
Historical Friction
By Alice Procter
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Also sometimes bad wigs. Created by Alice Procter with Abigail Fine, Helen Victoria Murray and Sara Oberg Stradal

Treasure Planet (2002)
Treasure Planet (2002)
Historical FrictionAug 18, 2022
00:00
56:42

Treasure Planet (2002)
Treasure Planet (2002)
It's part three of Treasure Island adaptations this Pirate Season! In this episode, Helen gets body slammed onto the analyst's couch, as she introduces Abigail and Sara to her childhood fave, Disney's Treasure Planet (2002). In this ambitiously animated vision of a futuristic 18th century, the familiar characters of Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver and the rest are re-imagined as aliens, cyborgs and solar surfers. We talk Disney conspiracies, transitional animation styles of the early 2000s, transhumanist funny robots, and the questionable addition of The Goo Goo Dolls. Can an adaptation be considered 'historical' when it's set in outer space? Let's talk about it!
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Find the podcast on Twitter at @HistoryFriction
Abigail is on Twitter at @onceuponafine, Helen at @HelenVMurray and Sara at @tinyredbook
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Aug 18, 202256:42

Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
We're still in Pirate Season here, and this week Alice, Helen, Sara, and Abigail discuss Muppet Treasure Island (1996). Technically it's based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, but with some significant deviations (including a weirdly racist pig tribe, and musical interludes of varying quality). Join us as we try to convince Sara that the Muppets are good, actually, even if this film is not.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Find the podcast on Twitter at @HistoryFriction
Find Alice at @aaprocter, Abigail at @onceuponafine, Helen at @HelenVMurray and Sara at @tinyredbook
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Aug 10, 202201:05:30

Treasure Island (1950)
Treasure Island (1950)
Arrrr me mateys! Pirate Season is in full swing here at Historical Friction, and today Alice, Helen, Sara, and Abigail discuss Walt Disney's Treasure Island (1950), based on the Robert Louis Stevenson 19th-century novel of the same name. The conversation ranges from behind-the-scenes factoids on the Disney film, to the novel's influence on pirates in popular culture, from Disney's influence on the Hollywood pirate, to navigation tools used by 18th-century sailors. Sources used in today's episode include Colin Woodward's book The Republic of Pirates, and Ryan Sweet's chapter 'Pirates and Prosthetics: Manly Messages for Managing Limb Loss in Victorian and Edwardian Adventure Narratives' in the book The Victorian Male Body, edited by Joanne Ella Parsons and Ruth Heholt.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Find the podcast on Twitter at @HistoryFriction
Find Alice at @aaprocter, Abigail at @onceuponafine, Helen at @HelenVMurray and Sara at @tinyredbook
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Aug 03, 202254:30

The Pirate (1948)
The Pirate (1948)
Welcome to Historical Friction: Pirate Season! We're kicking off a series of episodes on pirates in literature and film with The Pirate (1948), a fabulously campy movie musical starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, directed by Vincente Minnelli. Today, Abigail and special guest Dr. Lisa Duffy discuss Golden Age pirates, Hollywood pirates, mid-century Hollywood musicals, Gene Kelly's short shorts, and where this film fits into all of these categories.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Find Lisa on Twitter at @_LisaWithAnS and Abigail at @onceuponafine
Find the podcast on Twitter @HistoryFriction
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Jul 27, 202248:29

Persuasion (2022)
Persuasion (2022)
All agony, no hope. We here at Historical Friction decided that Netflix's new adaptation of Jane Austen's 'Persuasion' was a Historical Emergency, so in this week's episode Alice, Abigail, and Helen watch this film so you don't have to -- or at least, so you have people to commiserate with over it. From jam mustaches to multiple hangovers to almost-outdoor peeing to the whaling industry, we've got you and all of your grievances about this adaptation covered. We didn't even get into the costuming in this episode, there was just too much.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Find Alice on Twitter at @aaprocter, Helen at @helenvmurray, and Abigail @onceuponafine
Find the podcast on Twitter @historyfriction
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Jul 20, 202201:03:19

