Image courtesy of Huffington Post Hold onto your hard drives, witches, because we have an announcement for you! We've been thinking over the past months about ways to make Witch, Please sustainable. After two years of fortnightly episodes, we're worried about fizzling out over the next year. We don't want to fizzle out, dear witches, because hanging out with you is too much fun. And so we have arrived at: A PLAN. Proudly announcing: Witch, Please 2.0 , this time with seasons, and maybe an even m...
Jan 31, 2017•2 min
HAPPY 2017, WITCHES! We don’t believe in resolutions because they are a neoliberal conceit intended to keep you politically docile by convincing you that your very being is a perfectable project. But we do believe in trying to educate yourself every damn day, and in that spirit, this minisode is accompanied by some recommended readings. Enjoy! Content Warning for this episode: discussion of racialized violence and murder. Fantastic Beasts is Not So Fantastic With Diversity Tilda ...
Jan 17, 2017•54 min
Image source: Miss Nobody on tumblr Greetings from the Roaring Twenties, witches! In this excitingly lengthy new beast of an episode, Marcelle and Hannah are joined by your favourite Guy with a Film Degree: Neale Barnholden! Your hilarious hosts FINALLY talk about that new venture into the Wizarding World by money machines JK Rowling and Warner Brothers: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ! Get cozy, because this episode is fantastically long! http://ohwitchplease...
Dec 20, 2016•2 hr 50 min
Image credit: Ashley Hostetter “The Charming Classroom” Welcome back, witches! We are gearing up to tackle Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ! In this fantastic minisode, Marcelle sits down with Harry Potter marketing wiz and wandmaker-in-training Rachelle Saunders (of Science for the People fame) to talk about branding and Harry Potter. So grab your House Scarf and an official Witch, Please mug of hot cocoa and cozy up for this magical exploration...
Dec 06, 2016•1 hr 9 min
Photo credit: Max Lalanne / The Tufts Daily Howdy, witches! This extended universe not-so-mini minisode comes to you hot off the mics in America! Hannah and Marcelle (and Trevor!) (and the hippogriff baby, too!!) had the pleasure of visiting Tufts University to deliver a workshop on podcasting and to speak on a panel with Tufts Experimental College Professor Lydia XZ Brown about disability, race, and queerness in the Harry Potter series. It was awesome! If you’d like to learn more abou...
Nov 22, 2016•2 hr 42 min
Image source: Fantastic Beasts “Final Trailer” Welcome to the future, witches! In this episode, Marcelle and Neale tackle the trailers for the first (of FIVE?!?!) movie in the Fabulous Beasts and Their Locations Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film franchise. We honestly cannot believe we are going to do this five more times , but for sure by the second or third movie release we’ll live in the same city as Hannah again so these minisodes will be even more hilarious!...
Nov 08, 2016•51 min
Image from page 988 of “Popular electricity magazine in plain English” (1912) (Internet Archive Book Image) This arbitrarily-categorized Extended Universe Episode saw one of your brave hosts venture out of her cozy living room and into stormy Vancouver in search of a real live theatrical BUT TOTALLY COMMUNITY-DRIVEN AND FREE SO IN NO WAY LEGALLY LIABLE reading of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child . Thanks to Laura Fukumoto , Nicole Yukiko , and everyone who took part in this magi...
Oct 25, 2016•47 min
Image: filmratings.com Gather ’round, witches! We’re back with another minisode! This week, Marcelle asks resident Guy With A Film Degree Neale Barnholden all about trailers and somewhat ironically they talk for an hour! PSA: we had a LOT of unexpected technical difficulties before, during, and after recording, so please think of this episode as a rather rough cut. http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WitchPlease-20161010-TeasersTrailersAndSpoilersOhMy.mp3Download this re-cut minis...
Oct 11, 2016•50 min
Pull out your rulers, witches, and start measuring your margins, because this episode we’re getting into the nitty and the gritty of book design. Hannah is joined by book designer (and brand new colleague at her brand new job!) Mauve Pagé in a discussion of three different editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone . We talk about kerning! We talk about x-height! We talk about widows! And as all those exclamation marks indicate, you should be excited! P.S. T...
Sep 27, 2016•53 min
Welcome back, witches! Today’s episode wraps up our discussion of the second half of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and after this we’ll never speak of it again—at least, not until the next edition of play script gets published with all that sweet, sweet paratext you know we crave…….. Seriously, though, we’re stoked for the re-issuing of the post-production script with, like, photos and shit. But for now we make do with the incomprehensible stage directions and many, many titl...
