Sex. Love. Literature.

In classic SLL fashion, I welcome you to another accidental two-part discussion. This time, we’re joined by Dr. Kai Chen to discuss Malinda Lo’s award-winning novel, Last Night at the Telegraph Club. This episode, we keep things spoiler free by first giving some context for the book and then our overall impressions. (Plus, we get a bonus visit from Ayanni's 20 year old family cat.) Show Notes: What's Sparking Joy: Kevin can F*** Himself (on Netflix), Mayonaka Punch (on Crunchyroll), Are You The One (on Viki), and Delicious in Dungeon (on Netflix) Other lit discussed this episode: Goodbye My Princess, Evangelion, Ashe (by Malinda Lo), My Favorite Thing is Monsters Learn more about Dr. Chen's work on the UF University Writing Program website: https://writing.ufl.edu/directory/yukai-chen/ Support your local bookstore and Malinda Lo by getting Last Night the Telegraph Club on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/last-night-at-the-telegraph-club-malinda-lo/16520139?ean=9780525555278 Learn more Pen America and their various initiatives: https://pen.org/ Check out SLL Live in 2025: April 2025 - Romance in CNY: ⁠https://romanceincny.com/⁠ July 2025 - RomantiConn: https://www.romanticonn.com/ On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at ⁠⁠⁠SexLoveLitPodcast.com⁠⁠⁠; on Instagram and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast. Our cover art is by Charcooll (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). TheSLL 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 Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.

Welcome to our second episode on the Chinese Drama Lost You Forever, part 2! We jump right into Tushan Jing and Xiao Yao’s relationship as the ostensible OTP of the show. From there, we consider just how sad our snake demon man Xiang Liu made us in his determination to push Xiao Yao away, as well as A’Nian’s surprisingly poignant maturation arc. Lit Discussed this Episode: "Spring Snow" by 10 Centimeters, "Love Heart Cheat Code" by Hiatus Kaiyote, "Nightfalling" by John Park, Lovely Runner, Love Between Fairy and Devil(Plus, check out our new Spotify playlist that rounds up songs we love and that have sparked joy: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50MNBI1kYKdJgxh8CzEJF1?si=SjvEqPF_RdS7Y5-AXDH5zg&pi=u-5IZPrM2xRc-N)Show Notes:You can listen to all the previous Lost You Forever episodes on your favorite podcast platforms: ​Season 2, Part 1: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e47-lost-you-forever-season-2-episode-1-of-2-a-lot-of-sad-weddings-in-this-one/​Season 1, Part 1 (no spoilers): https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e35-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-1-spoiler-free/​Season 1, Part 2: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e36-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-2-spoiler-filled/​Season 1, Part 3: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e37-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-3-spoiler-filled/Come see us LIVE at Romance in CNY: https://romanceincny.com/Planning for RomantiConn 2025 is already underway! ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/351611412074474/⁠⁠⁠On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity, and A Court of Thorns and RosesDon't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at ⁠⁠SexLoveLitPodcast.com⁠⁠; on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit; and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcastOur cover art is by Charcooll (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). TheSLL 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_USSex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.

Your girls had a lot of feelings and a lot to say about the most recent installment of the Chinese drama Lost You Forever. So welcome to part one of our deep dive that starts with our overall reactions to the show. Then, we go into Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao’s complicated relationship, and especially how some of the changes in adaptation from the novel affect how it all ties together at the end. Lit Discussed this Episode: Mayonaka Punch, The Earl Who Isn't, Love Like the Galaxy, Snowfall, Little Women (2019), Goodbye My Princess Show Notes: Come see us LIVE at Romance in CNY: https://romanceincny.com/ Planning for RomantiConn 2025 is already underway! ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/351611412074474/⁠⁠ You can listen to all the previous Lost You Forever episodes on your favorite podcast platforms: Part 1 (no spoilers): https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e35-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-1-spoiler-free/ Part 2: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e36-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-2-spoiler-filled/ Part 3: https://www.sexlovelitpodcast.com/e37-lost-you-forever-season-1-mini-series-part-3-spoiler-filled/ On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at ⁠SexLoveLitPodcast.com⁠; 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 Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.

