The Tales We Tell

A podcast exploring the role of women and gender in film, television and fiction. Looking at the tales we tell and why we tell them.

The Tales We Tell Episode 22: A Yorkshire Lady of Renown 12/11/2022

The Tales We Tell Episode 22: A Yorkshire Lady of Renown In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Hattie from the Hattie Talks podcast to explore the barrier breaking TV show Gentleman Jack, based on the life of the diarist and lesbian Anne Lister. We discuss Anne's struggles, her triumphs and her passionate romantic relationships. We examine if Gentleman Jack is accurate in its representation of the strict gender and class roles of early 19th century Britain. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/25291728

The Tales We Tell Episode 21: This Writer is Likely Not Male 08/01/2022

The Tales We Tell Episode 21: This Writer is Likely Not Male In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Maddie and Kelsey, hosts of the Let The Boys Kiss podcast to explore women and gender in fandom. We discuss everything from fan art and shipping to fanfiction and fan communities. We ask who are the fans who produce fanfiction and actively ship characters? And how does gender and sexuality play a part in transformational fandom? /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/23916621

The Tales We Tell Episode 20: Woman Inherits The Earth 06/09/2022

The Tales We Tell Episode 20: Woman Inherits The Earth In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by recurring guest Natalie to discuss the female characters of the Jurassic Park franchise. We ask if they are empowering or if they fall into female stereotypes. And could the best female character in the film series actually be a dinosaur?! /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/23379947

The Tales We Tell Episode 19: She's Really Very Marvellous 03/06/2022

The Tales We Tell Episode 19: She's Really Very Marvellous In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined once again by podcaster Annie to discuss hit TV show The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. We examine the show's female characters and the challenges they face. We ask if the show addresses the barriers women faced in America in the 1950s and 60s and if Mrs Maisel is really as marvelous as she initially appears. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/22312148

The Tales We Tell Episode 18: The Evil Queen of Numbers 11/11/2021

The Tales We Tell Episode 18: The Evil Queen of Numbers In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by podcaster and author AJ Black, to discuss the character of M and the women of the James Bond franchise. We examine Judi Dench's portrayal of Bond's steely female boss, the real-life inspiration behind the character and how the idea of the 'Bond Girl' has changed over the years. We look into the idea of gender-flipping and ask if there should ever be a female James Bond. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/21132266

The Tales We Tell Episode 17: Women vs Hollywood 07/23/2021

The Tales We Tell Episode 17: Women vs Hollywood In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by the host of The Movie Palace podcast, Carl Sweeney to discuss Helen O'Hara's book 'Women vs Hollywood.' We examine how women’s contribution to early cinema has been almost erased from film history, discuss if the Studio System was really damaging to actresses and why the auteur theory is often not applied to female directors. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/19910288

The Tales We Tell Episode 16: Lets Take it From the Top 03/08/2021

The Tales We Tell Episode 16: Lets Take it From the Top In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by singer and producer Natalie Nicole Gilbert to explore the films, A Star is Born and The High Note. We ask if these two stories are realistic representations of women's experiences in the music industry and discuss the pressures that female singers and producers face in today's world. We explore how artists can struggle to maintain creative control over their work and personal lives and we listen to a track from Natalie's new album. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/18236987

The Tales We Tell Episode 15: Jessica, the Reluctant Superhero 01/03/2021

The Tales We Tell Episode 15: Jessica, the Reluctant Superhero In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by podcaster and author Duncan Barrett to explore Marvel's Jessica Jones. We discuss how the show portrays toxic masculinity, female anger and uses the superhero universe to explore coercive and controlling relationships. We ask if Jessica Jones is aimed at a female audience or if can be enjoyed by both men and women. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/17404580

The Tales We Tell Episode 14: Having Tea with Admiral Janeway 12/23/2020

The Tales We Tell Episode 14: Having Tea with Admiral Janeway In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by bestselling author Una McCormack to explore the character of Captain Kathryn Janeway from Star Trek Voyager. We discuss Una's new book charting Janeway's life and career, diversity in past and future Star Trek series and the importance of including female characters in science fiction. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/17308484

The Tales We Tell Episode 12: Exploring Unorthodox 08/31/2020

The Tales We Tell Episode 12: Exploring Unorthodox In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Miriam to explore the Netflix show Unorthodox. We discuss how accurate the tv series in its portrayal of an Orthodox community and examine the role of women in Hasidic Judaism. Miriam bravely tells her own story of leaving the Orthodox community and the challenges she faced. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/15822386

The Tales We Tell Episode 13: I've got The Power! 08/31/2020

The Tales We Tell Episode 13: I've got The Power! In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by returning guest Annie Flowers to explore Naomi Alderman's novel The Power. We ask if this book is a cautionary tale on gender inequality or a feminist revenge fantasy and if we had 'The Power' what we would do with it ourselves. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/15822137

The Tales We Tell Episode 11: Tales in Lockdown 05/13/2020

The Tales We Tell Episode 11: Tales in Lockdown In this special episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Ashley Bouchard to discuss the stories about women and by women that we are hoping to read, watch and listen to while we are living under lockdown during the current pandemic. We discuss the importance of maintaining good mental health, how stories can help and make a list of recommendations for our listeners. A list of stories to listen, read and watch can be found here: http://tiny.cc/dku1oz /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/14410859

The Tales We Tell Episode 10: Not a Girlfriend and Not So Crazy 03/01/2020

The Tales We Tell Episode 10: Not a Girlfriend and Not So Crazy In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by California native Annie Flowers to discuss the musical comedy show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. We examine the many varied themes in the show including sexual health, friendship, mental health and female ambition. We ask if this award winning comedy could have been written by a man or if it exhibits a uniquely female perspective of the pursuit for happiness and self-fulfilment. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/13362122

