Happy Holidays from Cullen and Hannah and friend of the pod Katie! This season we controversially stretch the boundaries of our genre to slouch towards Bethlehem with our boy Milo and the team behind Glee and High School Musical. We explore the real war on Christmas, the history of the festive season and even do a seasonal Bible study. (Making Cullen a new favorite of Hannah’s mom) Will our religious upbringing clash with the fun bops of this musical? Will we reignite the wars between Catholics and Protestants? Find out in this seasonal delight of an episode. Listen to/Read Katie’s Recommendations Unchurchable A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy Please if you can, donate to https://www.chirla.org/ to support safety and justice for immigrant communities. Research for this episode: The Gospel of Luke The Gospel of Matthew The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Mary Historicity of the Nativity Narratives - Secular Historicity of the Nativity Narratives - Christian History of Christmas The Banning of Christmas Cullen Hates to Admit that the history of Augustus, the Three Kings and the Church of the Nativity was primarily from Wikipedia. ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
We’re easing on down to a cult-classic version of Oz–it’s The Wiz! This week, Cullen reveals his disdain for 70s cinema, Hannah demands answers about Dorothy, and our guest Jahlyn tries to figure out why this Oz is so dystopian. Also, Cullen and Hannah reveal their very weird relationship with this movie, which they had never seen before. Check out Jahlyn on Instagram @jrmthewerm to see her awesome artwork! And be sure to listen to the podcast Zeitgeist (by Pulp Culture) wherever you listen to Not My Fantasy! Research for this episode: How 'The Wiz' Movie Was Created, The Geoffrey Holder Story - Story You Should Know The Wiz: More Than Just the Black Version | Movie Decoded ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
We’re returning to Oz once again to chat about Wicked: For Good! This week, we cover the rest of the Maguire novel, Cullen drops fresh, oddly relevant childhood-nickname lore, Hannah makes too many puns, and our guest Rob shares additional insights from having seen the stage musical a few days prior–a true Wicked loremaster! Check out Bona Books on Kickstarter to get a copy of the Wrath Month anthology or on their website to grab their previous collection, I Want That Twink OBLITERATED. Keep up with them on social media, @bonabooksltd on Instagram. ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
This week, we’re podcasting to save Hannah from Rottingham! Cullen’s enlisted the help of our good friends and fellow folklore podcasters, Katrina and Geoff, of The Fairy Tellers. We talk about the hyper-specific references to the Kevin Costner Robin Hood film, the community theatre vibes of this film, and whether the jokes were even funny then or now. Be sure to follow The Fairy Tellers on Instagram @thefairy_tellers and TikTok @thefairytellers! You can listen to their podcast wherever you listen to Not My Fantasy! Research for this episode: Robin Et Marion - Brittle Books May Games and Robin Hood - Bold Outlaw Plays and the May Festivities - Robin Hood Legend May Day - Historic UK Robin Hood Ballads - Folklore Thursday ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
Hannah is B-A-C-K! Cullen fulfills his T-H-R-E-A-T to make Hannah watch Disney Channel’s Z-O-M-B-I-E-S franchise. Covering all FOUR MOVIES, we tumble into our magical capitalist overlord’s best race allegory, cheer for our favorite ship #Zaddie, and nearly zombie-out trying to remember Demi Lovato’s ridiculous character name from Camp Rock. ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
Welcome back to England to explore English and Cinema history with Christian Garcia of "That Ol' Gay Classic Cinema" through the 1938 Erroll Flynn and Olivia de Havilland classic, The Adventures of Robin Hood. We talk hidden mirrors, the Norman Conquest, dudes sleeping together in the woods,being a race traitor, how tights were worn and whatever a “lusty infant” means. Check out That Ol’ Gay Classic Cinema on Instagram and wherever you get your podcasts! Research for this episode: Robin Hood: Separating Fact from Fiction by J.C. Holt King John The Norman Invasion William the Conqueror King Richard ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Cullen Callaghan. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
Take a trip with us to Kevin Cosner’s Merry England. A land of butt doubles, Bryan Adams and Ewok Villages. Joining us for this leg of the journey are fellow fantasy podcasters Callum Sinclair and Michael Lee Richardson of Once Upon A VHS. Cullen draws the connections between May Day Festivals and the birth of Robin Hood as we know him, Michael points out the geographical inaccuracies and advocates for more witches in basements, and Callum gives us a surprise lesson on Robin Hood in British Television. We all ask, “was Alan Rickman hot?” and Sean Connery shows up Check out Once Upon a VHS on Instagram and Tiktok! Research for this episode: Robin Hood: Separating Fact from Fiction by J.C. Holt ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Cullen Callaghan. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