The Vikings (1958)
The Vikings (1958)
This week, we've got anachronistic leather daddies, siege-based penetration imagery, big old snake holes, and Tony Curtis in tiny hotpants - it's got to be a Viking episode!
Sara sat down with Dr Roderick Dale to discuss The Vikings (1958), a film with some loud feelings about the Middle Ages. The film loosely adapts the sagas of King Ragnar Lodbrok (Ernest Borgnine) and his rivalrous sons Einar (Kirk Douglas) and Eric (Tony Curtis), as they invade the Kingdom of Northumbria and battle for creepy masculine ownership of the Welsh Princess Morgana (Janet Leigh). Sara and Roderick talk about how the film glamourizes the Sagas - what is surprisingly accurate to the archaeology, and what is way off base? They also discuss the film's trivialisation of sexual assault, cinema's weirdly colourless, beige vision of the medieval period, and throw in a good amount of 1950s Hollywood gossip.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Find Sara on Twitter at @tinyredbook, and Roderick at @Berserkjablogg. Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Jul 14, 202201:00:07

Inferno (2016)
Inferno (2016)
Nobody asked for this! Bad Film Expert and friend of the show Dr Melissa L Gustin came back, and we watched the third Dan Brown film, Inferno. This time there's maybe going to be a plague caused by a eugenicist tech bro, kind of inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy? And Robert Langdon the "Symbologist" has to stop it? It's not good. We also got mad about the geography of Florence, museum security, and the many, many wasted opportunities in this film. Nature is very much not healing.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Find Melissa on Twitter @hosmeriana, and Alice @aaprocter
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Jul 07, 202201:03:44

The 13th Warrior (1999)
The 13th Warrior (1999)
This week, Abigail, Helen and Sara are your favourite exposition crones, as we take a wild ride through The 13th Warrior (1999) - a film that probably would have made a better amusement park ride. Based on Michael Crichton's 1976 novel, The Eaters of the Dead, 13th Warrior tells the story of Arab ambassador, Ahmad Ibn Fadlan (Antonio Banderas) who joins forces with a band of Viking warriors to defeat an ancient, mysterious evil. As part of our ongoing series on Viking adaptations, we talk about Beowulf and its legacy, 90s 'post-racial' weirdness, cultural appropriation, and how exactly the Venus of Willendorf fits into all this.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Follow the podcast on Twitter, at @HistoryFriction.
Abigail is on Twitter at @onceuponafine, Helen is at @HelenVMurray and Sara is at @tinyredbook
Support the podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historicalfriction
Email us at historicalfrictionpodcast@gmail.com
Jun 30, 202201:00:48

Affinity (2008)
Affinity (2008)
In this week's episode, Alice and Helen discuss 2008 film Affinity, an adaptation of the Sarah Waters novel of the same name from 1999. Affinity is an atmospheric tale of Victorian crime and spiritualism, in which Margaret Prior (Anna Madeley), a wealthy 'lady visitor' to Millbank Prison becomes fascinated by inmate Selina Dawes (Zoe Tapper), a disgraced spiritual medium. In this installment of our Murder Girls series, we talk about historical fiction's fascination with queer women criminals, modern depictions of unjust historical prison systems, the problems of adapting huge Neo-Victorian novels, the material underpinnings of the spiritualist movement - and whether the metaphysical realm belongs to the girls and the gays.
Mentioned in this episode:
Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon
Millbank Prison
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Follow the podcast on Twitter at @HistoryFriction. Alice is on Twitter at @aaprocter and Helen at @HelenVMurray.
Support the podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historicalfriction
Email us at historicalfrictionpodcast@gmail.com
Jun 22, 202201:07:42

Enola Holmes (2020)
Enola Holmes (2020)
In today's episode Alice, Abigail, Helen, and Sara discuss the 2020 Netflix film 'Enola Holmes,' starring Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill. The film follows the adventures of Sherlock Holmes' younger sister, Enola, as she traipses through London looking for her missing mother and attempting to save the life of a naïve marquis. We examine how the film reflects our contemporary ideas of Victorian culture -- for better or for worse -- and we have an especial focus on fashion, traditional gender roles, and the ways this film questions and plays with gender. This episode is a loose companion piece to last week's episode on 'A Study in Terror,' but the two episodes are standalone and can be listened to in any order.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Follow the podcast on Twitter at @HistoryFriction
Support the podcast on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
May 25, 202259:53

