Leftist Teen Drama – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to an emergency special episode of Leftist Teen Drama in which Maria pays tribute to millennial teen drama icon Michelle Trachtenberg, who sadly passed away at the age of 39 on February 26, 2025. Thanks to Erin Rittweger, Colette Shade, Charlotte Morrill, strideofpride, and Kelly Diaz for contributing such powerful reflections on Michelle’s legacy to this episode. And thanks to Diana Hussein for inspiring me to make this episode to begin with. May we all rewatch our favorite Michelle Trachtenberg screen credit this weekend, whether it’s Harriet the Spy, Ice Princess, a favorite Dawn Summers episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or a favorite Georgina Sparks episode of Gossip Girl, or even an early appearance on the Adventures of Pete & Pete. Rest In Peace, Michelle Trachtenberg. Leftist Teen Drama is sending all our love and solidarity to Michelle’s friends and family and all that knew her!

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

_

ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

“Leftist Teen Drama” alternative logo by Charles O’Leary

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

_

SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

• The New York Times, February 26, 2025, Michelle Trachtenberg, ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Buffy’ Actress, Dies at 39 by Alex Williams and Michael Levenson
• Forbes, February 26, 2025, Michelle Trachtenberg Dies At 39 by Tim Lammers
• The Guardian, February 27, 2025 Michelle Trachtenberg’s natural talent shone in everything from Harriet the Spy to Buffy by Veronica Esposito
• tweet from Thomas, IATSE member who worked on Gossip Girl
• Jessica Szohr's Instagram post
• Joshua Safran’s thread
• Danny Tamberelli’s Instagram post 
• NBC News, February 27, 2025, Sarah Michelle Gellar mourns Michelle Trachtenberg, her little sister on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' by Matt Lavietes
• People, February 27, 2025, Blake Lively Remembers Gossip Girl Costar Michelle Trachtenberg's 'Yummy Caramel Lipgloss' and Other 'Sweet Details' by Lindsay Kimble
• US Weekly, February 26, 2025, Rosie O’Donnell Reacts to the Death of ‘Harriet the Spy’ Costar Michelle Trachtenberg: ‘Heartbreaking’ by Daniel Trainor

In our second Special Episode of Leftist Teen Drama featuring a writer talking about her related body of work, Maria welcomes Colette Shade to the podcast to discuss her brilliant book of essays, Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything (Essays on the Future That Never Was), just released on January 7, 2025. We deep dive into Colette’s essay collection, chatting about all things Y2K pop culture and leftist politics, including Colette’s affinity for DAWSON’S CREEK (1998-2003) and the fact that Y2K activists like Emma Nelson on DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION (2002-2015) were seen as “annoying.” 

TW: discussion of eating disorders from ~48:00ish - ~56:00

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

_

ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

COLETTE SHADE (she/her, guest)’s writing has appeared in The New Republic, The Nation, Teen Vogue, Interview Magazine, The Baffler, and Gawker. Y2K: How the 2000's Became Everything (Essays on the Future That Never Was) is her debut collection of essays, out now from Dey Street, an imprint of HarperCollins. Social media: @msshade on Instagram and Twitter; @coletteshade on Bluesky

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

Logo art by Maddy Wiryo

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

_

SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

• Pick up a copy of Y2K! Bookshop link to buy book and Audible link to buy audiobook. You can also check out excerpts published in Slate and UserMag!
• Catch Colette Shade on tour! Dates and locations listed on her website. 

• November 29, 2024, The Nation, 25 Years Ago, the Battle of Seattle Showed Us What Democracy Looks Like by Colette Shade
• No Logo by Naomi Klein
• March 10, 1997, The New Yorker, The Cool Hunt by Malcolm Gladwell
• The Merchants of Cool documentary
• Girl Model documentary
• This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein
• The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America by Greg Grandin 

_

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING:

• December 16, 2024 Teen Vogue, The Great Recession: What Happened and How the Aftermath Explains Trump’s Political Success by Colette Shade
• November 14, 2024, The New Republic, Elon Musk Has Always Been Like This. So Has Silicon Valley. by Colette Shade