Due to circumstances entirely within our control, we interrupt your regularly scheduled SLL programming for a special summer edition of our What’s Sparking Joy: Pop Culture Round Up.  In addition to checking in about what we’ve been watching, reading, and listening to so far this year, we each share three pieces of media that continue to live rent free in our heads. Lit Discussed this Episode: Lost You Forever Season 2 (no spoilers), Challengers, There's a Door in this Darkness, A Sign of Affection, The Princess Royal, The Bear, and The Midnight Romance in Hagwon Content Warning: Familial de*th is mentioned twice in this episode, at (26:12) and again at (48:40) Show Notes: Come visit Ayanni at the SLL table during RomantiConn this July! The vendors room is free to visit: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.eventbrite.com/e/romanticonn-2024-a-romance-author-signing-event-tickets-786820470207⁠⁠⁠ ; https://www.facebook.com/groups/351611412074474/ Other Lit Mentioned this Episode: Love Between Fairy and Devil; Crash Landing on You; My Dearest; Red, White and Royal Blue; The Legend of Shen Li; Wedding Impossible; Captivating the King; Bitterblue; Silent; Romance is a Bonus Book; One Spring Night; Something in the Rain; Crash Course in Romance On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity, and A Court of Thorns and Roses Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at SexLoveLitPodcast.com; 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 Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.

Welcome to our second episode on Bridgerton, season three! Picking up where we left off, we jump right into close reading Polin’s main sex scenes. From there, we think about what made us adore the side plots through discussion of Benedict, Francesca, and Violet’s storylines this season.  Note: there are Bridgerton book spoilers from (37:36 - 38:14) and again from (39:27 - 39:47). Make sure to listen to part one of our season three discussion- E44 Bridgerton, Season 3: "I need some f*replay, okay?!" (Episode 1 of 2): https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sexlovelit/episodes/E44-Bridgerton--Season-3-I-need-some-freplay--okay---Episode-1-of-2-e2ldc1t/a-abd482b Show Notes: Come visit Ayanni at the SLL table during RomantiConn this July: ⁠⁠https://www.eventbrite.com/e/romanticonn-2024-a-romance-author-signing-event-tickets-786820470207⁠⁠ Hear Corinne repping for SLL over on the VoxPopCast: ⁠https://voxpopcast.com/wp/2024/06/24/e324-unpacking-bridgerton-season-3-penelope-queerness-and-fandom-reactions/⁠ Other Lit Mentioned this episode: What's Sparking Joy: "Black Dog" by Taylor Swift, "Do 2 Me" by Kaytranada feat Anderson .Paak and SiR On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, 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 Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.

Members of the ton rejoice! Both halves of Bridgerton, season three have finally dropped. We had so many thoughts about this latest installment of the regency romance series that–just like Netflix–we split our conversation in two. In this first episode, we consider the season as a whole, break down Pen and Colin’s long awaited transition from friends to lovers, and start to craft "Bridgerton, Season Three: the Corinne and Ayanni Cut." The second part of our conversation drops on Saturday, June 29th. Show Notes: Come visit Ayanni at the SLL table during RomantiConn this July: ⁠https://www.eventbrite.com/e/romanticonn-2024-a-romance-author-signing-event-tickets-786820470207⁠ Hear Corinne repping for SLL over on the VoxPopCast: https://voxpopcast.com/wp/2024/06/24/e324-unpacking-bridgerton-season-3-penelope-queerness-and-fandom-reactions/ Other Lit Mentioned this episode: What's Sparking Joy: Last Night at the Telegraph Club and Meet Yourself (Chinese Drama) Because This is My First Life, My Liberation Notes, Pop Culture Happy Hour On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, Let's Get Divorced, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, 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 Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.

Time for the third installment of our divorce comedy mini-series! While we didn’t initially plan to include this show, we’re talking about the recently concluded Korean drama Queen of Tears. We consider whether or not the show is actually a divorce comedy at all, how it deploys divorce in the development of the main relationship, and what about this second chance romance really resonates. We also touch on some of the other things that did–and didn’t–work for us in the drama as a whole. Content warning: Because of the nature of the show we’re discussing, there are mentions of fictional s*icide at 9:50, 11:41, and 40:44; discussion of a fictional miscarriage starting at 43:20; and discussion of fictional terminal illness throughout. Show Notes: Come visit Ayanni at the SLL table during RomantiConn this July: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/romanticonn-2024-a-romance-author-signing-event-tickets-786820470207 Read Corinne’s Tumblr post on Drama Recs for KDrama Beginners: https://www.tumblr.com/sexlovelitpodcast/747784569802080256/sex-love-lit-girlies-i-watched-crash-landing-on?source=share Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon), Twenty Sided Tavern, Baulder’s Gate, Dungeons and Dragons, The Guy She’s Interested in isn’t a Guy at All; Lovely Runner, Crash Landing on You, Cinderella and the Four Knights, My Love From Another Star, Legend of the Deep Blue Sea, Gaus Electronics, Let’s Talk About Chu, Mine, Little Women, Vincenzo, The Interest of Love On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, 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.