Where did Robin Hood come from and why is this version Temu Batman? We explore the bewilderingly modern visual and narrative aesthetics of the Taran Edgerton and Jamie Fox Robin Hood which may be the most heterosexual movie we’ve watched on the pod. Cullen delves into the oldest Robin Hood ballads, Krizabeth tries to determine if Robin Hood only helps people to impress Marian, and Hobz asks “wait, isn’t this just real life now?” Check out Hobz on Twitch and TikTok Research for this episode: Robin Hood: Separating Fact from Fiction by J.C. Holt ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Cullen Callaghan. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
Why is our favorite anti-establishment folk hero a hot fox? Find out as Cullen unpacks the history of Disney’s Robin Hood and Reynard the Fox, Corrina clocks Maid Marian ripping off the moves of Duchess from Aristocats, and Ian discovers the origin of the seminal classic- the Hamster Dance. Check out Ian and Corrina on SIMP Casters on @simpcasters on IG and Tiktok and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Ian Brodsky @ibroski on IG and Bluesky and Corrina Stokes on Bluesky @epicadventureof. Pre-Save Ian’s Album Friendly Neighborhood Something or Other Research for this episode: The Nun’s Priest’s Tale Roman de Renart About Reynard Reynard Text https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A60011.0001.001?view=toc ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Cullen Callaghan. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
It’s the fairytale podcast crossover of the century–and we’re joining forces to discuss, dissect and dismantle the live-action Snow White! Cullen and Hannah are joined by Abbie and Kelsey of Fairy Tale Fix and Katrina and Geoff of The Fairy Tellers. Follow Fairy Tale Fix on Instagram Follow The Fairy Tellers on Instagram ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
Another Snow White adaptation from the 2012 Snow White renaissance–it’s Mirror Mirror! We’re joined by Cassie from Of Slippers and Spindles to talk about this bonkers, rococo rendition of the Snow White tale. Cullen invents the concept of ingénue-ity, Hannah criticizes Snow White’s conspicuous fashion choices, and Cassie begs for character growth from the Prince. Check out Cassie’s fairy tale adaptation podcast, Of Slippers and Spindles wherever you get your podcasts! Follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Discord. Research for this episode: The Fairest of Them All by Maria Tatar ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
To celebrate more of Women’s Herstory Month, we’re getting gritty with the medieval-grunge adaptation, Snow White and the Huntsman. Cullen pitches his idea for a Teen Choice Awards podcast, Hannah is suddenly an expert on accents, and our guest Wyatt adds a number of voice acting roles to his podcastography. Starring… Cullen as Himself Hannah as Herself Wyatt as Himself Gatita as Herself Edgar as Himself Wyatt as Muir, the blind elder dwarf in Snow White and the Huntsman Wyatt as Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars Wyatt as Chris Hemsworth as Eric in Snow White and the Huntsman but with a much better Scottish accent Wyatt as Lucille Bluth Wyatt as Queen Ravenna in Snow White and the Huntsman Wyatt as Camille as she accepts her Oscar for Best Original Song Wyatt as Chris Crocker Wyatt as Snow White Wyatt as The Bimbettes Wyatt as Edward Cullen Wyatt as Moana Wyatt as Fantine Wyatt as New Jersey Man Wyatt as Yodeling Man #1 Wyatt as Faerie Forest ASMR Content Creator #1 Wyatt as Kristen Stewart Wyatt at Hozier Wyatt as Jay-Z Wyatt as Live-Action Princess Jasmine Check out Disney Reel to Reel, Wyatt’s deep-dive podcast into Disney wherever you get your podcasts! Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram at @DisReeltoReelPodcast. Research for this episode: The Fairest of Them All by Maria Tatar ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
To start off Women’s History Month, we’re going all the way back to the the animated feature film that started it all, Disney’s Snow White from 1937. We’re joined yet again by author and podcaster Bethanie Finger to talk one of her and Cullen’s favorite fairy tales. Cullen finally gets to show off his two Snow White-themed mugs in all their color-changing glory, Hannah shocks everyone with news that she HAS seen this classic Disney film, and Bethanie reveals Evil Queen’s grocery list for magic spell ingredients. Check out Bethanie’s Lunar Chronicles podcast, Prince Kai Fan Pod wherever you get your podcasts! Follow her podcast on Instagram (@PrinceKaiFanPod). You can also follow Bethanie on Instagram (@BethanieFingerAuthor) and go to her website, BethanieFingerAuthor.com, to get the latest news on her upcoming book tour! Be on the lookout for her other podcasts on the Three Sisters Podcast Network! Research for this episode: Tolkein and Lewis and Snow White Little Snow White by the Brothers Grimm Wishing Wells ATU Types The Fairest of Them All by Maria Tatar ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