We are so back. Our 2024 season includes a lot of discourse about class conflict, abundant “the personal is political” moments, and of course, two different civil disobedience plotlines (though one is truly our weirdest sit-in plotline yet!) Check out a little teaser of Leftist Teen Drama Season 4, premiering on Sundays, starting on November 10, 2024 through the end of the year. XOXO, Free Palestine 

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

_

ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

Welcome back to our new series of special episodes covering political moments in teen movies! Maria is joined by Kelly Diaz to break down all the political themes of the movie of many names: THE HAIRY BIRD/ALL I WANNA DO/STRIKE! (1998). (We went with the most thematically appropriate title for our podcast episode title, as you can see!) We discuss the solidarity and friendship between the main teen girl characters at Miss Godard’s Prep and their various actions to make change on campus, culminating in an epic student occupation of the dorms until their demand for a vote on coeducation is met. 

For this episode, we’d usually recommend you first watch or have familiarity with STRIKE! (1998), but it’s incredibly hard to find so we mostly just wish you luck in trying to watch it. Here’s hoping it gets picked up by a streaming service soon!

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

_

ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, and writing and reading fanfiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

KELLY DIAZ (she/her; recurring guest) is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility at Swarthmore College and an adjunct instructor of media studies at City College New York. She has a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania where she wrote her dissertation on depictions of youth activism on television. She loves to analyze and discuss the intersection of pop culture and politics and is passionate about the role entertainment plays in social justice movements. She has a dog, Matilda "Tillie," who is named after the magical, brilliant, and justice-serving character!  

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

_

SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Business Insider, December 17, 2019, A female director says Harvey Weinstein buried her film debut more than 20 years ago. Now she wonders about other women filmmakers 'whose careers he totally destroyed.' by Kelly McLaughlin

_

RESOURCES ON THE CURRENT STUDENT MOVEMENT FOR PALESTINE:

• Al Jazeera, Mapping pro-Palestine college campus protests around the world, updated May 2, 2024 as of this posting
• It Could Happen Here podcast episode: What's Really Going On At the Columbia Palestine Encampment 
• It Could Happen Here podcast episode: The Humboldt State Occupation and Portland State University Library Occupations
• The Real News Podcast episode: 'The university fears us because of how little we fear them': Michigan Gaza encampment organizers demand university divest from Israel
• Instagram round up post: How To Help Student Encampments Around the United States
• I will try to continue updating this as I find more resources!

Welcome to our new series of special episodes covering political moments in teen movies! Maria is joined by friends and comrades Nicki Morris and Emma Rose to break down the political mysteries of the ENOLA HOLMES (2020) movie series on Netflix, but especially the workers’ rights plotline in ENOLA HOLMES 2 (2022), based on the real-life 1888 matchworkers’ strike in London led by women and girls. 

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with ENOLA HOLMES and ENOLA HOLMES 2, both streaming on Netflix.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

_

ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, and writing and reading fanfiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.

NICKI MORRIS (she/her; recurring guest) is a labor communications strategist at a unionized shop! She loves cats, corn, and comrades. Her favorite teen show is Degrassi because she knows we can "make it through" with solidarity! Enjoys watching all good crime shows: The Wire, The Sopranos, Warrior, Law & Order, Arrested Development. Follow her on Twitter @NickiMorris321.

EMMA ROSE (she/her; recurring guest) watches a lot—and she means a lot—of reality tv, with the occasional teen drama or murder mystery or sci-fi thriller thrown in for good measure. When she's not watching said television, you can find her listening to podcasts and diving into internet content about said television. Sometimes she posts on instagram @emmaaaaaroseeeee (5 a's and 5 e's)

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

_

SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Striking A Light: The Bryant and May Matchwomen and Their Place in History by Louise Raw
• Sarah Chapman, Matchgirl Strike Leader
• Screenrant, September 23, 2020, Enola Holmes Ending, Murder Plot & Killer Identity Explained by Hannah Shaw-Williams
• Nerdist, November 4, 2022, ENOLA HOLMES 2 AND THE REAL LIFE HISTORY OF THE MATCH GIRLS’ STRIKE by Tai Gooden
• MovieWeb, April 8, 2023, The True Story Behind Enola Holmes 2 by Yosra Iagha
• Collider, November 7, 2023, 'Enola Holmes 3' Is in Development at Netflix [Exclusive] by Arezou Amin
• The Guardian, March 8, 2023, Florida passes ‘cruel’ bill curbing water and shade protections for workers, by Aliya Uteuova, Nina Lakhani and Michael Sainato

