204 episodes

Hot and Bothered is all about the power of romance culture. We analyze romance novels and movies to better imagine our own happy endings. Episodes release bi-weekly on Tuesdays.
CURRENT SEASON: How-To Watch Romance Movies
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is an iconic film of the early 2000s rom-com oeuvre. It has a perfect yellow dress. It has a karaoke battle. It has Matthew Mcconaughey on a motorcycle. It’s basically the epitome of everything people consider ‘silly’ about the genre. Across ten episodes, Vanessa Zoltan will revisit the movie in conversation with film and media experts, asking: What makes a rom-com? How do we understand it historically, politically, and artistically? And, of course: Why do we love them so much? 
SEASON 4: Live from Pemberley
In Live from Pemberley, we continue our deep-dive into the classic texts of romance literature. This season we take a close look at the most famous Romance novel of all time: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Every episode, Vanessa Zoltan and Lauren Sandler read through the book, talk with experts, and ask themselves the question 'is this still a story for our time?'
SEASON 3: On Eyre
Vanessa Zoltan and journalist Lauren Sandler embark on the English class you always deserved, diving deep into Jane Eyre through the themes of power and desire. Discussions range from ideas of class and colonialism to sex and gender as Lauren and Vanessa explore the roles of oppression and inequality, empowerment and rebellion in the text. Major “Eyreheads” and first-time readers alike are invited into Lauren and Vanessa’s conversation as they grapple with this complicated work—and as they try to figure out if Jane Eyre is a book they want to pass on to their daughters, and to future generations.
SEASON 2: Twilight in Quarantine 
You may remember BFFs Vanessa & Julia from their all-star advice giving in Hot and Bothered Season 1. In this season they’re sheltering in place in different cities, but they’re getting on the phone three times a week to read and talk about Twilight. On Twilight in Quarantine, they work their way through the Twilight saga one chapter at a time, giving brilliant well-informed advice to Stephenie Meyer's characters along the way. Advice like: "have you considered talking to each other about your feelings?" and "maybe you shouldn't kidnap people."
SEASON 1: Writing Romance
Season one of Hot and Bothered follows ten first-time romance writers as they try to write their own romance novels. Each episode explores a particular romance trope and why we love it so much. Along the way, Julia Quinn, writer of the Bridgerton series, gives weekly assignments so listeners can follow along in the process. Season one was made in collaboration with Spoke Media.
Hot & Bothered is produced by Not Sorry Productions, a feminist organization that produces podcasts, educational content, live shows, and immersive experiences with the explicit goal of addressing the spiritual needs of its participants. Through community, rigor, and ritual, we treat traditionally secular things as if they were sacred. To learn more about what we do, visit https://notsorryworks.com/


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Hot and Bothered Not Sorry Productions

    • Arts
    • 4.7 • 1K Ratings

Hot and Bothered is all about the power of romance culture. We analyze romance novels and movies to better imagine our own happy endings. Episodes release bi-weekly on Tuesdays.
CURRENT SEASON: How-To Watch Romance Movies
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is an iconic film of the early 2000s rom-com oeuvre. It has a perfect yellow dress. It has a karaoke battle. It has Matthew Mcconaughey on a motorcycle. It’s basically the epitome of everything people consider ‘silly’ about the genre. Across ten episodes, Vanessa Zoltan will revisit the movie in conversation with film and media experts, asking: What makes a rom-com? How do we understand it historically, politically, and artistically? And, of course: Why do we love them so much? 
SEASON 4: Live from Pemberley
In Live from Pemberley, we continue our deep-dive into the classic texts of romance literature. This season we take a close look at the most famous Romance novel of all time: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Every episode, Vanessa Zoltan and Lauren Sandler read through the book, talk with experts, and ask themselves the question 'is this still a story for our time?'
SEASON 3: On Eyre
Vanessa Zoltan and journalist Lauren Sandler embark on the English class you always deserved, diving deep into Jane Eyre through the themes of power and desire. Discussions range from ideas of class and colonialism to sex and gender as Lauren and Vanessa explore the roles of oppression and inequality, empowerment and rebellion in the text. Major “Eyreheads” and first-time readers alike are invited into Lauren and Vanessa’s conversation as they grapple with this complicated work—and as they try to figure out if Jane Eyre is a book they want to pass on to their daughters, and to future generations.
SEASON 2: Twilight in Quarantine 
You may remember BFFs Vanessa & Julia from their all-star advice giving in Hot and Bothered Season 1. In this season they’re sheltering in place in different cities, but they’re getting on the phone three times a week to read and talk about Twilight. On Twilight in Quarantine, they work their way through the Twilight saga one chapter at a time, giving brilliant well-informed advice to Stephenie Meyer's characters along the way. Advice like: "have you considered talking to each other about your feelings?" and "maybe you shouldn't kidnap people."
SEASON 1: Writing Romance
Season one of Hot and Bothered follows ten first-time romance writers as they try to write their own romance novels. Each episode explores a particular romance trope and why we love it so much. Along the way, Julia Quinn, writer of the Bridgerton series, gives weekly assignments so listeners can follow along in the process. Season one was made in collaboration with Spoke Media.
Hot & Bothered is produced by Not Sorry Productions, a feminist organization that produces podcasts, educational content, live shows, and immersive experiences with the explicit goal of addressing the spiritual needs of its participants. Through community, rigor, and ritual, we treat traditionally secular things as if they were sacred. To learn more about what we do, visit https://notsorryworks.com/


