Is it real love or fantasy TV? I hope you're here for the right reasons: to learn how The Bachelor franchise produces a fantasy of romantic love. We cover the lingo (Rose Ceremony, Fantasy Suite, Frankenbiting), the scandals, the couples, and all of the commercially-viable aesthetically romantic gestures that construct "romantic love" on The Bachelor. Tell Me About is a series that introduces me and you to new genres and sub genres of romantic stories across media. Podcast host and Bachelor Nation Expert Jhen (The Blachelorettes, Monogamish, Stacked) joins me to discuss romantic love, what audiences expect from the love stories on The Bachelor, and how these stories make her feel.-Discussed: The BachelorThis episode is available on YouTube, with video, graphic additions, etc. Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK149ByQtpoGuest: JhenJhen is an expert on The Bachelor, the co-host of The Blachelorettes podcast, as well as host of Monogamish Podcast and co-host of Stacked.Jhen: @haveyoumetjhenThe Blachelorettes: @blachelorettesMonogamish: @monogamishpodStacked: @stackedshowShelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeEmail: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Shelf Love: A Romance Novel Book Club

The Bachelor (Tell Me About)

How do romantic narratives explore or influence our ideas of which bodies are "desirable"? Dr. Christina Fattore will introduce us to neoliberalism, and we'll discuss how the ideological focus on individual agency influences our ideas of which bodies are most desirable to acquire in romantic partners and how individuals must produce desirable bodies to create "value" in a romantic marketplace. CW: discussion of diet culture, body size, etc.Guest: Dr. Fattore, associate professor of political science and romance reader and writer.Discussed: Neoliberalism, "desirable" bodies, romantic partners according to dominant cultural ideologiesGuest: Dr. Christina FattoreAssociate professor of political science at West Virginia University as well as an avid romance reader. Currently working on a project on romancelandia and political participation, which was featured in the Washington Post.Website: https://christinafattore.org/Find on Twitter: @cfattorewvuShelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeEmail: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comMentioned:Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

"Desirable" Bodies, Choice, and Neoliberalism: The Fictional Romantic Marketplace

I now pronounce you man and...horse? Kissing mannequins, will Taylor stay dead this time, is Sheila Carter the best Supervillain, and favorite Super Couples (seemingly always love triangles?): when I asked Dr. Jodi McAlister to Tell Me About The Bold and the Beautiful, I had no idea how wild the ride would be!Tell Me About is a series that introduces me and you to new genres and sub genres of romantic stories across media. Novelist, academic, and Soap Superfan Dr. Jodi McAlister share how soap opera's structure explores romantic love, what audiences expect from the love stories, and how these stories make her feel.-Discussed: The Bold and the Beautiful (Soap Opera)This episode is available on YouTube, with video, graphic additions, etc. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w2VE2fiQQM&t=988sGuest: Dr. Jodi McAlisterDr Jodi McAlister is a Lecturer of Writing, Literature and Culture at Deakin University in Melbourne. She is also an author, and her new rom-coms Here For The Right Reasons and Can I Steal You For A Second? will be out in 2022.Jodi's website: http://jodimcalister.com.au/Find her on Twitter: @jodimcaInstagram: @jodimcalisterFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JodiMcAValentine series: https://www.penguin.com.au/brand/valentineShelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeEmail: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comMentioned:I Now Pronounce You Man and...Horse? 

The Bold and the Beautiful (Tell Me About)

Journalist E. Jean Carroll hopped a ride on the Love Train with dozens of romance authors in 1983, hoping to discover "how to catch a man." But did she actually discover who women* in America were fantasizing about being? Steve Ammidown, archivist and historian of the romance genre, joins me to discuss Where the Heart Roams, a 1987 documentary about romance authors, culture clashes, silk sheets and lavender sachets, men with a lot of flash (there aren't many), and many conflicting theories about how to catch a man.Appearances by: Vivian Stephens, Janet Dailey, Barbara Cartland, and many more! *middle class white cis heterosexual women...Discussed: Where the Heart Roams (1987) documentary by George CsicseryAvailable on VimeoGuest: Steve AmmidownSteve Ammidown is an archivist and historian of the romance genre. In 2019, he was the Cathie Linz Librarian Of The Year.He currently writes about romance history on his blog, romancehistory.com.Find him on Twitter: @steganShelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeEmail: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comMentioned:Bizarre Life Magazine photo essayLabor force participation rates from 1890 to 2016E. Jean Carroll's Female DifficultiesShort excerpt on E. Jean's website

How To Catch A Man on the Love Train

The Year of the Joyful Hag: Season 3 Is Here!

