In our Bridget Jones’s Diary episode, we discuss the problems of chick lit, 90s style “feminism,” whether or not Mark Darcy is simple an insufferable ass or if he grows and changes… and Kaylia admits to not liking Jane Austen despite her English degree. Also, some Star Trek references and even a Star Wars connection because some of you like that sort of thing. Enjoy!
Show Notes:
As we said in the episode, the Stone to Pound Conversion rate is 14:1. Don’t believe us? Check out this conversion table.
More notes regarding “Chick Lit”:
Chick lit or chick literature is genre fiction, which “consists of heroine-centered narratives that focus on the trials and tribulations of their individual protagonists”. The genre often addresses issues of modern womanhood – from romantic relationships to female friendships to matters in the workplace – in humorous and lighthearted ways.. At its onset, chick lit’s protagonists tended to be “single, white, heterosexual, British and American women in their late twenties and early thirties, living in metropolitan areas”. The genre became popular in the late 1990s, with chick lit titles topping bestseller lists and the creation of imprints devoted entirely to chick lit. Chick lit critics generally agreed that British author Catherine Alliott’s The Old Girl Network (1994)was the start of the chick lit genre and the inspiration for Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary (1996) which was wildly popular and is the “ur-text” of chick lit.
Another term we tossed about a bit was “Mary Sue”
A Mary Sue is an idealized and seemingly perfect fictional character. Typically, this character is recognized as an author insert or wish fulfillment. They can usually perform better at tasks than should be possible given the amount of training or experience, and usually are able through some means to upstage the main protagonist of an established fictional setting, such as by saving the hero.
We hope you enjoy this episode. Please let us know if you agree with our assertions by sounding off on our FB page or shooting us an email at pagesandpopcornpodcast!gmail.com
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