Welcome to our mini-series on Divorce Comedies! Over the next 4-ish episodes, we’re exploring this genre that caught us off guard with how much its makes us laugh, cry, and yell divorce! In this introductory episode, rather than focus on any one show, we get into the defining features of divorce comedies, why we wanted to talk about them, and whether or not they can be counted as rom coms.

Show Notes:

Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Lost You Forever, WWE: Wrestlemania, Nettle & Bone, The Legend of Shen Li, Romance is a Bonus Book, Grace and Frankie, Crazy Stupid Love, Let's Get Divorced, 500 Days of Summer, Stranger's Again, Mine, Rinko-San Wants to Try, Be Melodramatic

On Future SLL Episodes: Dr. Cha, Strangers Again, and Let's Get Divorced, and A Court of Thorns and Roses

Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast

Our cover art is by Charcooll (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠⁠⁠⁠). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What’s Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond.

"See, on the road to Hell there was a railroad line..."

It's time for a deep dive into the Broadway musical, Hadestown. We get into how the musical adapts the Grek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice & Hades and Persephone for a modern setting; the love stories–and tragedy–of the two core relationships; and the productive ambiguity of seeing it all happen on stage.

Content Warning: Discussions of S*xual Assault from (1:06:41 - 1:14:05)

Show Notes:

Other Lit Mentioned this episode: The Story of Ming Lang, Lore Olympus, When I Arrived at the Castle, Speak, Beka Cooper Trilogy, Alanna the Lioness Quartet

On Future SLL Episodes: Divorce Comedies (featuring Dr. Cha, Strangers Again, and Let's Get Divorced), and A Court of Thorns and Roses

Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast

Our cover art is by Charcooll (⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠⁠⁠). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What’s Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:08 Opening Banter

03:40 What's Sparking Joy

9:43 Introducing Hadestown

18:07 Characters and Plot

33:45 What We Loved about Hadestown

41:50 Is Hadestown a Successful Myth Adaptation?

44:57 The Cycle of Hadestown

49:57 Intertwined Love Stories

1:14:07 Hadestown's Other Themes

1:25:31 On the Climax...

1:31:29 Last Thoughts

1:34:56 Next time on SLL

Corinne wasn’t feeling well this week, so Ayanni called in the cavalry. This episode, she's joined by her spouse (and friend of the show) Andrew Cooper to talk about the new action-dramedy series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They give their general impressions, think about the series’ adaptation choices, and muse about the show’s depiction of married life.

Show Notes:

Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Jujutsu Kaisen, Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2009), Skip and Loafer, Dungeon Meshi, Tell Me That You Love Me, Let's Talk About Chu, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Ironman, Pen15, Blue Eyed Samurai, Pluto, Atlanta

On Future SLL Episodes: Hadestown, Divorce Comedies, and A Court of Thornes and Roses

Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast

Our cover art is by Charcooll (⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠⁠). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What’s Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:07 Saying Hi to Andrew

05:51 What's Sparking Joy

15:20 Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Smith

19:54 First Impressions

24:43 Spoiler Discussion Begins

1:05:47 Coming Up on SLL