It’s the end of an era, as Maria is joined by Dondré Taylor-Stewart and Abir Mohammad for a finale of epic proportions: not just the Leftist Teen Drama Season 3 finale, but our third and final episode about the Black queer teen journey of Eric Effiong on SEX EDUCATION (2019-2023). Season 4 wraps Eric’s arc up in a way that generally satisfies us all. We break down how Eric sought to bridge his queer and religious communities, and in the process, found his true purpose in life: to become a pastor. We also discuss the iconic Eric and Otis friendship, which gets rightfully put to the test this season, and what Eric Effiong’s legacy will be in teen drama history now that we’ve said goodbye to such a groundbreaking character. 

For this episode, we recommend you first listen to episodes #1 and #17 of Leftist Teen Drama and watch or have familiarity with SEX EDUCATION Seasons 1-4, streaming on Netflix.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

_

ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, and writing and reading fanfiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

DONDRÉ TAYLOR-STEWART (he/him; recurring guest) is a Jersey-born, Jamaican-raised TV writer in Los Angeles. His writing focuses on Black and queer characters finding themselves amid society's margins. By day, he works in environmental public policy; by night, he's busy crafting original pilots and DJ-ing. IG & TWITTER: oxtail_papi 

ABIR MOHAMMAD (he/him; recurring guest) is a London-based Writer and Casting Assistant with a passion for YA media. He likes to write about the specific experiences surrounding the queer, brown, Muslim and working class communities that he grew up in, and can talk your ear off about the casting of any TV show you can think of. Follow Abir on Twitter @abirmohxmmad or Instagram @abirmohammad.

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

_

SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• ELLE, August 30, 2023, ELLE Style Awards: Ncuti Gatwa Is The Modern Pioneer by Shannon Mahanty
• Deadline, September 3, 2023, Ncuti Gatwa On ‘Sex Education’ Ending & How Playing Eric Was “Healing” For Him by Armando Tinoco 
• Variety, October 2, 2023, ‘Sex Education’ Creator Breaks Down Otis’ Privilege, Maeve and Jean’s Similarities and How Eric Finds His Faith During the Final Season by Selome Hailu

Maria is joined by Abir Mohammad and Kelly Diaz to discuss some truly one-of-a-kind teenage civil disobedience that was featured in Kelly’s dissertation on youth activism on television. On HEARTBREAK HIGH (2022-present), when a favorite teacher resigns after false allegations are made about her, Amerie Wadia decides she has to lead a protest and bring Ms. Obah back. With the help of veteran activist Sasha and her other friends, Amerie and all the students of Ms. Obah’s SLTs class occupy the admin building overnight until they win their demand. We analyze everything from Sasha’s advice on how to protest and the importance of camaraderie building to the role that the press plays in the outcome of the sit-in and our critiques of some of the students’ less admirable tactics. 

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with HEARTBREAK HIGH Season 1, but especially Season 1, Episode 7, “The Sheriff” and Season 1, Episode 8 “Three of Swords,” streaming on Netflix.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

_

ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, and writing and reading fanfiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

KELLY DIAZ (she/her; recurring guest) is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility at Swarthmore College and an adjunct instructor of media studies at City College New York. She has a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania where she wrote her dissertation on depictions of youth activism on television. She loves to analyze and discuss the intersection of pop culture and politics and is passionate about the role entertainment plays in social justice movements. She has a dog, Matilda "Tillie," who is named after the magical, brilliant, and justice-serving character!  

ABIR MOHAMMAD (he/him; recurring guest) is a London-based Writer and Casting Assistant with a passion for YA media. He likes to write about the specific experiences surrounding the queer, brown, Muslim and working class communities that he grew up in, and can talk your ear off about the casting of any TV show you can think of. Follow Abir on Twitter @abirmohxmmad or Instagram @abirmohammad.