Welcome to the second installment of our divorce comedy mini-series! This episode, we’re talking about the 2023 Korean Drama Doctor Cha. We get into her messy, maddening marriage, why her husband belongs in the trash, and the rewards of watching our leading lady find herself again. Content warning: brief mention of s*icidal ideation @ 32:03 Show Notes: Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Apothecary Diaries, Lost Your Forever, Legend of Shen Li, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Because This is My First Life, Fight for My Way, Our Blues, A Witch's Love On Future SLL Episodes: Strangers Again, 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.

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

Happy New Year, y'all! We continue our annual tradition of checking in about what pop-culture is "sparking joy” in January,  our favorites of 2023, and what we’re looking forward to in 2024. (CW: discussion of parental and sibling death.) Oh, and did we mention we have a tumblr now? www.tumblr.com/sexlovelitpodcast Show Notes: Check out Charcooll--the awesome artist who did our cover art-- on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/) and on RedBubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/charcooll/shop?asc=u) Lit Mentioned By Section: What's Sparking Joy: Lady Liar, Ms. Abbott and the Doctor, Link: Eat Love Kill Joy Sparked in 2023 - Rapid Fire: Lost You Forever, The Boy and the Heron, Kiss Bet, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse, The Story of Kunning Palace, American Fiction, The Marquis Who Musn't, Being Monsters, Till the End of the Moon, A Guest in the House Joy Sparked in 2023 - Deep Dive: Call it Love, Ancillary Justice, A Journey to Love, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Future Joy Sparked in 2024: Lost You Forever: Part 2, The Prisoner of Beauty, All There Is (podcast), Jeong Nyeon, Baulders Gate 3 Others: What If...?, The Marvels, Let's Get Divorced, Dr. Cha, Strangers Again 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 00:58 Opening Bander 09:11 What's Sparking Joy 16:37 2023 Joy Sparked - Rapid Fire 36:06 2023 Joy Sparked - Deeper Dive 1:02:37 Looking Forward to 2024 Joy 1:14:24 Pop-Culture Predictions 1:22:28 Closing Out/Future SLL Episodes

CW: Discussion of s*xual assault, and brief mentions of drugging and s*icide, from 1:00:27 – 1:04:15 You’ve made it to the third and final installment of our semi-accidental mini-series on the Chinese Drama, Lost You Forever. (You either really like us, or you really like Lost You Forever, and we appreciate you either way.) We know you’ve been waiting for it, so this episode, we finally get to the last three main players fighting for Xiaoyao’s heart: Fenglong of the Central Plains; Xiang Liu, everyone’s favorite nine-headed sea snake demon man; and last but certainly not least, Tushan Jing, soft beta baby boy of the year. Don't forget to listen to part one, "E35 Lost You Forever Season 1 (Mini-Series Part 1, Spoiler Free)," and part two, “E36 Lost You Forever Season 1 (Mini-Series Part 2, Spoiler Filled),” if you haven't already. Show Notes: Lost You Forever Soundtrack (on Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/6opCSvYhh5CiAioySGp0Nm?si=7a6e1432558947d0 Other lit mentioned this episode: Till the End of the Moon Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. 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 01:24 Opening Bander 02:32 What's Sparking Joy 6:30 Fenglong doesn't stand a chance 17:58 It's thirsting for Xiang Liu hours 41:14 Poor, sweet Tushan Jing 1:06:30 Some Final Thoughts 1:14:38 Closing Out

