lovely interview with our fan Sarah about our podcast! <333 It’s in two parts: Part One and Part Two
• Alien Minute: Participated in a wonderful discussion about Bill Paxton’s “squad of ultimate badasses” scene!
• Gobbledygeek: “Two Is the Magic Number.” Joined this fabulous podcast to discuss Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train and Shadow of a Doubt.
• Character Reveal: “All the Fandom with Aja.”  I loved this conversation with Dom and Steph about fandom, journalism, and so much more!
• Women in Caskets: “ The Gay Killer Strikes Again (and again).” Discussed my favorite horror trope.
• Fangirl Happy Hour: “Happy Anniversary, Inception!” Had this great chat with my girls Ana and Renay to discuss the most amazing fandom ever. <3 
• 2012–2013: co-hosted Fandomspotting with a rotating number of guests. We were awesome. <3  My favorite episodes include the Lizzie Bennet ep, theJames Bond ep, our wake for LiveJournal, and our epic two-part Les Miserables session, Jam ValJean part 1 and part 2
• My Favorite Murder 2018 Halloween Live Show. I wasn’t actually on this episode, but Karen and Georgia built an entire MFM segment around my Satanic Panic explainer, and I got a hilarious and amazing shoutout. Segment starts about 25 minutes in.
• Redwing:  I had a bit part as a Southern magical creature caretaker in this stellar noir superhero audio drama!

Guest contributions:

• 2020: Contributed to A Tumblr Book: Platforms and Cultures from the University of Michigan press
• 2017 roundtable on Tumblr and Fandomfor the Journal of Transformative Works and Cultures!
• 2017 roundtable on the intersection of fandom and the media with Ivan Askwith and Britta Lundin for the Routledge Companion to Media Fandom, edited by Suzanne Scott