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

_

SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• ABC.net, Jessica Riga, Oct 6, 2022, Heartbreak High is a global success. Its authentic representation is what other reboots are lacking

_

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Gordon, H. R. (2008). Gendered paths to teenage political participation: parental power, civic mobility, and youth activism. Gender & Society, 22(1), 31-55. 
• Clay, K. & Turner, D. C. (2021) “Maybe you should try it this way instead”: Youth activism and managerialist subterfuge. American Educational Research Journal, 58(2), 386–419. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831221993476 
• Hoewe, L. & Sherrill, A. (2019). The influence of female lead characters in political TV shows: Links to political engagement. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 59-76.
• Klein, B. (2011). Entertaining ideas: Social issues in entertainment television. Media, Culture & Society, 33 (2), 905-921.

TW: discussion of rape

Maria welcomes Kelly Diaz back to the podcast to cover one of the plotlines featured in Kelly's dissertation about youth activism on television. In the second season of FELICITY (1999-2002), a student named Leila comes to the health center where Felicity Porter volunteers looking for Plan B. Felicity is dismayed to find out that the Board of Trustees recently created a policy forbidding the student health center from administering post-coital contraception. Felicity’s outrage over this injustice leads to her launching a two-day sit-in, with the help of Leila and her other friends, as they call on the administration to reverse their policy. We discuss everything from parental consequences and arrestable actions to the timeless nature of the plotline and the pivotal role that Felicity’s friend Julie, who had obtained Plan B from the health center after her rape, plays in bringing an end to the successful sit-in. 

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with FELICITY, but especially Season 2, Episode 16, “Revolutions,” streaming on Hulu.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

_

ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, and writing and reading fanfiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

KELLY DIAZ (she/her; recurring guest) is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility at Swarthmore College and an adjunct instructor of media studies at City College New York. She has a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania where she wrote her dissertation on depictions of youth activism on television. She loves to analyze and discuss the intersection of pop culture and politics and is passionate about the role entertainment plays in social justice movements. She has a dog, Matilda "Tillie," who is named after the magical, brilliant, and justice-serving character!  

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

_

SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• Kelsea Stahler, Bustle, The 'Felicity' Episode About Julie's Rape Shows Exactly Why Victims Don't Come Forward, Sept 25, 2018
• Secrets of a Successful Organizer, Labor Notes
• Cooper, E. (2015). “Teens win”: Purveying fantasies of effortless economic mobility and social attainment on rich teen soaps. Popular Culture, 48(4), 731-746.  
• Gordon, H. (2009). We fight to win: Inequality and the politics of youth activism. Ithaca, NY: Rutgers University Press. 
• Screenshots of Felicity's 2000-era internet search on student protest movements

_

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Gordon, H. R. (2008). Gendered paths to teenage political participation: parental power, civic mobility, and youth activism. Gender & Society, 22(1), 31-55. 
• Clay, K. & Turner, D. C. (2021) “Maybe you should try it this way instead”: Youth activism and managerialist subterfuge. American Educational Research Journal, 58(2), 386–419. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831221993476 
• Hoewe, L. & Sherrill, A. (2019). The influence of female lead characters in political TV shows: Links to political engagement. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 59-76. 
• Klein, B. (2011). Entertaining ideas: Social issues in entertainment television. Media, Culture & Society, 33 (2), 905-921. 

It’s a CROSSOVER EPISODE! Maria is joined by Aly and Rachel, the brilliant hosts of the Out in The Wilds podcast, for a wide-ranging discussion on Indigenous representation, ownership, and authenticity on both THE WILDS (2020-2022) and RESERVATION DOGS (2021-2023). At their core, both these shows are about solidarity and the power of community. We discuss everything from Indigenous ways of storytelling and authentic representations of rez life to the Landback movement and how land acknowledgments have been co-opted in many “progressive” settings. Placing these revolutionary shows within the largely non-Indigenous TV landscape, we analyze and celebrate all the spirit guides, subtle cultural references, and sassy quips about colonizers. More please.