Ripper Watch: A Study In Terror (1965)
Ripper Watch: A Study In Terror (1965)
This week Alice, Helen, Sara and Abigail all got together for our third Ripper Watch episode, a recurring feature discussing the representation of the Whitechapel Murders and "Jack the Ripper" in pop culture. We watched A Study In Terror, a truly unhinged Sherlock Holmes x Jack the Ripper mishmash, featuring baby Judi Dench's beehive and Barbara Windsor. If nothing else you should listen to this episode for Abigail's cockney voice.
This episode discusses murder, assault, and violence against women.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
May 19, 202256:32

History Emergency: The Met Gala 2022
History Emergency: The Met Gala 2022
After watching coverage from the Met Gala last week, Alice, Abigail, Sara, and Helen convened an emergency podcast session to discuss the three-alarm historical fashion fire on display on the Met Gala red carpet. They discuss their personal favourite and least favourite looks and, of course, weigh in on the Kim Kardashian/Marilyn Monroe dress controversy. This year's Met Gala was held on May 2, 2022, and had the theme 'Gilded Glamour.'
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter at @historyfriction
May 11, 202201:04:37

The Favourite (2018)
The Favourite (2018)
This week, Abigail, Alice, and Helen watched Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite (2018), a gorgeous period piece set circa 1711 that explores the relationship between Queen Anne, Sarah Churchill, and Abigail Masham. We talk about adaptation, visual coherence, and the way that playing with anachronism while having a strong sense of tone is maybe the best way to make a movie set in the past.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter at @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter at @aaprocter
Follow Abigail on Twitter @onceuponafine
Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenVMurray
May 05, 202201:03:12

Bridgerton (2020 and 2022)
Bridgerton (2020 and 2022)
It's time! We finally surrendered! Here is a giant episode about Bridgerton! Alice, Abigail, Helen and Sara got together to try and understand the world's straightest show. We discussed teen girl friendships, bees, sibling dynamics, and how Shonda Rhimes invented human cloning.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Apr 27, 202201:31:07

That Hamilton Woman (1941)
That Hamilton Woman (1941)
This week, Alice and returning guest Nicole Cochrane watched That Hamilton Woman, a weird Second World War propaganda film dressed up as romantic biography of Emma Hamilton. We talked about trying to make Nelson sexy, Stalin (?!), and the Maligned Women of the (17)90s. Vivien Leigh is so pretty.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Find Nicole on Twitter @tinyhistorian
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Feb 09, 202201:01:42

Marie Antoinette (2006)
Marie Antoinette (2006)
This week Helen and Abigail watched Sophia Coppola's biopic, Marie Antoinette (2006) starring Kirsten Dunst as the ill-fated queen of France. This is the first episode in what will hopefully become a mini-series of examining media that portrays historical queens or princesses, often -- and sometimes problematically -- through the lens of twenty-first century feminism. In today's episode we discuss costuming, the soundtrack, and anachronism, the zeitgeist of 2006, our contemporary so-called cancel culture, Instagram influencers, and the ethics of humanizing absolute monarchs.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction.
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction, and follow Helen at @HelenVMurray and Abigail at @onceuponafine. You can also email us at historicalfrictionpodcast@gmail.com.
Feb 02, 202255:59

Ripper Watch: From Hell (2001)
Ripper Watch: From Hell (2001)
This week Alice, Helen, Sara and Abigail all got together for our second Ripper Watch episode, a recurring feature discussing the representation of the Whitechapel Murders and "Jack the Ripper" in pop culture. We watched From Hell (2001), and also discussed the (much better) graphic novel it's based on. Topics include Freemasons, the history of lobotomies, laudanum, grapes, and the 1701 Act of Settlement.
This episode discusses murder, sexual assault, drug use and violence against women.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction, and us @aaprocter, @HelenVMurray, @tinyredbook and @onceuponafine
Jan 26, 202201:10:24

