Leftist Teen Drama
32 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 10 ratingsA podcast celebrating political moments on TV teen dramas, hosted by union communicator and teen drama enthusiast Maria DiPasquale. produced by Jeff McHale, with art by Maddy Wiryo (logo + season 1), Charles O’Leary (seasons 2 + 3)
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Episodes
MOVIE SPECIAL: ‘Strike! (1998)’
May 05, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 142 MBWelcome 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, culm...
MOVIE SPECIAL: 'Enola Holmes 2'
April 07, 2024 07:30 - 1 hour - 155 MBWelcome 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 ...
#26 - …And That’s a Wrap On Eric Effiong’s Groundbreaking Black Queer Teen Journey on ‘Sex Education’
December 31, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 157 MBIt’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 pa...
#25 - ‘This is a Protest’: SLTs Occupy the Admin Building on ‘Heartbreak High’
December 24, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 146 MBMaria 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 ...
#24 - ‘We’ll Stay Here Until We Get That Pill’: The ‘Felicity’ Sit-In Episode
December 17, 2023 10:00 - 2 hours - 179 MBTW: 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...
#23 - Exploring Indigenous Representation, Ownership, and Authenticity on ‘The Wilds’ and ‘Reservation Dogs’ with the Hosts of ‘Out In The Wilds’
December 10, 2023 10:00 - 2 hours - 225 MBIt’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 acknowledg...
#22 - PIC Abolition and The ‘Riverdale’ Prison Plotline: How Prisons Destroy Communities
December 03, 2023 10:00 - 2 hours - 177 MBMaria 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 i...
#21 - The Strike Wave Hits Essex College on ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’
November 26, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 152 MBMaria is joined by three friends who are all previous or current staff of UNITE HERE, the union that the Essex Food Service Workers would undoubtedly be affiliated with in real life—Nicki Morris, Diana Hussein, and Paola Rodelas. The four of us break down the SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS (2021-present) strike episode, celebrating Kimberly and Canaan getting involved in their union but also setting the record straight on the series of inaccuracies about strikes. In addition to talking about man...
#20 - Accidents Will Still Happen: On Abortion Access in a Post-Roe World featuring ‘Degrassi’ and ‘Sex Education’
November 19, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 119 MBTwo non-American teen dramas dare to go where most American teen dramas refuse to: letting their teen characters choose to have abortions with no guilt or regret afterwards. In this episode of Leftist Teen Drama, Maria and guests Rosalie Murray and Kelly Gilbert analyze and compare the depiction of abortion care on DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION (2001-2015) through the eyes of Manny Santos and SEX EDUCATION (2019-2023) from the perspective of Maeve Wiley. We position our conversation about th...
#19 - Teen Dramas Would Suck Without Union Members: On The 2007-08 WGA Strike and The 2023 WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strike
November 12, 2023 10:00 - 2 hours - 187 MBIn the Leftist Teen Drama season 3 premiere, we dive into the very real labor struggles behind the teen dramas we love to watch and dissect. From both a worker and fan perspective, we dive into the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America (WGA) Strike, the 2023 WGA Strike, and the 2023 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Strike, as well as the various effects these strikes had on teen dramas past and present. In our first segment, Maria talks to 2023 W...
Introducing: Leftist Teen Drama Season 3
November 05, 2023 15:19 - 2 minutes - 3.31 MBLeftist Teen Drama is back! Still in the midst of the 2023 Hollywood strikes, we ground Season 3 in the very real labor struggle behind the teen dramas we love to watch and analyze. Then, we dive into our usual political teen drama fare, covering everything from abortion access and indigenous representation to prison abolition and a sit-in or two for good measure. Enjoy this little teaser of Season 3, premiering on Sundays starting on November 12, 2023 through the end of the year. Solidarity...
SPECIAL EP: Leftist Teen Drama In Conversation with Kelly Diaz
October 08, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 126 MBIn our first ever Special Episode of Leftist Teen Drama, Maria introduces Kelly Diaz, who recently defended her dissertation at the University of Pennsylvania entitled “Lights, Camera, [Social] Action!: The Goals, Messages, and Impact of Youth Activism on Television.” (Maria—and Leftist Teen Drama—were featured in the dissertation!) Maria and Kelly delve into the project, unpacking everything from Kelly’s motivations to undertake the topic to the studies she carried out with screenwriters an...
