The Tales We Tell Clara Cook

In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Hattie from the Hattie Talks podcast to explore the barrier breaking TV show Gentleman Jack, based on the life of the diarist and lesbian Anne Lister. We discuss Anne's struggles, her triumphs and her passionate romantic relationships. We examine if Gentleman Jack is accurate in its representation of the strict gender and class roles of early 19th century Britain.

In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Maddie and Kelsey, hosts of the Let The Boys Kiss podcast to explore women and gender in fandom. We discuss everything from fan art and shipping to fanfiction and fan communities. We ask who are the fans who produce fanfiction and actively ship characters? And how does gender and sexuality play a part in transformational fandom?

In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by recurring guest Natalie to discuss the female characters of the Jurassic Park franchise. We ask if they are empowering or if they fall into female stereotypes. And could the best female character in the film series actually be a dinosaur?!

In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined once again by podcaster Annie to discuss hit TV show The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. We examine the show's female characters and the challenges they face. We ask if the show addresses the barriers women faced in America in the 1950s and 60s and if Mrs Maisel is really as marvelous as she initially appears. 

In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by podcaster and author AJ Black, to discuss the character of M and the women of the James Bond franchise. We examine Judi Dench's portrayal of Bond's steely female boss, the real-life inspiration behind the character and how the idea of the 'Bond Girl' has changed over the years. We look into the idea of gender-flipping and ask if there should ever be a female James Bond.

In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by the host of The Movie Palace podcast, Carl Sweeney, to discuss Helen O'Hara's book 'Women vs Hollywood.' We examine how women’s contribution to early cinema has been almost erased from film history, discuss if the Studio System was actually damaging to actresses and why the Auteur theory is often not applied to female directors.