Schmigadoon (2021)
Schmigadoon (2021)
We're kicking off 2022 with a discussion of Apple TV+'s musical comedy pastiche, Schmigadoon! If you've ever enjoyed the sweet technicolor candyfloss of a classic Hollywood musical, then Schmigadoon is the show for you. This week Abigail sits down with musical theatre scholar Dr. Lisa Duffy to talk about women and race in mid-century musicals, and what Schmigadoon does right (and wrong) in their loving send-up of the genre.
Lisa can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @_lisawithans or @memoryofallthat.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Email us at historicalfrictionpodcast@gmail.com
Follow Abigail on Twitter or Instagram @onceuponafine
Jan 19, 202255:13

The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
It's December, which means we are once again subjecting you to a time travel Christmas romance. It's a tradition now! Sara was joined by Dr Eleanor Janega to watch The Knight Before Christmas. What is hawking? What is mead? Can knights drive? What is Ohio?
This is our last episode of 2021! Thanks for listening, we'll see you in a few weeks.
Follow Eleanor on Twitter @GoingMedieval, and listen to her podcast We're Not So Different
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Dec 09, 202101:00:59

Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire (2020)
Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire (2020)
This week Alice was joined by Dan Hanks, author of Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire, a historical fantasy about a very tired woman getting forced to do archaeology. We talked about Egypt, treasure hunting, pulp, repatriation, punching nazis, and why it's more fun to be creatively anachronistic.
Dan's latest book, Swashbucklers, is out now via Angry Robot. You can find him on twitter @dan_hanks or on his website.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Dec 01, 202142:26

Beauvallet (1929)
Beauvallet (1929)
We read a book! Alice and Sara discussed Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer, queen of historical romance. We talked about enemies to lovers, Spanish roads, English tourists and whatever the hell 'stocks broidered with gold quirks about the ankles' are. Special thanks this week to George Procter for providing voice acting!
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Sara on Twitter @tinyredbook
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Nov 24, 202101:03:31

Introducing "Ripper Watch"
Introducing "Ripper Watch"
Something different! This week Alice, Helen, Sara and Abigail all got together. This episode is an introduction to a recurring feature discussing the representation of the Whitechapel Murders and "Jack the Ripper" in pop culture, through puns, commemorative coins, horrible street art and weird cross stitch. We also watched Patricia Cornwell's 2002 Stalking The Ripper documentary, and talked about the idea of "Ripperology".
This episode discusses murder, and violence against women.
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction, and us @aaprocter, @HelenVMurray, @tinyredbook and @onceuponafine
Nov 17, 202101:06:18

The Lighthouse (2019)
The Lighthouse (2019)
Once again we are drowning in Robert Eggers' vibes - for this episode Helen Victoria Murray discussed The Lighthouse with Celine Brossillon, covering masculine madness, Victorian novels, and tentacles.
Find Celine on twitter @broceline17
Find Helen on twitter @helenvmurray
And thank you also to the Haunted Shores Research Network for all their help!
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Nov 10, 202101:03:24

The VVitch (2015)
The VVitch (2015)
Another spooky, vibes-heavy film to see us out of October! Eleanor Affleck and I watched The Witch, or the V V Itch, and loved it. Topics include the representation of witch hunting, colonial panic, wood chopping as a coping mechanism, the taste of butter, and 33% inaccurate windows. This is an extremely detailed film that's extremely in love with its source material, but we also discussed the absence of Wampanoag communities and the problem of drawing heavily on white settler colonial anxiety as a historical source.
This film contains violence, including against children, and we mention it in the episode.
Find Eleanor on Twitter @elaffleck
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Also sometimes bad wigs.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Oct 28, 202101:11:58

Black Death (2010)
Black Death (2010)
This week's show is the second in our double feature of plague movies! Sara and I watched Black Death, a bad film about torture and misogyny that is very much Not Bergman. We talked about funeral rites, fourteenth century timekeeping, and why it's a bad idea to give your trashy dude movie a specific date and location.
Find Sara on Twitter @tinyredbook
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Oct 20, 202156:24