#18 - Wet, Hot, American Class Conflict: The Coastal Class War As Told By ‘The O.C.,’ ‘Veronica Mars,’ and ‘Outer Banks’
July 03, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 142 MBIt’s the Pogues vs. the Kooks, the PCHers vs. the 09ers, the Harbor School vs. Newport Union! In the Season 2 finale of Leftist Teen Drama, Maria is joined by guests Kelly Gilbert and Nicki Morris to discuss the class conflict inherent to the plot and setting of three teen dramas: THE O.C. (2003-2007), VERONICA MARS (2004-2019), and OUTER BANKS (2020-present.) From star-crossed romances and parallel fights on the beach to a Neptune High election based around an elitist points system, Maria a...
#17 - Eric Effiong’s Black Queer Journey Continues in ‘Sex Education’ Season 3
June 26, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 137 MB“How do you feel?” “Like I’ve come home.” In a follow-up to Leftist Teen Drama’s first-ever podcast episode, Maria and guest Dondré Taylor-Stewart trace the season 3 journey of Eric Effiong on SEX EDUCATION (2019-present.) Maria and Dondré discuss the life-changing experience Eric has during his visit to Nigeria, with his season bookended by a turbulent relationship with Adam. From the various mechanics of gay male sex to the nuances of being LGBTQIA+ in Nigeria, Maria and Dondré discuss all...
#16 - Immigrant Communities, Gunshots, and PTSD: ‘On My Block’ Tackled The Everyday Reality of Growing Up with Gun Violence
June 19, 2022 08:00 - 2 hours - 169 MBIn the fictional neighborhood of Freeridge, Los Angeles, four Black and Brown kids get to solve a mystery in the midst of their largely immigrant community rife with gun violence and poverty. Maria and her guest Xiomara Loarte discuss all four seasons of ON MY BLOCK (2018-2021), which doesn’t shy away from showing all the everyday realities of growing up with gun violence, from Ruby’s PTSD to the immigration system and prison industrial complex to the teens’ game guessing the caliber of gun ...
#15 - Summer Roberts, Climate Activist: ‘The O.C.’ and the Current Fight For a Green New Deal
June 12, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 141 MBRemember the time Summer Roberts from THE O.C. (2003-2007) went to college and became a hardcore environmental activist? Maria and her guests Emma and Hailey trace Summer’s Season 4 journey to find her destiny as an early 2000s climate activist, in the long tradition of teen drama mean girls finding their voices through organizing. With many of Summer’s demands sounding eerily similar to the demands of today’s climate justice movement, Maria also takes the opportunity to discuss the Green Ne...
#14 - Pullin’ a Kaepernick: Football Strikes for Racial Justice on ‘All American’ and ‘Friday Night Lights’
June 05, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 144 MBWe’re talking about SPORTS—and specifically, the long history of protest through sport as it’s depicted on two teen dramas. Maria and guest Dondré Taylor-Stewart dive into early 2000s football teen drama FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (2006-2011) and its 2010s-20s counterpart ALL AMERICAN (2018-present) as both shows tackle football strikes for racial justice. We analyze the differences between a Black football player strike, led by Smash Williams, that takes place before Kaepernick ever took a knee, a...
#13 - ‘We’re All Getting the Bus’ - a Gorgeous Depiction of An Assault Survivor’s Healing on ‘Sex Education’
May 29, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 147 MBYou’ve seen it on Instagram. It made you smile, it made you cry: the moment the other girls show up to help Aimee Gibbs from SEX EDUCATION (2019-present) get on the bus where she was assaulted. But the reason Maria, along with guests Kelly Gilbert and Nicki Morris, analyze this stunning plotline, is because Aimee’s healing journey doesn’t stop there, and instead continues into season 3. From the moment when Aimee’s assaulted while on the bus to school until her most recent therapy session wi...