The Tales We Tell Episode 9, Part 2: The Queen without her Wig 02/03/2020

The Tales We Tell Episode 9, Part 2: The Queen without her Wig In part 2 of this two part episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is again joined by history buff Amy Neal to discuss the many visual representations of Queen Elizabeth I in both film and TV. We reflect on Elizabeth's later years and the portrayal of her physical appearance on screen. We ask if filmmakers have a responsibility to portray history accurately or if they should have creative licence in telling tales about the past however they wish. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/13001078

The Tales We Tell Episode 9, Part 1: Good Queen Bess 02/03/2020

The Tales We Tell Episode 9, Part 1: Good Queen Bess In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by history buff Amy Neal to discuss the many visual representations of Queen Elizabeth I in both film and TV. We examine the history behind the myths of the Virgin Queen and whether different productions have been historically accurate. We ask if film is a gateway for the general public to learning history and how many of the stories that filmmakers explore about Elizabeth are real and how many are part of the famous myths that surround her. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/12999458

The Tales We Tell Episode 8: The Determined Ms Knope 07/01/2019

The Tales We Tell Episode 8: The Determined Ms Knope In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Leslie Knope fan Mar to discuss the TV comedy series Parks and Recreation. We examine the inspiring character of Leslie Knope, the show's portrayal of female ambition and sexism in local politics. We ask if it is important to have women in lead roles in comedy and if comedy can be useful in exploring and exposing gender stereotypes. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/10356395

The Tales We Tell Episode 7: A Writer or a Wife? 06/10/2019

The Tales We Tell Episode 7: A Writer or a Wife? In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by writer and podcaster Sarah Blair to discuss the film The Wife. We examine the role of the Wife in her marriage to her prize-winning husband, the concept of the mental load, who earns the money and who brings up the children and how a woman's talent can be exploited in a patriarchal society. We ask if The Wife is a realistic cinematic portrayal of a marriage in crisis. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/10036256

The Tales We Tell Bonus Episode: All About Eve with The Movie Palace 06/04/2019

The Tales We Tell Bonus Episode: All About Eve with The Movie Palace Join us for a very special crossover episode in which The Tales We Tell joins forces with The Movie Palace podcast! Hosts Carl Sweeney and Clara Cook welcome regular guest Kelechi Ehenulo to talk about the famous film All About Eve and the recent stage adaptation of the story for London's West End. We talk about un-likeable women, female fandom and the experience of ageing in the world of female stardom. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/10034108

The Tales We Tell Episode 6, Part 2: A Female Bard 04/08/2019

The Tales We Tell Episode 6, Part 2: A Female Bard In part two of our two-part episode on female interpretations of the Homeric Epics, host Clara Cook is once again joined by David Manasian to discuss the first female translation of The Odyssey, the different novelisations of the myths written by women and whether it is possible that the poet Homer could have actually been a woman. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/9299897

The Tales We Tell Episode 6: The Feminine Iliad 04/07/2019

The Tales We Tell Episode 6: The Feminine Iliad In this two-part episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by the family patriarch and fan of the Homeric epic, David Manasian to discuss female interpretations of the epic poems of The Iliad and The Odyssey. In part one we examine the women of Greek Myth and both the male and female views of the stories that surround them. We ask whether women really were so oppressed in Ancient Greece and if a woman's view of war is underrepresented in literature. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/9299669

The Tales We Tell Episode 5: Dreadful Women 02/20/2019

The Tales We Tell Episode 5: Dreadful Women In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Horror fan Rosie Powell to discuss the TV series Penny Dreadful. We examine the female characters of the show, the themes of sex, death and Victorian morals. We ask whether women are well represented in the Horror genre and if there is room for improvement. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/8723153

The Tales We Tell Episode 4: Maud, Anne and Us 01/16/2019

The Tales We Tell Episode 4: Maud, Anne and Us In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by L. M. Montgomery expert Jessica Young to discuss the many adaptations of Anne of Green Gables. We discuss why some adaptations are more successful than others, why Montgomery is less well known than her own literary creation and how Anne continues to appeal to new generations of audiences. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/8284016

The Tales We Tell Episode 3: A Lady Bird in Sacramento 11/26/2018

The Tales We Tell Episode 3: A Lady Bird in Sacramento In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Sacramento native Ashley Bouchard to discuss Greta Gerwig's critically acclaimed film 'Lady Bird.' We discuss what it is like to grow up in a small city, move far away from home and how important it is to accurately represent female adolescence on screen. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/7680566

The Tales We Tell Episode 2, Part 2: Burning Down the Dystopia 10/18/2018

The Tales We Tell Episode 2, Part 2: Burning Down the Dystopia In part two of our two-part episode on The Handmaid's Tale, host Clara Cook is once again joined by Natalie Joanes and Kelechi Ehenulo to discuss the men of Gilead, the creative aspects of the show, our obsession with dystopias and the trope of female suffering in television. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/7236794

The Tales We Tell Episode 2: June, the Unlikely Heroine 10/18/2018

The Tales We Tell Episode 2: June, the Unlikely Heroine In this two-part episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Natalie Joanes and Kelechi Ehenulo to discuss the TV adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale. We discuss the characters of June and Serena, the women of Gilead and their relationships both with each other and the men that surround them. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/7235054

The Tales We Tell Episode 1: Agent Scully, Medical Doctor! 09/08/2018

The Tales We Tell Episode 1: Agent Scully, Medical Doctor! In this first episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by X Files fan Natalie Joanes to discuss the character of Dana Scully, FBI Agent and Medical Doctor. We discuss the effect the character has had on female viewers, her development throughout the series and whether male script-writers can ever write realistic female characters. /episode/index/show/thetalespodcast/id/7021255

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