For the finale of Supernatural Romance Month, we’re phasing into the second chapter of the Twilight saga, New Moon. Cullen shows off his collection of werewolf books from the library, Hannah pleads for better wigs for the wolf boys, and Julia is in utter shock that she was ever Team Edward. Check out Julia Bianco on Instagram (@Julia.A.Bianco). Be on the lookout for her supernatural romance book releasing in Spring 2026 from St. Martin’s Press! Research for this episode: Werewolf Stories: Shape-Shifters, Lycanthropes and Man-Beasts by Nice Redfern and Brad Steiger Werewolf Pack Magick: A Shapeshifter’s Book of Shadows Werewolves by Jon Izzard Werewolves: The Occult Truth by Konstantinos Werewolf Legends from Germany Werewolf Hunts Quileute Traditions and Wolves ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
For this week of Supernatural Romance Month, we’re diving deep into Guillermo Del Toro’s “The Shape of Water.” We cover the story of “Agneta and the Merman” and some lore behind sea creature lovers. Plus, Cullen finally admits he’s Guillermo Del Toro’s nepo baby, Hannah keeps quoting dank memes, and both hosts gush about their love of good heists. Research for this episode: Agneta and the Merman 1 https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/when-church-bells-ring-themes-and-proclivities-danish-folktale-agnete-and-merman-020927 Agneta and the Merman 2 https://books.google.com/books?id=in3kAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA120#v=onepage&q&f=false ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
We’re biting into romance-horror film The Invitation, starring Missandei and the son of Captain Hook. This week, Cullen is caught between fear and arousal over the hot vampire lord, Hannah volunteers to join the vampiric pansexual throuple, and our guest Stuart helps griffins and unicorns get the PR they really need. Catch Another Gay Horror Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Follow their pod on Instagram (@anothergayhorrorpod). You can also follow Stuart on Instagram and Bluesky (@WStuartRoss). Research for this episode: Legends of the Blood: The Vampire in History and Myth by Wayne Bartlett and Flavia Idriceanu Transylvania Vampires: Folktales of the Living Dead: Retold The ATU: https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/c.php?g=1039894&p=7610331 ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
It’s Supernatural Romance Month yet again, and we’re going back to the tale as old as time with “Beastly.” Cullen relives the dread of the Villaneuve “Beauty and the Beast” tale, Hannah bemoans the movie from her freshly dug grave, and our guest Tori returns to the pod for her annual anti-Vanessa Hudgens rant. Research for this episode: Beauty and the Beast Beaumont’s Version The ATU Comparative phylogenetic analyses uncover the ancient roots of Indo-European folktales by Sara Graça da Silva and Jamshid J Tehrani Beauty and the Beast: Classic Tales About Animal Brides and Grooms from Around the World Edited by Maria Tatar ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
It is cold, and Scrooge likes that. This holiday season, we’re watching “A Muppet Christmas Carol,” the most faithful adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas tale. We dive into some of Christmas’ spooky history and Dickens’ influence on the depictions of the holiday in media. Cullen outs himself as a Nephew Freddie, Hannah reveals why she’s not a fan of The Muppets, T shivers at the sight of the Ghost of Christmas Past, and Cait flexes their English teacher muscles with lots of great insights into the book. Want to support a teacher this holiday season (or anytime)? You can support Cait’s high school English classroom by donating and/or sharing the link to their classroom fund profile on DonorsChoose. You can also follow Cait on Instagram at @caldadlorian. Be sure to check out T’s podcast, Obscure Obsessions wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on Instagram at @ObscurePodcast. Research for this episode: How Ghost Stories Became a Christmas Tradition in Victorian England - History Channel ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
This week, Cullen and Hannah talk about the a-meh-zing Moana 2, emphasis on meh. We both try to articulate why this movie didn’t quite work, Cullen gives us a lesson on musical lyric writing, and Hannah brainstorms a plot for the Moana sequel we wanted to see. Oh, and there are so many references to the Bionicle movie, Wicked and D&D. Research for this episode: Polynesian Mythology (book) - Wikipedia ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Hannah Sylvester and Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.
We’re going back before the brick road was yellow to discuss the Wicked movie! We’re joined by Tara and EmKay of Down the Yellow Brick Pod to talk about the movie, the musical, and the book! Cullen holds space for the future Shiz University Library LEGO set, Hannah goes on a face journey hearing the plot of the book, Tara spreads Gregory Maguire’s pro-crone message, and EmKay spotlights Cynthia and Ariana’s award-nomination-worthy scenes. Want more Tara, EmKay, and Oz? Listen to Down the Yellow Brick Pod wherever you get your podcasts. And follow them on Instagram: @DownTheYellowBrickPod. Research for this episode: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire ==================================== Watch Us on YouTube! Follow Our Adventures on Social Media: @notmyfantasypod Instagram TikTok Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan. This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester. Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.