Sep 13, 2016•1 hr 27 min
Image: Tasha Chawner, flickr Grab your contraband Time Turners, witches, because we’re zipping back in time to episode 15A: the first half of our discussion of the play script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ! Speaking of time, in this episode Hannah and Marcelle dive into recording from two different timezones! The results are PRETTY GOOD! Dramatic reading background music by Bensound . http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/WitchPlease160829CuriousChild-Hawtfix.mp3...
Aug 30, 2016•2 hr 33 min
Source: Flickr, The Commons Grab your opera glasses, witches, because this week Hannah is joined by actor, director, and playwright Jeremy Mason for a discussion about the pleasures of reading plays, and why Rowling might have turned to the theatre for her newest addition to the Harry Potter canon. Don’t forget to take notes, because we’ll be asking you for your questions about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the coming weeks. http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016...
Aug 16, 2016•22 min
Image source: Deviant Art Are you prepared for a rambling, margarita-fuelled discussion of pamphlets, propaganda, British fascism, lightning bolts, and how to browbeat your beloved hosts into getting your very own episode? No? Then you should probably skip this one. But if you actually love all those things, plus gratuitous lightning sound effects*, then this minisode is for you! http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/WitchPlease-20160801-E165BritishTechnocraticWetDre...
Aug 02, 2016•1 hr
Image source: Tumblr Welcome to our brand new podcast, The Harry Potter Hour, Starring Feminism! It’s a lot like our old podcast Witch, Please except, uh, Newer and Different! This truly is the last episode of classic Witch, Please , though. After this it’s all paratexts, minisodes, and shenanigans! No more rules, no more social decorum, no more consistency. If the episode seems a little early, that’s because the Internet screwed up and we didn’t know how to fix it we wanted to give you a s...
Jul 07, 2016•2 hr 39 min
photo credit: slgckgc on flickr But we’re not dead yet! cry your coven mistresses as we claw our way back into your podcast apps. That’s right, witches! We still have two more official (and, like, scores more un official) episodes for you! Tonight we’re joined by real life guy with a film degree, Neale Barnholden, for the ultimate—no, no then pen ultimate—wait no! the ante penultimate—WHATEVER, FOR ANOTHER EPISODE! Turn on all your lights and settle in with a companion spec...
Jun 28, 2016•2 hr 31 min
With Marcelle a million miles* away, we’re presenting to you a live event organized by Edmonton Potterwatch . “Project Firenze: Minority Representation in Fantasy Literature” was the organization’s first-ever live panel on that topic, focusing this time on the Magic in North America stories and the representation/appropriation of Indigenous cultures. We were joined by Lucinda Rasmussen and Roxanne Harde from the University of Alberta, and moderators Emily Hoven and Nina Legesse, to tal...
Jun 14, 2016•1 hr 14 min
Well, this is it, witches. Buckle in for an extra long episode, because this is the LAST (third) part of our discussion of the LAST (seventh) book ( Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ) and we have a lot of ground to cover and old friends to mourn. But don’t you worry. Even though we make about a hundred jokes about it, we’ll be back with more moviesodes and minisodes before the summer is through! {TW for sexual assault, rape culture} http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Wit...
May 31, 2016•2 hr 48 min
Image Credit: Eric/Kimber on Flickr Howdy witches! Marcelle edited tonight’s episode in a flurry of packing so please forgive the dearth of whimsical sound effects! We hope that even without an obscene number of honks and hoots you’ll enjoy this second instalment of our discussion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . But, to be honest, we’re so internet famous now that we might just start making weird avant-garde artsy episodes to fuck with you. Probably not. But we could! {TW: e...
May 17, 2016•1 hr 18 min
Howdy, witches! While Hannah was off feministing her heart out in Ontario, Marcelle and Trevor and Neale recorded a live episode at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo! A word of warning: the sound quality is lousy but there are some cute hippogriff baby coos AND the attendees were RADIANT! Also there’s a slide show to accompany our panel below if you like visuals. Download this wild slideshow http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/WitchPlease-20160502-EN_Politic...
May 03, 2016•42 min
Photo credit: Peter Trimming, Flickr Tonight, witches, we bid farewell to a friend and confidante. As the Harry Potter series draws to an end Hannah and Marcelle get selectively weepy because compassion fatigue is real and, like, everybody dies in this book. So pour yourself a stiff drink and, while you’re at it, pour one out for Hedwig that she may soar again in our dreams. {TW: episode contains use of the song “Taps” and references to death} http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/W...