We’re continuing our three-part mini-series on Lost You Forever by diving right into a truck load of spoilers! In honor of the reverse harem-ness at all, we organized our discussion around leading lady, Xiaoyao, and her four suitors. This episode, we start with Xiaoyao herself–and her many abandonment issues. Then, we get into our complicated feelings about her charming, ambitious cousin, Cang Xuan and his dangerous pursuit of the throne. As a treat (for Corinne), we also talk about Xiaoyao’s bratty half-sister, A’nian, because she’s the worst (and the best). Don’t worry Fangfeng Bei and Tushan Jing fans, stay tuned for part three of our discussion for our hot takes on the rest of the harem. Don't forget to listen to part one, "E35 Lost You Forever Season 1 (Mini-Series Part 1, Spoiler Free)," if you haven't already. Show Notes: Lost You Forever Soundtrack (on Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/6opCSvYhh5CiAioySGp0Nm?si=7a6e1432558947d0 "You & Me" by Jennie (on Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/track/6gcuJpHu0Ey30D5WR76y98 Other lit mentioned this episode: Crash Landing on You, You & Me by Jennie, Pharaohs by SBTRKT, Goodbye My Princess Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL 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 01:32 Opening Bander 07:17 What's Sparking Joy 12:51 Starting with Xiaoyao 31:58 Cang Xuan Time 51:44 Closing Out

CW: Brief mention of s*icide @ 30:00. Welcome to the first installment in our three part mini-series on the Chinese drama, Lost You Forever (Season 1). If you haven’t seen this drama, don’t worry–the first part of our mini-series is spoiler free! We give some context about the show set up, share some spoiler-free reactions, and wrap up with a game of F*ck, Marry, K!ll. Along the way, we also share all the reasons we think you should check out Lost You Forever–if it hasn’t already taken the top spot on your favorite dramas list. Parts 2 and 3 of our Lost You Forever mini-series dropping on December 8th! Show Notes: Lost You Forever Soundtrack (on Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/6opCSvYhh5CiAioySGp0Nm?si=7a6e1432558947d0 Lit discussed this episode: Love Between Fairy and Devil, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, As If Love Does Not Exist, Perfect Marriage Revenge, Story of Ming Lan, Love and Redemption, Love You Seven Times Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL 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 01:16 Opening Banter 06:19 What's Sparking Joy? 15:36 It's Lost You Forever Time 22:24 LYF Characters 27:36 LYF Political Landscape 34:23 What We Love About LYF

Happy Halloween, SLL Listeners! This episode is a special spooky season treat: a Trope Spotlight episode on ~Demon Lovers~ 😈. We’re joined by comic-scholar, friend of the show, and fellow monster aficionado Dr. Sam Langsdale to tackle the deliciously demonic topic. Together, we parse through what makes a demon a demon-as well as what we want from a demon lover-throw in some monster theory, and share some of our many favorites. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:30 Opening Banter 02:57 Guest Introduction 12:37 What's Sparking Joy 25:42 Demon Lovers Discussion Show Notes: You can find Sam on Bluesky @samlangsdale.bsky.social or on her website, www.samlangsdale.com. And here's a link to Monstrous Women in Comics, too - https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/M/Monstrous-Women-in-Comics Bonus Treats🍬 Lanfear Gif sets, because she deserves more that one: https://www.tumblr.com/ofthebrownajah/732098078959665152 ; https://www.tumblr.com/dykedivorce/729834242890153984/the-wheel-of-time-lanfear-in-2x07 ; https://www.tumblr.com/hcmoeroticisms/729915504717873152/natasha-okeeffe-as-lanfear-in-wheel-of-time-207 ; https://www.tumblr.com/ghostintransit/729144619593547776/lanfear-in-wheel-of-time-s2-ep6 Chu Kong (AKA cat demon) gif set: https://www.tumblr.com/dingyuxi/726930914058338305/love-you-seven-times-%E4%B8%83%E6%97%B6%E5%90%89%E7%A5%A5-2023-dir-li-nan Xiang Liu (AKA sexy snake man) gif set: https://www.tumblr.com/yesdramas/724227274238574592/tan-jianci-as-xiang-liu-in-lost-you-forever-%E9%95%BF%E7%9B%B8%E6%80%9D Nightcrawler posing like Burt Reynolds: https://twitter.com/peppard_anna/status/1554151790614134785 (but also, just look at the whole thread) "Smited, Smote, Smitten: A Reading on Queer Longing in Good Omens" by Maya Gittelman - https://www.tor.com/2023/10/04/smited-smote-smitten-a-reading-on-queer-longing-in-good-omens/ Oh Gosh, Oh Golly, Oh Wow! Podcast - https://goshgollywow.com/ As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike–along with their counterparts in other industries/countries, who also deserve fair wages and labor protections–none of the works we discuss here or in other episodes would exist. Lit discussed this episode: Fionna and Cake, Wheel of Time (Season 2), Glow Up, Wednesday, Love You Seven Times, Lost You Forever, Howl's Moving Castle (Book and Film), Good Omens 2, Fruits Basket, Stuffed - A living pillow romance, Inuyasha, Love and Redemption, The Good Place, Castlevania, Beauty and the Beast, Lucifer, Excalibur, Oh Gosh, Oh Golly, Oh Wow! Podcast, Monster Prom, Monster Camp, Love Between Fairy and Devil, Obey Me: One Master to Rule Them All, Shadow & Bone, The Witches of Eastwick, Till the End of the Moon, Monsters and Girls Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. The SLL Theme music for this episode is “TipToes” by Myuu. 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.