#12 - Emma Nelson, Hazel Aden, and Post-9/11 Politics on Early ‘Degrassi’
May 22, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 160 MBGMOs and anti-Muslim bigotry, it *must* be the George Bush era. Maria and her guests, childhood friends Dondré Taylor-Stewart and Rosalie Murray, go back in time to the first two seasons of DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION (2001-2015) to discuss political storylines headed by resident activist girl Emma Nelson and resident Early-2000s-Black-Woman-Who-Deserved-Better Hazel Aden. From Emma telling off teasing boys when she gets her period to Hazel’s journey accepting her Somalian identity publicl...
#11 - Karl Marx Comes Alive For Paris Geller (and Other Political ‘Gilmore Girls’ Moments)
May 15, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 127 MBYou know we had to do it: it’s time for Marxist Paris Geller! In this season 6 episode of GILMORE GIRLS (2000-2007), rich girl Paris Geller is forced to work a catering job and finally connects with Marxist theory. Hilarity ensues. Maria is joined by her childhood friends and fellow GILMORE GIRLS superfans Laura Marino and Jessica Hajdukiewicz to discuss this iconic moment. But before we get to the main event of Paris discovering Marx, we touch on Rory and Paris’s short-lived activism to fre...
#10 - How ‘Ginny & Georgia,’ ‘PEN15,’ and ‘All American’ Represent the Mixed Race Experience
May 08, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 149 MBGuest Liv starts us off by singing the anthem for this episode: “she’s biracial…she’s a biracial girl…” Maria, with the help of Liv and her mixed-race perspective, trace the journeys of three mixed-race characters: Ginny Miller from GINNY & GEORGIA (2021-present) Maya Ishii-Peters from PEN15 (2019-2021), and Olivia Baker from ALL AMERICAN (2018–present). From talking back to racist AP English teachers to embracing Black identity through activism to moment(s) we dub the Scary Spice Effect, t...
#9 - Joey Potter Against the System: the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Protest Episode
May 01, 2022 08:30 - 1 hour - 131 MBIn the season 2 premiere, we take it all the way back to the year 2000 to discuss iconic teen drama DAWSON’S CREEK (1998-2003), as Maria and her guest Emma dive into the time that Joey Potter briefly led a student protest movement in Capeside. When a horde of racist white parents attempt to get the new Black principal fired, Joey leads the students in coming to Principal Green’s defense through a series of direct actions that involve 2000s-era flyers, a speak-out, and a picket outside the su...
Introducing: Leftist Teen Drama Season 2
April 24, 2022 07:30 - 2 minutes - 3.93 MBSeason 2 is coming, y’all! Starting May 1, 2022, we will be airing new episodes of Leftist Teen Drama on Sundays for a 10-episode second season. We’re back covering everything from Paris Geller’s Marxist awakening on GILMORE GIRLS to Emma Nelson’s activism on DEGRASSI to the iconic “we’re all getting the bus” moment on SEX EDUCATION. From high school football strikes to Summer Roberts’ environmental activism and Joey Potter leading a student protest movement, you don’t want to miss all the p...
#8 - Anticipating the Post-Capitalist Apocalypse with ‘The Wilds,’ ‘The Society,’ and ‘Daybreak’
October 03, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 148 MBIn the season 1 finale of Leftist Teen Drama, Maria is joined by Emma and Dondré as we discuss the recent emergence of post-apocalyptic teen dramas like THE WILDS (2020-present), THE SOCIETY (2019), and DAYBREAK (2019). We talk about everything from the Gen Z/millennial climate anxiety present in all three scenarios to the way these shows answer the questions, “how will we survive? Where will we get food from, or shelter?” We also discuss the huge parallels between THE WILDS and reality show...
#7 - #AbolitionistTimRiggins: How Our ‘Friday Night Lights’ Fave Makes the Case for PIC Abolition
September 26, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 128 MBIn the penultimate episode of Season 1, Maria and her guest Hailey McInnes delve into the journey of beloved teen drama character Tim Riggins from FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (2006-2011). When Tim’s family faces mounting medical bills and potential bankruptcy, they take extreme measures to make ends meet—and as a result, Tim becomes caught up in the criminal punishment system. In an episode where we quote a lot of Mariame Kaba, we argue that Tim Riggins’ story demonstrates why we need to abolish the...