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with THE WILDS Seasons 1-2, streaming on Prime Video, and RESERVATION DOGS Seasons 1-3, streaming on Hulu.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

_

ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, and writing and reading fanfiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

ALY (she/her; guest) and RACHEL (she/they; guest) are married-to-each-other lesbians who cohosted a podcast about The Wilds, which often explored the show's Indigenous and queer themes (Out in the Wilds). They both love coming-of-age dramas and talking (maybe too much) about rich characters. Aly is an Indigenous woman, youth worker, and avid reader who loves to shout about representation. Rachel is a white settler woman who spends their spare time drinking coffee and counting down the days until softball season. You can connect with them @thewildspodcast on twitter or @outinthewildspodcast on instagram. 

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

_

SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• The spelling of the fictional Native influencer on Reservation Dogs: MissM8tri@rch
• Beautiful Tumblr parallel gifset of Mabel in ‘Reservation Dogs’ during golden hour by Fairweathermyth 
• Popsugar, May 26, 2022 by Victoria Messina, Jenna Clause on Bringing Authentic Indigenous Representation to "The Wilds"
• The Denizen, April 30, 2021, Meet actor Erana James, the Kiwi rising star making her mark on global screens
• The Atlantic, August 1, 2022 by David Treuer, REZ LIFE 
• Variety, August 9, 2023 by Michael Schneider, ‘Reservation Dogs’ Uses 1970s Horror Motifs to Tell the Cruel History of Native Boarding Schools
• Screenrant, August 4, 2023 by Tiffany Beverley,
• What Tribe Do Reservation Dogs’ Characters Belong To? Real Inspirations Explained.
• Variety, October 11, 2021, by Crystal Echo Hawk, Indigenous Representation Is Still Scarce in Hollywood: ‘We Need More Native Stories’ (Guest Column)
• W Magazine, July 31, 2023 by Maxine Wally, Paulina Alexis Isn’t Ready to Say Goodbye to Willie Jack 
• Smoke Signals (film)
• The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie
• Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich 
• Landback
• Jacobin, February 10, 2022, REI Wants You to Know They Are Busting a Union on Indigenous Land, by Alex Press
• The Quietly Radical New Amazon Show About Stranded Teens by Rebecca Long, Slate, May 16, 2022

Maria is joined by guests Liv Christian and Kelly Gilbert to analyze the private prison plotline that colors all of RIVERDALE (2017-2023) season 2 and the top of season 3. Riverdale stumbles into showing how politicians – and the private interests that bankroll them – stoke fear and chaos to inflate actual crime numbers and push for funding for punitive measures like more policing and new prisons. In the process, they destroy the very fabric of their communities. However, resistance exists in real life and in Riverdale. We also trace three separate direct actions the teenage characters engage in to resist various aspects of Hiram Lodge’s plan throughout the prison arc. We cite a lot of Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Mariame Kaba in this abolition episode focused on what it means for a small town to become a prison town.

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with RIVERDALE but especially RIVERDALE Seasons 2 and 3, streaming on Netflix.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

_

ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, and writing and reading fanfiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

OLIVIA “LIV” CHRISTIAN (she/her; recurring guest) is a writer and digital marketing specialist living in Los Angeles, CA. She currently works at Essie Justice Group where she creates compelling content rooted in Black feminist abolitionist politic that digitally amplifies the power and lived experiences of women with incarcerated loved ones. When she’s not writing screenplays or creating content, you can find her watching reality tv and hanging on the couch with her cats Rumble and Squeak. IG: yung.scorp twitter: _yungscorp

KELLY GILBERT (she/her; recurring guest) is a student (phd in Twilight), sometimes activist, teen drama aficionado in Brooklyn! Find her IRL every night drinking her sorrows away at Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffet Experience!

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

_

SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• Verso Books, Prisons and Class Warfare: An Interview with Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Clément Petitjean  2 August 2018
• August 2001 New York Times article: Rural Towns Turn to Prisons To Reignite Their Economies
• You’re Wrong About Prison Boom ep
• Ruth Wilson Gilmore Girls: Twitter, Instagram
• Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California by Ruth Wilson Gilmore
• Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis
• The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
• We Do This ‘Til We Free Us by Mariame Kaba
• Essie Justice Group
• Donate to Essie Justice Group

_

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES/PLACES TO PLUG INTO ORGANIZING:

• Get involved with Stop Cop City organizing. You can also specifically get involved with the Cop City Vote.
• Critical Resistance: Get Involved