Proving once and for all, using science, the truth of the romance reader stereotype. Warning: this research is about how romance novels and readers are perceived, not the actual reality. Show Notes:Shelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comShelf Love episodes with transcriptsWatch the presentation and slides on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BQzi8fBB0R8Inside: Stereotype Content Model, Cognitive Dissonance, Susan Fiske, Social Psychology, Leon Festinger, Dan Ariely, and more.

096. Scientific Proof of the Romance Reader Stereotype (Finally)

Romance Author Jodie Slaughter joins Shelf Love Live from Copper Dog Books in Beverly, Massachusetts. Can Jodie identify excerpts from her own books? What's her favorite trope and why is it Only One Bed? We play games and share romance recommendations, answer live Q&A from the audience, are ogled by passing firefighters, question if capitalism is the real nemesis in classic rom-coms, and more.Recorded August 11, 2021 in a livestream. Watch the enhanced & edited video recording on YouTube!Part 1: https://youtu.be/Una6yJPyVf0Part 2: available as soon as my software uploads filesBuy White Whiskey Bargain from Copper Dog Books: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9781733426565Pre-order Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9781250821829Shelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comShelf Love episodes with transcriptsBooks Mentioned:Keep Moving by Maggie Smith: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9781982132071All Things Burn by Jodie Slaughter: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9781074526542To Be Alone With You by Jodie Slaughter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Y92DR54/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9781538735527Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9780062941237Strange Love by Ann Aguirre: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9781658713764His Beauty by Jack Harbon: https://www.amazon.com/His-Beauty-Jack-Harbon-ebook/dp/B08LYL4JKM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=TZF4XPJSNBQH&dchild=1&keywords=his+beauty+jack+harbon&qid=1630370570&sprefix=his+beauty+jack%2Caps%2C326&sr=8-1Bitterburn by Ann Aguirre: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9798554610417Harbor by Rebekah Weatherspoon: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9780578720364How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9780062933966More Romance Recommendations: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/loveyourshelfLearn more about Jodie Slaughter: https://www.jodieslaughter.com/Shelf Love episodes mentioned:White Whiskey Bargain with Charish Reid: https://shelflovepodcast.com/episodes/season-2/episode-31/white-whiskey-bargain-by-jodie-slaughter-with-charish-reid-be-proud-english-majors/Jodie Slaughter Twilight fan fiction episode: https://shelflovepodcast.com/episodes/season-2/episode-77/077-twilight-fan-fiction-climbing-into-a-can-of-worms-with-jodie-slaughter-part-1/Ideologies with Margo Hendricks: https://shelflovepodcast.com/episodes/season-2/episode-80/080-i-now-pronounce-you-colonialism-capitalism-white-supremacy/Strange Love with Whoa!mance: https://shelflovepodcast.com/episodes/season-2/episode-76/076-generous-curiosity-strange-love-by-ann-aguirre-with-whoamance/Jack Harbon as a guest on the podcast talking about Captive Romance: https://shelflovepodcast.com/episodes/season-2/episode-84/084-captive-romance-problematic-favorite-tropes/Listen to Shelf Love Podcast on your favorite podcast app and get more info and transcripts on the website: https://shelflovepodcast.com/Support Shelf Love on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ShelfLoveTwitter: https://twitter.com/shelflovepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelflovepodcast/

095. Demon Enemies to Lovers: Games with Jodie Slaughter, Live from Copper Dog Books

Who profits from "diverse" romance adaptations? Are white authors making room for creators from marginalized backgrounds to tell their stories? What's lost in translation to screen?Listener questions inspire me to dig into how romance novels differ from romances adapted for the screen. Then, I examine the curious case of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton adaptation, sharing statements she's made on whom she could imagine (not) getting a happily ever after in historicals and a never-before-heard interview with Kiana Alexander recounting a panel from 2017.-Show Notes:Shelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comShelf Love episodes with transcriptsResources:Making Meaning in Popular Romance Fiction by Jayashree KambleThe Strand Panel on YouTubeLaura Vivanco has a blog post where she collects some anecdotes from folks on Twitter with additional insight into the accuracy of how Julia Quinn has represented history in these anecdotes.Publisher's Weekly 1 month post-Bridgerton SalesNielsen Julia Quinn SalesJulia Quinn's booksContributors to this episode:Love, EssieJhen - Monogamish, Shelf Love EpisodeJodie Slaughter: episode 077 and 078Diana Filar: episode 092Kiana Alexander