This episode, on the recommendation of an SLL listener, we’re excited to do a deep dive into the Japanese Drama, Rinko-San Wants to Try. We get into how the show complicates conceptions of virginity, plays with the friends with benefits trope, and maybe get in our feelings a lil bit about a second female lead who really got under Ayanni’s skin. As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike–along with their counterparts in other industries/countries, who also deserve fair wages and labor protections–none of the works we discuss here or in other episodes would exist. Lit discussed this episode: Get Up EP by NewJeans, Pop Culture Happy Hour (this episode specifically: https://www.npr.org/2023/08/15/1193958358/newjeans-is-a-new-kind-of-k-pop-juggernaut), My Dearest, Hit the Spot, Because This is My First Life, Lost You Forever, Friends With Benefits, No Strings Attached, Nevertheless..., Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Sex Education Bonus reading (aka works cited & consulted): Jones, Gretchen. "'Ladies' Comics': Japan's Not-So-Underground Market in Pornography for Women." U.S.-Japan Women's Journal, English Supplement, no. 22, 2002, pp. 3-31. Lieber-Milo, S. “Cute at an Older Age: A Case Study of Otona-Kawaii”. Mutual Images Journal, no. 10, Dec. 2021, pp. 93-108, doi:10.32926/2021.10.lie.otona. Sato, Kumiko. "From Hello Kitty to Code Row Kewpie: A Postwar Cultural History of Cuteness in Japan." Asian Intercultural Contacts, vol. 14, no. 2, 2009. https://www.asianstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/from-hello-kitty-to-cod-roe-kewpie-a-postwar-cultural-history-of-cuteness-in-japanA.pdf Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. 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 Recorded September 2023 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.

This is the second episode of our two part discussion on the Female Gaze. Since we laid some groundwork and gave some context in part one, this time around, we dive right in. In thinking through “the female gaze,” we ask questions of whom we presume is looking and who is being looked at. We also think about how the gaze becomes more complicated in our modern media context, especially when we move beyond binary, heteronormative understandings of gender and sexuality. We definitely recommend checking out "E31 The Female Gaze (Part 1): The Origins of the Gaze" before listening to this one. As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike–along with their counterparts in other industries/countries, who also deserve fair wages and labor protections– none of the works we discuss here or in other episodes would exist. Lit discussed this episode: Get Up EP by NewJeans, Spicy by Aespa, Her Private Life, See You in My 19th Life, My Love Story with Yamada-Kun at Level 999; The Song of the Lioness Quartet, The Immortals Quartet, The Lunar Chronicles, A League of Their Own (TV Series), Bonus reading (aka works cited & consulted): Bowers, Susan R. “Medusa and the Female Gaze.” NWSA Journal, vol. 2, no. 2, 1990, pp. 217-235. <⁠https://www.jstor.org/stable/4316018⁠>  Benson-Allott, Caetlin. “No Such Think Not Yet: Questioning Television’s Female Gaze.” Film Quarterly, vol. 71, no. 2, 2017, pp. 65-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/FQ.2017.71.2.65. Forster, Stefani. “Yes, there’s such a thing as a ‘female gaze.’ But it’s not what you think.” Medium. !2 Jun 2018. Accessed 13 February 2020. https://medium.com/truly-social/yes-theres-such-a-thing-as-a-female-gaze-but-it-s-not-what-you-think-d27be6fc2fed. Dyhouse, Carol. Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire. Oxford University Press, 2017. Hemmann, Kathryn. "Queering the Media Mix: The Female Gaze in Japanese Fan Comics." Transformative Works and Cultures, no 20, 2015. ⁠https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2015.0628⁠. hooks, bell. "The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators." Black Looks: Race and Representation, Routledge, 2014. Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Visual and Other Pleasures, Indiana University Press, 1989. Phillips, Leah. Female Heroes in Young Adult Fantasy Fiction: Reframing Myths of Adolescent Girlhood. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023. Wilton, Tamsin. Sexual (Dis)Orientation: Gender, Sex, Desire and Self-Fashioning, Palgrave Macmillian UK, 2004. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. 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

