016: Promising Young Woman - Part 2 - The Professors

Warning. This episode (and the film) deals with the trauma associated with sexual assault. It may be very triggering. Please look after yourselves. This episode also (unavoidably) contains massive plot spoilers, so if you haven't seen the film, and don't want to be spoiled please pause and come back to us after you have seen it. In our "Promising Young Woman" follow-up episode, Lisa and Dean are joined by Professor Emeritus Tania Modleski and Professor Caroline Heldman. They bring their unique and highly experienced perspectives to an in-depth discussion of the sociological elements and impact of the film. We needed their big beautiful brains to help us continue to break down this exceptional piece of work. Professor Modleski is an American feminist scholar and cultural critic at USC. Her expertise is in American studies, gender studies, feminist theory, and film and popular culture. Her research efforts focus on women in film, women in popular culture, women in literature, and soap operas. See https://dornsife.usc.edu/cf/faculty-and-staff/faculty.cfm?pid=1003547  Professor Caroline Heldman, teaches Critical Theory and Social Justice at Occidental College. She is a political commentator and VP of Research and Insights at the Geena Davis Institute.  B.A., Washington State University; M.A., Ph.D., Rutgers University Department Chair, Critical Theory & Social Justice Department Chair, Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies See https://www.oxy.edu/academics/faculty/caroline-heldman Further reading; Emerald Fennell talk in detail about the various. options considered for ending the film.https://variety.com/2021/film/news/promising-young-woman-ending-spoilers-2-1234885400/  Film wins Best Film and Best Actress at Aussie'Oscars' https://variety.com/2021/awards/awards/aacta-2021-awards-promising-young-woman-1234923201/  Laverne Cox interview https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/feb/14/laverne-cox-interview-trailblazing-trans-activist-i-can-be-so-hard-on-myself    Caroline mentioned the Stuebenville documentary 'Roll Red Roll' Read a review here https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/09/roll-red-roll-behind-the-chilling-documentary-on-high-school