094. Romance Adaptations: The Curious Case of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon: it may be a Tik-Tok sensation now, but over a year ago it was a podcast sensation. Dani Lacey invited me as a guest on her podcast, Ice Planet Podcast, to discuss Barbarian's Hope, a second chance romance between two very tall blue humanoid-ish aliens with horns whose love life is controlled by a parasite. This is an edited version of that episode.CW: loss of a child, grief, depression.Show Notes:NEWS:Dame Jodie Slaughter River Boat Cruise & Virtual Event with Copper Dog Books! (August 10 & 11, 2021)I launched a Patreon!Watch my PCA Presentation about Romance Reader Stereotypes!Support Honor Black Birth!Show Notes:Shelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comCheck out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episodeShelf Love episodes with transcriptsGuest: Dani Lacey, host of Ice Planet PodcastDani Lacey: TwitterIce Planet Podcast: Website | TwitterWe Discuss:Barbarian's Hope, Book #11 of the Ice Planet Barbarians Series by Ruby DixonTo listen to the full original version of this episode, you can listen to episode 10 of Ice Planet Podcast here:https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-ucewn-854ac9f?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share

093. Ice Ice (Planet) Baby: Barbarian's Hope

How is whiteness & assimilation assumed in the "land of opportunity" narrative & myth of American immigrants? We explore: how names indicate our roots, white privilege, feelings of cultural loss, our own immigrant experiences, plus we talk about Christina Laurens' Roomies novel & upcoming film adaptation.NEWS:Dame Jodie Slaughter River Boat Cruise & Virtual Event with Copper Dog Books! (August 10 & 11, 2021)I launched a Patreon!Watch my PCA Presentation about Romance Reader Stereotypes!Support Honor Black Birth!Show Notes:Shelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comCheck out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episodeShelf Love episodes with transcriptsGuest: Dr. Diana FilarWebsite | TwitterWe talked about Roomies by Christina LaurenQuotes about Christina Laurens' Roomies adaptation: https://ew.com/books/2018/08/16/how-hollywood-is-rekindling-the-rom-com/

092. I've Got No Roots: White Immigrant Assimilation & (Romance) Adaptation

"Guilty pleasures," or is the guilt what we find pleasurable? This is the question Dr. Arielle Zibrak asks in her book, Avidly Reads Guilty Pleasures (NYU Press). Arielle joins me to explore just some of the thought-provoking arguments made in her book and coach me on letting myself enjoy imperfect media. It's not a book about romance novels (although they're discussed), but the topic is highly relevant for any media that is coded as "femme," especially stories about love.NEWS:Dame Jodie Slaughter River Boat Cruise & Virtual Event with Copper Dog Books! (August 10 & 11, 2021)I launched a Patreon!Watch my PCA Presentation about Romance Reader Stereotypes!Support Honor Black Birth!Show Notes:Shelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comCheck out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episodeShelf Love episodes with transcriptsGuest: Dr. Arielle ZibrakWebsite | Twitter | Buy Avidly Reads Guilty PleasuresArielle is reading/watching:Animal by Lisa TaddeoThe Bold Type

091. Guilty Pleasures with Dr. Arielle Zibrak

A touch of taboo...the Joyless Hags (Katrina Jackson & Tasha L. Harrison) reunite to dissect Seducing My Guardian by Katee Robert. We ask "What is this book trying to do?" When a book opens a door, does it have to close a window somewhere?! Also some news!-NEWS:Dame Jodie Slaughter River Boat Cruise & Virtual Event with Copper Dog Books! (August 10 & 11, 2021)River Boat Cruise - Essex, MA -  Tues. August 10, 2021Virtual Event - Wed. August 11, 2021I launched a Patreon!Watch my PCA Presentation about Romance Reader Stereotypes!Support Honor Black Birth!Show Notes:Shelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comCheck out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episodeShelf Love episodes with transcriptsGuests:Katrina Jackson: Twitter | Instagram | Kat’s Email newsletter | Buy Beautiful & DirtyKat's other episodes: An Unconditional Freedom | Polyamory/Financial Conversations | Kink | Angst | Religion | History | Blind Date With A Book Boyfriend by Lucy Eden | Modern Romance CanonTasha L. Harrison: Twitter | Tasha's website | Buy A Taste of Her Own MedicineTasha's other episodes: Tasha L. Harrison Writes Romance for Black People | A Duke by DefaultWe Discuss:Seducing My Guardian by Katee RobertPrevious Joyless Hags Book Club Episodes:083. Earth is Ghetto: Joyless Hags Book Club

