TW: discussion of serial rape, sexual assault, rape culture, suicide In the Leftist Teen Drama Season 6 premiere, Maria and recurring guest Kelly Diaz break down the anti-Greek life protest movements depicted on two teen drama college campus settings: Hearst College on VERONICA MARS (2004-2019) and Manchester College on CRUEL INTENTIONS (2024). There’s a lot to discuss as we compare a 2006-era plotline hyperfocused on fighting rape culture and misogyny to a 2024-era plotline that is more generally critical of the systems of oppression upheld by the hierarchical and classist Greek life system. We talk about what it means that the activist characters in both eras – Fern, Nish, Claire, and Nancy of Lilith House and Beatrice Worth of the New Political Society – are portrayed as a mix of easily manipulatable, egotistical, unstrategic, and unlikeable. Plus: we break down the tactics and missteps of the movements, both of which ultimately fail to abolish the Greek life system on their respective campuses. For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with VERONICA MARS Seasons 1-3, but especially Season 3, Episodes 1-9, streaming on Hulu and Netflix, and CRUEL INTENTIONS Season 1, streaming on Prime Video. Of course, we also highly recommend you watch the original movie, CRUEL INTENTIONS (1999), streaming on Prime Video! FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky, threads, youtube, serializd: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com _ ABOUT US: MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor/Season 6 art) 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, organizing with Italians Against Fascism and in her tenant association, and reading and writing a mix of literary and romance fiction and political nonfiction. Maria’s writing will appear in the book ““So Long, Dental Plan” Unions, Labor Relations and Class Struggle…As Seen On TV, forthcoming from SUNY Press in April 2027. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, Bluesky/Letterboxd/Serializd @mariadip, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. KELLY DIAZ (she/her; recurring guest) is a Research Program Manager at Yale University studying disability & chronic illness justice, access, and inclusion. She is also an adjunct instructor of Media Studies at the City College of New York (CCNY). 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, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV. 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: Maria’s Class of 1999 Letterboxd list, which includes Cruel Intentions (1999)
