The homework for the episode:
Martha: Pan’s Labyrinth, 2006 film by Guillermo del Toro
Pete: Hellboy volume 3: The Chained Coffin and Others by Mike Mignola
Lauren Maxwell: The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman
Extra Credit: Episode 1.01 of Once Upon a Time, 2011 show created by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis
A young girl in post-revolution Spain discovers she may be a fairy tale princess, if she can accomplish three impossible tasks to reclaim her birthright.
Irish and Slavic folklore are explored through tales of supernatural investigation, helmed by a rough-talking, good-hearted red dude.
A queen sets off on a journey to save a neighboring kingdom from a plague of sleep, accompanied by her trusty dwarves.
A young woman with a troubled past is drawn to a small East Coast town, that may in fact be populated by fairy tale characters who have forgotten who they are.
Welcome to first time guest Lauren Maxwell, who not only helps keep Martha sane at work but also is an expert on this week’s topic of Fairy Tales!
Your podcasters’ credentials:
Pete: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Martha: Watched Bill play Sea of Thieves
Lauren: Series finale of The Tudors
Pete is prepping for a movie we’re all super stoked about and Martha’s parents have never read A Wrinkle in Time – we all take a moment to contemplate how, exactly, this could have happened. What Martha REALLY wants to talk about is how much she hated Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri, but true to the spirit of the credentials section, all she can really say is that she watched her husband play a pirate MMO for several hours. Lauren talks about her disappointment with The Tudors, which we all echo mournfully, for lost potential and the brilliance of Natalie Dormer.
Fairy tales! They’re everywhere. Our pop culture is indelibly linked with folklore, fables and fairy tales, and we want to talk about why. Why are these stories so ingrained in our culture? Why do we have this fascination with them, particularly the ones made famous by the Brothers Grimm? We discuss these and also get into:
- How do we reuse and remix familiar fairy tale elements to create new stories?
- Much of folklore was initially created as morality tales to warn listeners of bad behavior. Are they still serving this function? How have storytellers changed the fairy tales to reflect modern morality?
- At what point do recognizable fairy tale characters get changed so much from their initial conception that they become new characters, rather than just retold versions of the originals?
Next episode we’re talking award shows and how they reflect our cultural landscape. Get ready, because it’s our Oscars Episode! This is basically Martha’s Super Bowl, so get your ballots out and be prepared to be existentially disappointed in how much the Academy sucks at valuing actual quality film. We may be guestless, which would be fine, or we may have a ~surprise guest~ depending on how things work out. Either way, emotions will be high so make sure to check it out.
The homework for March 14:
Watch the Oscars! It’s super fun and I’m sure we’ll all have lots to talk about.
Find Pete on Twitter @piko3000, and find Martha on both Instagram AND Twitter @magicalmartha. Follow us online @DYDYHpodcast, e-mail us at show@homeworkpodcast.com, and find us on Facebook.
And remember, if you have questions, comments, or ideas for a show, give us a shoutout here or send us an e-mail to show@homeworkpodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Did You Do Your Homework? 