The Seventh Seal (1957)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
This week's show is the first in a double feature of plague movies - Sara and I watched The Seventh Seal, and talked about how it represents religion, art and mortality. This is a fairly serious episode, but next week's is unhinged.
Partway through you might notice Sara's audio change - we had some slight tech problems and had to use our backup recording, so please be gentle with us like we're a bowl full of fresh milk.
The music at the end is 'The Seventh Seal' by Scott Walker, because I promised my dad I'd mention it.
Find Sara on Twitter @tinyredbook
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Oct 13, 202149:27

Lizzie (2018)
Lizzie (2018)
Hi! We're back! Kicking off a spooky Autumn/Winter season, today's episode features Helen Victoria Murray to discuss Lizzie (2018), a fictionalisation of the real-life Borden family murders. We talked about crime and gender in fiction, the representation of class and power, and trying to make true crime sexy.
This episode contains discussions of sexual violence, abuse and murder.
Find Helen on twitter @helenvmurray
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Oct 06, 202101:18:26

The Da Vinci Code (2006) and Angels and Demons (2009)
The Da Vinci Code (2006) and Angels and Demons (2009)
It's hard when the Pope is your dad, and your actual dad is the Pope. Melissa came back to reclaim her title of "Worst Film Watched For The Podcast". These films are terrible but they're also cultural landmarks, responsible for a lot of art historians and a key part of modern conspiracy culture. We discussed holy grails, the Vatican "Secret" Archives, what symbologists even do, and cancelling the Papacy.
Find Melissa on Twitter @hosmeriana, and follow Lads On Grand Tour
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Also sometimes bad wigs.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Apr 26, 202101:29:49

Dangerous Beauty (1998)
Dangerous Beauty (1998)
Dangerous Beauty (1998), also released as A Destiny Of Her Own or The Honest Courtesan, is a fun and frothy romance about Veronica Franco, a poet and sex worker in 16th century Venice. Yes, we talked about the banana scene, but we also discussed the history of sex and religion in Venice, the Inquisition, and how far the film industry has come (and still has to go) in representing diversity in the past. It was a delight to have Professor Catherine Fletcher on to talk about this film with me, and put it in its proper context.
Find Catherine on Twitter @cath_fletcher
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Apr 12, 202101:04:17

La Révolution (2020)
La Révolution (2020)
Look, this show is absurd. It's the French Revolution with zombies and literally nothing makes sense. It was cancelled after one season and that's definitely for the best, but it was still kind of fun to watch. Claire and I talked about royalty, fantasy and weird nationalism in a show that has absolutely no subtlety.
We discussed the "Magical Negro" trope, which is explained further here
Claire mentioned Lady Oscar, and I recommended A Place of Greater Safety
Find Claire on Twitter @carmineclaire
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Mar 22, 202101:05:00

Lost in Austen (2009)
Lost in Austen (2009)
It is a truth universally acknowledged that you know the drill. This week Lizzie Rogers and I watched Lost in Austen (2009) and talked about lipgloss, Mr Darcy, and the Austen Romance Industry. We also dug into what happens when historic houses become fictional sites, and tried to understand just what it is about Pride and Prejudice that people can't get enough of.
We mentioned:
Colonial Countryside, and the work of the National Trust to unravel connections to colonialism at its properties - specifically the amazing work of Professor Corrine Fowler
They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers, and some of the other recent examinations of gender and slave ownership.
and some modern versions of Pride and Prejudice, including Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Find Lizzie on Twitter @historylizzie
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Mar 08, 202101:18:53

Ever After (1998)
Ever After (1998)
For this episode, we're doing something a little different and discussing the heavily fictionalised past as represented through fairytales. Focusing on Ever After (1998), Abigail Fine and I talked about 90s Hollywood girl power, gender roles, and some of the nastier tropes these films use.
We mentioned:
A chapter by Christy Williams, called The Shoe Still Fits: Ever After and the Pursuit of a Feminist Cinderella
Marina Warner's work, specifically From The Beast To The Blonde
and some modern versions of Cinderella, including Megan Morrison's Disenchanted and Ash by Malinda Lo
Find Abigail on Twitter @onceuponafine
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Feb 22, 202101:13:46