090. Taboo Lite: Joyless Hags Book Club

Problematizing romance: what happens when we dare to interrogate the assumptions that underlie the worlds into which we escape? Morgan & Isabeau from Whoa!mance podcast join me to discuss commodity fetishism, Marx, how it's easier to cancel than realize there is no terminus, and how we can't sloganize or consume our way out of oppression. It's the whole enchilada. Don't miss an epilogue to our conversation about North and South that pulls it all together. ("I don't want to marry you to possess you...I want to marry you because I love you!")PS: There's an intermission half way through the episode at a natural pause point if you want to listen in 2 parts.Show Notes:Shelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comCheck out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episodeShelf Love episodes with transcriptsWatch my PCA Presentation on YouTube! It's (not) about Bridgerton!Guests: Whoa!mance (Morgan and Isabeau)Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Website | Listen on any podcast app!Morgan & Isabeau joined me in episode 076 to discuss Strange Love by Ann Aguirre  

089. Problematizing Romance: You Can't Consume Your Way Out of Oppression

Suspend your assumptions about rare books - Rebecca Romney shares how rare book collection can be for everyone, and is a critical component of preserving romance genre history. Work by marginalized people has frequently been considered unimportant or devalued in the rare book world - learn how Rebecca's work (part detective, part scholar, part marketer) is important not just for romance scholars, but for all of us, and how we all have a role to play.Rebecca Romney is a rare books specialist who has been working on a catalogue surveying the history of popular romance since 2016, covering first editions of major works in the genre from the 18th century to the year 2000. She's also the co-founder of the rare book firm Type Punch Matrix, where the catalogue will be released.Show Notes:Shelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.comCheck out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episodeShelf Love episodes with transcriptsGuest: Rebecca Romney, Rare Book DealerWebsite | Twitter | InstagramOther episodes to check out, related to content in this episode:013. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams with Steve Ammidown058. East Asian American Romances with Cultural Historian Hsu-Ming Teo073. Structuring Romance: The Secular Scripture pt 1 with Dr. Angela Toscano074. Ma'am, this is Problematic: The Secular Scripture pt 2 with Dr. Angela Toscano

088. 9 Reasons Why Rare Romance Books Matter, with Rebecca Romney (#7 will surprise you!)

"Safe sex" in romance novels with Dame Jodie Slaughter, part 2. We'll finish discussing the research published in 2000 about if reading romance impacts condom usage, and then I'll share some Twitter poll results from the community about condom usage in the last contemporary romance they read, as well as some results on where folks learned information about safe sex - what's your guess on how many were impacted by media including romance novels?Jodie and I brainstorm some ways to incorporate less commonly covered aspects of safe sex and sexual health in romance novels. Plus, how do WASPs teach sex education?If you haven't listened to episode 086, you probably want to take a listen to part 1 of this conversation before diving in.Episode 086:Show Notes:Shelf Love:Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com15 Romance Novel Audiobooks that Combine Swoony Words with Great PerformancesCheck out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episodeShelf Love episodes with transcriptsGuest: Jodie SlaughterTwitter | Instagram | Check out Jodie's BooksResearch discussed:LOVE MEANS NEVER HAVING TO BE CAREFUL: The Relationship Between Reading Romance Novels and Safe Sex BehaviorAmanda B. Diekman, Wendi L. Gardner, Mary McDonaldTwitter Polls:Safe Sex in last contemporary romance novel you readSources of sex education

087. Clutch Your Pearls & Think of New England

On Shelf Love, we discuss romance novels and how they relate to our personal lives, relationships, and the society that we live in. We also play fun games and recommend other books you might like. Guest hosts include romance reviewers, longtime readers, authors, and newbies to the genre.