Apr 19, 2016•2 hr 30 min
Pull out your scissors and glue sticks, witches, because today we're bringing you a very special montage-filled minisode. As part of our public lecture, “Witch, Please: Feminist Fandom, Public Pedagogy, and Podcasting,” delivered at the University of Calgary, Marcelle prepared two audio montages of our book and movie episodes. They're pretty charming, and you should probably listen to them and share them with everyone you know. If you'd like to see a little more of our public lecture, you can ch...
Apr 05, 2016•19 min
Settle down students because class is about to begin! Cheer for your U of A Champions Hannah and Marcelle as they swoop into the University of Calgary’s English Department on their shiny new Red Arrow broomsticks. It’s kind of like the Triwizard Tournament, except it’s like really safe for all involved. Graciously invited by Dr. Derritt Mason and his Children’s Literature class, Marcelle and Hannah have a topical back-and-forth before opening up the floor to questions that will challe...
Mar 22, 2016•1 hr 9 min
Get your adult colouring books ready, witches! In tonight’s minisode Hannah and Marcelle descend the rabbit hole of adult colouring books, producing a relatively unedited stream-of-consciousness discussion about books, libraries, censorship, Nazism(?!), racism in general, and how good Snape would look in jewel tones. Aaaaaaand! if you live in the Calgary area we hope you’ll come to our public talk at the University of Calgary on Thursday March 17th. Details about the event can be found...
Mar 08, 2016•48 min
Image Source: Martin Fisch on Flickr Get ready for a sexy romp with our favourite witches and wizards in this week’s critical analysis of the sexy film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince . If you haven’t seen the sexy trailer, check it out here as it features sexily in our sexy critique. And if that isn’t sexy enough, break out your Malcoy flirting fans because beloved guy-with-a-sexy-film-degree Neale Barnholden returns to explain all the sexy technical terms necess...
Feb 23, 2016•1 hr 9 min
Image from tiffany terry on flickr This outrageously tardy episode marks our FIRST birthday as a podcast, which means it’s also our first anniversary with YOU! We’ve come a long way these last twelve months and our coven has reached farther than we ever dreamed. We even got a fancy-pants makeover to celebrate! Above all, YOU are all the very best, and, to show our appreciation, we bring you our silliest and smartest episode yet! Get your chips ready as we continue our analysis of ...
Feb 11, 2016•1 hr 19 min
Hey witches! Our discussion of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince is on hold for a fortnight as we bring you our adventures at Nerd Nite Edmonton ! We drank a bunch of wine and got up on a stage to talk about literary criticism, feminist criticism, and fan theories. It was the best. Enjoy! UPDATE: If you’d like to follow along with the slides, here they are ! http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/WitchPlease-20160125-EΛ_LiveAndSurprised.mp3Download Episode Hos...
Jan 26, 2016•32 min
Hey Witches! It’s late and there’s a hippogriff baby in need of attention, so let’s get right to it: here for your listening pleasure is the first half of our discussion of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince (see what I did there?). Enjoy! http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Witch-Please-Episode-11A_The-Full-blood-Patriarchy.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 12, 2016•1 hr 24 min
Ho Ho Ho, Witches! We’re back in the expanded universe of the podcast with Episode Kappa in which we cackle at fraternity, get a lil’ tipsy on vegan egg nog, and VERY bravely sing some songs. We wrote the songs just for you, dear listeners, so scroll down to find the lyrics and sing along! Word of caution: if this is your first time tuning in to Witch, Please , this episode is probably not the best introduction to the podcast itself (though it is most definitely the best...
Dec 15, 2015•44 min
Ahoy witches! Join us for another mat leave minisode as we travel back in time to learn about Quidditch IRL! This recording comes from the 2015 Edmonton Comics and Entertainment Expo and features the vocal talents of the Edmonton Aurors Quidditch team. We hope you enjoy! http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/WitchPlease-20151130-E1055QuidditchIRL.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 01, 2015•36 min
This week, as Marcelle and our erstwhile tech support selfishly abandon us to care for a newborn, Hannah and genuine guy-with-a-film degree Neale Barnholden go on magical tour of cinematic and material history, featuring dragons! It’s a Q&A minisode, minus the mini. Buckle in, dear listeners, because things are going to get shouty. http://ohwitchplease.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/WitchPlease-20151117-E105GaddingWithGuys.mp3Download Episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...
Nov 17, 2015•50 min
