Description
<p>We always nerd out, but in this episode we're joined in our geek sesh by the incredibly charming, brilliant and funny Lindy West (she/her) and Meagan Hatcher-Mays (she/her) to discuss (<em>drumroll</em>!) <em>The Lord of the Rings </em>trilogy<em>.</em> As you may already know, Hannah and Marcelle share a love of JRR Tolkien's world and in this episode they finally get to discuss Peter Jackson's adaptation from the early aughts.</p><br><p>The episode begins with an overview of the books' popularity in the middle of the 20th century and their lasting impact on fantasy and science fiction literature, television and film. Hannah then offers some context for the release of The Fellowship of the Ring. Together, we consider the desire by the public to escape in a post 9/11 world and the fantasy of a pastoral utopia! Hannah then offers some theory! We're talking Arcadia people!</p><br><p>This episode is a perfect listen for fans of The Lord of the Rings, as well as anyone who has ever fantasized about knitting in a cottage away from the hustle and bustle of industrialized cities!</p><p><br></p><h3>Works Cited</h3><p>Frey, Angelica. “Cottagecore Debuted 2,300 Years Ago.” <em>JSTOR Daily</em> 11 November 2020. <a href="https://daily.jstor.org/cottagecore-debuted-2300-years-ago/." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://daily.jstor.org/cottagecore-debuted-2300-years-ago/</u>.</a> </p><p>Huffstutter, P.J. “Not Just a Tolkien Amount.” <em>LA Times</em> 24 October 2003. <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-oct-24-fi-frodoecon24-story.html." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-oct-24-fi-frodoecon24-story.html</u>.</a> </p><p>Kruske, Kyle. “Lord Of The Rings’ Hobbiton Shire Set Took A Whole Year To Make.” <em>Screenrant </em>18 December 2021. <a href="https://screenrant.com/lord-rings-hobbiton-shire-set-one-year-build/." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://screenrant.com/lord-rings-hobbiton-shire-set-one-year-build/</u>.</a> </p><p>Lois, Gemma. “‘The Lord of the Rings’: A Thematic Echo Of The Industrial Revolution – Extended Edition.” <em>A Musing Clio</em> 23 June 2025. <a href="https://gemmahistory.home.blog/2025/06/23/the-lord-of-the-rings-a-thematic-echo-of-the-industrial-revolution-extended-edition/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://gemmahistory.home.blog/2025/06/23/the-lord-of-the-rings-a-thematic-echo-of-the-industrial-revolution-extended-edition/</u></a>. </p><p>Sanders, Sam. “Tolkien Acknowledged That Black People Exist in Arda, So Why Can’t Everyone Else?” <em>Vulture </em>16 September 2022. <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/rings-of-power-black-hobbits-lord-of-the-rings-amazon.html." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://www.vulture.com/article/rings-of-power-black-hobbits-lord-of-the-rings-amazon.html</u>.</a> </p><p>Shanahan, Paula. “Authentic Fantasy: The Representation of the Shire as a Nostalgic Arcadia.” <em>Thesis</em>. Submitted to the Department of Design and Visual Arts in candidacy for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Design for Stage and Screen, 2023. <a href="https://illustro-iadt.figshare.com/articles/thesis/Authentic_fantasy_The_representation_of_the_Shire_as_a_nostalgic_arcadia_Astudy_of_the_visual_and_design_references_within_the_shire_in_the_film_adaption_of_The_Lord_of_the_Rings/25435744?file=45129961." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://illustro-iadt.figshare.com/articles/thesis/Authentic_fantasy_The_representation_of_the_Shire_as_a_nostalgic_arcadia_</u><em><u>A</u></em><u>study_of_the_visual_and_design_references_within_the_shire_in_the_film_adaption_of_The_Lord_of_the_Rings/25435744?file=45129961</u>.</a> </p><p>Wikipedia, the encyclopedia of the people. 2025. </p><p><br></p><h3><strong><u>More Info:</u></strong></h3><p>For more Lindy and Meagan, check out<em> </em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/text-me-back-with-lindy-west-and-meagan-hatcher-mays/id1713269318" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Text Me Back!</em></a> — one of Hannah McGregor's all-time favorite podcasts! You can also follow them on Substack <a href="https://newslettermeback.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>! Be sure to pre-order Lindy West's upcoming book<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/lindy-west/adult-braces/9780306831836/?lens=grand-central-publishing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em> Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane.</em></a></p><p>To learn more about Material Girls, 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>.</p><br><p>We'll be back next week with a Material Concerns episode, but until then, go check out all the other content we have on our Patreon at <a href="https://Patreon.com/ohwitchplease!" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Patreon.com/ohwitchplease</u>!</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>
