<p>We had to go to the cottage!!!</p><br><p>In this episode, Hope Rehak, (writer, educator, and the mind behind beloved Substack <a href="https://hoperehak.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>"Obsessions This Week"</em></a>) joins Hannah and Marcelle for a giddy and downright delectable conversation about the Canadian television hit, <em>Heated Rivalry.</em>&nbsp;The episode begins with us holding space for everyone's personal relationship to the series (*spoiler: we love it*), then promptly jumps into a rundown of how the show materially came to be! We discuss the popularity of MLM (men-loving-men) fiction written largely by women and trans men —&nbsp;and the correlated rise and mainstreaming of the romance genre. Hope introduces us to the idea of the androphillic gaze (listen to learn!) and offers a quick rundown of the state of fanfiction today. Hannah then offers some theory through Carlee Gomes' 2023 article,<em>&nbsp;“The Puritanical Eye: Hyper-mediation, Sex on Film, and the Disavowal of Desire." </em>What follows is a rich conversation about the myth of political perfection in media, the desire for escape under late capitalism, the perceived notion that consumer habits are the last site of autonomy and the very real pleasure of watching men be masculine, sexy, and tender. If you're interested in <em>Heated Rivalry</em> as its popularity relates to shadow politics, moral panics and the puritanical eye, then this episode is for you. If you just thought it was a horny and fun show, this episode is also for you.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h3><strong><u>Helpful Re-Listens That Relate to This Episode:</u></strong></h3><p><a href="https://shows.acast.com/oh-witch-please/episodes/wicked-for-good-x-femslash-with-leena-norms" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wicked: For Good x Femslash with Leena Norms</a></p><p><a href="https://shows.acast.com/oh-witch-please/episodes/fourth-wing-x-the-author-function" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fourth Wing x the Author Function</a></p><p><a href="https://shows.acast.com/oh-witch-please/episodes/bridgerton-x-reading-the-romance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bridgerton x Reading the Romance with Vanessa Zoltan</a></p><br><p>***</p><p><br></p><h3><u>Works Cited</u></h3><p>Gomes, Carlee. “The Puritanical Eye: Hyper-mediation, Sex on Film, and the Disavowal of Desire.” <em>Lo Specchio Scuro</em> 25 November 2023. <a href="https://specchioscuro.it/the-puritanical-eye-hyper-mediation-sex-on-film-and-the-disavowal-of-desire/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://specchioscuro.it/the-puritanical-eye-hyper-mediation-sex-on-film-and-the-disavowal-of-desire/</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Keshavarzi, Yalda. “Heated Rivalry and the erotics of equality.” <em>Shado</em> 14 January 2026. <a href="https://shado-mag.com/articles/opinion/heated-rivalry-and-the-erotics-of-equality/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://shado-mag.com/articles/opinion/heated-rivalry-and-the-erotics-of-equality/</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Kurzius, Rachel. “What happens when your gay hockey smut becomes a global phenomenon?” <em>The Washington Post</em> 5 December 2025. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/2025/12/06/heated-rivalry-hbo-series-rachel-reid/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/2025/12/06/heated-rivalry-hbo-series-rachel-reid/</a>.</p><p><br></p><h3><strong><u>Additional Shoutouts In This Episode:</u></strong></h3><ul><li>Imani Barbarin <a href="https://www.instagram.com/crutches_and_spice/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(@crutches_and_spice)</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janice_Radway" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Janice Radway</a></li></ul><p><br></p><h3><strong><u>Support Material Girls</u></strong></h3><p>To learn more about the show, head to our Instagram at <a href="https://instagram.com/ohwitchplease!" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>instagram.com/ohwitchplease!</u></a> Or check out our website <a href="https://ohwitchplease.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>ohwitchplease.ca</u></a> (you can also find transcripts here!). Want to support the podcast and our tiny, hard-working team? Check out all the content we have on our Patreon at <a href="https://patreon.com/ohwitchplease." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Patreon.com/ohwitchplease.</u></a> Bonus episodes, bloopers, merch, watch-alongs, and more! Need a last minute gift for a friend or family member? You can gift a Patreon subscription at this link: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/ohwitchplease/gift" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/ohwitchplease/gift</a>!</p><p><br></p><h3><strong><u>Music Credits:</u></strong></h3><p>“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020</p><p>Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>