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

    How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

    We make Hot & Bothered because we are interested in the way that love stories have impacted our lives and culture. For our fifth season of the show, we’re turning our attention to romantic films.
    We're starting this season with 10 episodes on How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, an iconic film of the early 2000s rom-com oeuvre. It has a perfect yellow dress. It has a karaoke battle. It has Matthew McConaughey on a motorcycle. It’s basically the epitome of everything people consider ‘silly’ about the genre. In the next ten episodes, Vanessa Zoltan will revisit How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in conversation with media experts and scholars to better understand the language of romance on film.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 32 min
    How To: Watch a Rom-Com

    How To: Watch a Rom-Com

    For our first deep-dive into How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, we wanted to look at the history of the rom-com genre. To help us dig into it, we called up the incredible Kathleen Karlyn, the founding director of the Cinema Studies program at University of Oregon and author of The Unruly Woman: Gender and the Genres of Laughter.
    We wanted to know: Where does the history of the rom-com start? What do people mean when they say something is a ‘battle of the sexes’ movie? and how do gender norms and ideals inform this particular movie? 

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    • 42 min
    How To: Be a Film Critic

    How To: Be a Film Critic

    For our next deep-dive into How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, we wanted to better understand the story structure of a Rom-Com. We called up the delightful Hannah Giorgis, a film critic for The Atlantic, to help us break down the three-act structure and how it operates in this film.
    Hannah brought some great citations and resources to the show:
    “You’re So Vain”: An Oral History of How to Lose a Guy in 10 DaysThe Big Sleepover:The fatal flaw of How To Lose a Guy in 10 DaysThis tweet about romcom women being as annoying as possible
    ---
    Want to hear more from Hannah? Join us on Patreon for a scene analysis from the film!

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    • 42 min
    Trailer: Hot and Bothered Season 5

    Trailer: Hot and Bothered Season 5

    Hot and Bothered is back for Season 5 with a brand new host! We're thrilled to be joined by Hannah McGregor to help us analyze all our favorite Romance movies. New episodes bi-weekly on Tuesdays.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 3 min
    Bonus Conversation: How We Misunderstand Homelessness with Charyti Reiter

    Bonus Conversation: How We Misunderstand Homelessness with Charyti Reiter

    For our annual fundraiser at Not Sorry, we are again supporting the wonderful organization On The Rise.
    On The Rise’s work begins with individuals experiencing homelessness in Cambridge, Massachusetts and continues if and when they secure housing. From their origin as a women’s organization, their programs have evolved toward inclusion of those historically and structurally oppressed on the basis of gender.
    In today's episode, Vanessa sits down with On The Rise’s Director of Clinical Services, Charyti Reiter to talk about misconceptions around homeless. We hear also from one of On The Rise's participants, JS. 
    You can help us reach our goal of $10k by donating here. 

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 27 min
    Live from Pemberley: An Introduction

    Live from Pemberley: An Introduction

    Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous and beloved novels of all time. It’s also, in many ways, the foundational text of the Romance genre.
    In our quest to unravel the gifts, mysteries, and inner workings of romance literature, it seemed only right that we turn to Lizzy and Darcy next.
    But before we jump into the first chapters, a few questions need to be answered. Questions like: Who is Jane Austen, and why does everyone care so much about this book? 

    ---
    If you plan to read along with us, we have a small book club you can join on our Patreon!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 14 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
1K Ratings

1K Ratings

livigug ,

Why didn’t I like romance novels before??

I love this podcast in all of its different iterations from season to season. It’s made me question why I didn’t previously read romance novels (Good ole shame! Thought they were below me!), made me re-read books from school days with a totally different lens and perspective, made me rethink if twilight is actually just lighthearted?? And now I am eagerly awaiting each episode to find out what can be learned from romcoms! I’m an avid Vanessa Zoltan fan in all of her podcasts but this show in particularly strikes the balance of levity and thoughtful pondering to me.

Prettypay ,

What a gift

I’m absolutely gobbling this show up. I blew through P&P and I’m onto Jane Eyre. This entire sacred reading is a total and complete gift for the mind.

LinnSven ,

More please

Content is extraordinary and guest experts insightful. So much of this book has marked the DNA of intelligent women, that it deserves all of this and more is a fait accompli.

The vocal fry is distracting. But Lizzie would mention it. Sorry, not sorry.

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