We’re tackling a big topic in our two part discussion on “the female gaze.” What is the female gaze and why does it matter? In this first episode, we establish some context for the term by getting into the history of the “gaze” as a concept, the psychoanalytic origins of the Male Gaze as theorized by Laura Mulvey, and how the oppositional gaze, as coined by bell hooks, makes space for alternative ways of looking and being looked at. You can listen to "E32 The Female Gaze (Part 2): Complication and Expansion" right now! A quick editorial note: We incorrectly mention that polo originated in China. Sources consider what would be modern day Iran as the location of origin for the game. As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike–along with their counterparts in other industries/countries, who also deserve fair wages and labor protections– none of the works we discuss here or in other episodes would exist. Lit discussed this episode: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, Vincenzo, The Story of Ming Lan Bonus reading (aka works cited & consulted): Bowers, Susan R. “Medusa and the Female Gaze.” NWSA Journal, vol. 2, no. 2, 1990, pp. 217-235. <https://www.jstor.org/stable/4316018>  Benson-Allott, Caetlin. “No Such Think Not Yet: Questioning Television’s Female Gaze.” Film Quarterly, vol. 71, no. 2, 2017, pp. 65-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/FQ.2017.71.2.65. Forster, Stefani. “Yes, there’s such a thing as a ‘female gaze.’ But it’s not what you think.” Medium. !2 Jun 2018. Accessed 13 February 2020. https://medium.com/truly-social/yes-theres-such-a-thing-as-a-female-gaze-but-it-s-not-what-you-think-d27be6fc2fed. Dyhouse, Carol. Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire. Oxford University Press, 2017. Hemmann, Kathryn. "Queering the Media Mix: The Female Gaze in Japanese Fan Comics." Transformative Works and Cultures, no 20, 2015. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2015.0628. hooks, bell. "The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators." Black Looks: Race and Representation, Routledge, 2014. Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Visual and Other Pleasures, Indiana University Press, 1989. Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit. 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

Content warning: This episode contains a very brief discussion of sexual assault from 27:14 - 27:21. Happy 3rd Birthday to Sex. Love. Literature! 🎂 Since we started the show as English PhD candidates, the two of us have been through a lot. And now, over the last year, we’ve defended dissertations, donned our wizard robes, and officially both become doctors. To celebrate, this episode is all about us. Learn about our research, what projects we’re working on, and what we watch, read, and listen to when we’re not recording new episodes for y’all. Want to join us in wishing a happy third birthday to SLL? Share your fave SLL episode with a friend who’s never listened before and tag them on our Instagram post (@SexLoveLit) to say hi! Thanks to all of you who’ve stuck around since the beginning and thanks to all of you who joined along the way 💛🥰 As two people who study, analyze, and have a literal podcast about media, we stand in solidarity with the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike–along with their counterparts in other industries/countries, who also deserve fair wages and labor protections– none of the works we discuss here or in other episodes would exist. Lit discussed this episode: Pokémon Go, Love You Seven Times, Lost You Forever, Love Between Fairy and Devil, Sex Education, The Queen's Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner, Lore Olympus, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, When I Arrived at the Castle, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson & Emily Carroll, Through the Woods, Good Hunting by Ken Liu, Love Death + Robots, Levar Burton Reads, Tower of God, God of High School, All of Us are Dead, Forever by Judy Blume, Hulu's The Great, See You in My 19th Life Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads @SexLoveLit. 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