The Dig (2021)
The Dig (2021)
WE'RE BACK, BABY.
After accidentally plugging The Dig twice last season, I finally watched it! It's fine! In this episode, Hannah Taylor and I discussed the representation of women in archaeology, why "Anglo-Saxon" is nonsense, and trying to make digging cool.
A couple of suggested readings on the use of "Anglo-Saxon" and "dark ages":
this New York Times article from 2019 about Medieval studies and racists
M. Rambaran-Olm's excellent three part primer, including a bibliography
Erik Wade's twitter threads
Dr Eleanor Janega's blog, Going Medieval, especially this one about imperialism
Follow Hannah on twitter @hannatale
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Get bonus episodes if you support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Feb 08, 202101:11:29

A Timeless Christmas (2020)
A Timeless Christmas (2020)
For the last episode of 2020*, we watched A Timeless Christmas, one of this year's Hallmark holiday films. The film is about a museum director who is somehow simultaneously a docent falling in love with the man she wrote her PhD on, a 1900s industrialist accidentally time travelling to the present day. It was irredeemably bad. Madeline and I got angry about collections handling, romance tropes, museum budgets, and secret drawers.
*I'm taking December off to research and record, so the show will be back in January. See you then!
Find Madeline on Twitter @oldenoughtosay
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Also sometimes bad wigs.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Nov 30, 202055:27

The Mummy (1932, 1999, 2017)
The Mummy (1932, 1999, 2017)
Continuing an accidental series of episodes about archaeology, this week's episode covers three films - The Mummy, originally made in 1932, and its 1999 and 2017 remakes. Dr Nicole Cochrane and I talked about pith helmets, the racialization of Egypt, "lost world" fiction, and colonial nostalgia.
Find Nicole on Twitter @tinyhistorian
How Academics, Egyptologists, and Even Melania Trump Benefit From Colonialist Cosplay (Hyperallergic)
"Who owns Egyptian heritage?" with Heba Gawad (Manchester Museum podcast)
Basically anything Christina Riggs has written is so important but this is the best and most savage takedown of romanticising Egyptology and this article about imperial amnesia is really great too.
Dr Angela Stienne's work is at Mummy Stories
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Nov 23, 202001:20:13

Pompeii (2014)
Pompeii (2014)
Explosions! Swords! Horse girls! Melissa made me watch Pompeii (2014). We talked about the swords-and-sandals genre, the specific place of Pompeii in popular imagination, volcanos and Kit Harrington's hair. I do not recommend this movie. Please make more sexy trashy films about archaeologists.
Find Melissa on Twitter @hosmeriana
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Also sometimes bad wigs.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Nov 16, 202001:10:30

Desperate Romantics (2009)
Desperate Romantics (2009)
For this episode, Helen Victoria Murray and I revisited Desperate Romantics (2009), the show that made a generation of teens (or maybe just us) fall in love with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. We discussed the differences between Victorian fame and 2000s celebrity, the relationship between aesthetics and accuracy in artists' biographies, and all the ways in which William Morris deserves better.
Find Helen on twitter @helenvmurray
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Also sometimes bad wigs.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Nov 09, 202054:17

Twelfth Night (2017)
Twelfth Night (2017)
In this episode, we talked about gender and sexuality in three recent stage productions of Twelfth Night, and what happens when you look for queer history in a play from the 1600s.
We discussed the 2012 Globe production, the 2017 Globe production, and the 2017 National Theatre production, as well as the 1996 film directed by Trevor Nunn.
Find Eleanor on Twitter @elaffleck
The Brutus/Cassius Beauty and the Beast fanvid
Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Also sometimes bad wigs.
Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction
Follow the show on Twitter @historyfriction
Follow Alice on Twitter @aaprocter
Nov 02, 202001:05:24

This is a podcast
This is a podcast
Hi! It's a trailer! Welcome! Episodes release weekly on Mondays, so the first real episode is up on 2 November.
Support the show on Patreon
Follow the show on Twitter
Follow Alice on Twitter
Oct 27, 202006:47