#6 - Sisters Don’t Let Sisters Cross Picket Lines: the ‘Sister, Sister’ Strike Episode
September 19, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 105 MBMaria and her guest Liv Christian talk about the iconic strike episode on SISTER, SISTER (1994-1999). When the Food Boy workers go on strike, Terrence recruits Tamera—and later Tia—to work as scabs, much to staunch unionist Lisa’s dismay. But working a non-union job isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and Tia and Tamera end up receiving a crash course in unions before walking off the job themselves. In addition to frequently citing Labor Notes’ strike guide, we place this strike in the long his...
#5 - From Asexuality to Vaginismus: Talking Representation and Comprehensive ‘Sex Education’ with the Hosts of ‘The Wet Seat’
September 12, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 122 MBIn our second discussion about the first two seasons of SEX EDUCATION (2019-present), Maria is joined by Ashley Cunningham and Susannah Wilson, the hosts of The Wet Seat, a podcast about taboo sex topics. We delve into all things sex therapy related, imagining what more inclusive and comprehensive sex education could look like based on the array of topics SEX EDUCATION tackles in just the first two seasons, from asexuality to anal douching and vaginismus. As always, we talk about our own exp...
#4 - Dawn Schafer Calls For a General Strike, or: Why We’re Obsessed with ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’
September 05, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 93 MBCome along with Maria and her guests Nicki, Emma, and Kelly: we’re going to Camp Moosehead with THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB (2020-present)! When Dawn Schafer and Claudia Kishi discover that only campers who can afford to pay a steep t-shirt fee are allowed to tie-dye, they set out to create an inclusive art class. Their attempts at making things right set off a revolution that includes civil disobedience, political prisoners, a Les Mis-esque barricade, and a campwide general strike. Digressions in...
#3 - Between Two Worlds: Navigating Black/white Spaces on ‘Moesha’ and ‘All American’
August 29, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 148 MBIn the third episode, Maria and guests Dondré Taylor-Stewart and Liv Christian discuss beloved teen drama characters Moesha Mitchell from MOESHA (1996-2001) and Spencer James from ALL AMERICAN (2018-present). These two Crenshaw-based main characters are plunged into richer, whiter spaces when they transfer to different schools. As a result, they have similar arcs set twenty years apart, as they’re pulled between two worlds and try to merge their friend groups even though they’re very socioec...
#2 - Brooke Davis, Labor Organizer: That Time Our Early Aughts Fave Organized Her Workplace on ‘One Tree Hill’
August 22, 2021 08:00 - 52 minutes - 72.1 MBBrooke Davis once organized her workplace for better working conditions. Yes, that Brooke Davis, from ONE TREE HILL (2003-2012), the show that ran for so many seasons, it started on the WB and ended on the CW. Join Maria and her fellow unionists/friends Nicki and Emma as we take you through one of Maria’s favorite teen drama plotlines of all time—and talk about how to organize a union in your own workplace. Plus: Maria’s thesis that Brooke’s organizing experience was foundational to her char...
#1 - ‘He’s Our Wildest Dream’ - Eric Effiong’s Groundbreaking Black Queer Journey on ‘Sex Education’ (So Far)
August 15, 2021 09:00 - 1 hour - 115 MBIn the premiere episode, we talk about the brilliance of the unapologetic Black queer character, Eric Effiong, on SEX EDUCATION (2019-present.) As will become tradition for the pod, Maria and her guests Dondré Taylor-Stewart and Liv Christian discuss our relationships to each other (including how Maria and Dondré became best friends on MySpace, true story) and our relationships to SEX EDUCATION. We then delve into Eric’s journey with his sexuality, gender presentation, religion, friendships,...
Introducing: Leftist Teen Drama
August 06, 2021 21:27 - 2 minutes - 3.05 MBA new podcast celebrating political moments on TV teen dramas, hosted by unionist/teen drama enthusiast Maria DiPasquale. Produced by Jeff McHale, with art by Maddy Wiryo. Season 1 premieres August 15, 2021. Solidarity forever! | FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com