It's Tea Time at Hogwarts. Each episode, special guests join stand up comedian and actor Katie Johantgen (The Office Musical, Friends the Musical), to spill the tea on their biggest gripes with the beloved Harry Potter universe. Do you think Michael Gambon was a trash Dumbledore? That Snape is a queer icon and his last-minute romantic infatuation with Lily Potter is lazy writing? That J.K. Rowling is a TERF monster who needs to be stopped?! Listen to what happens when you force someone to talk smack about the thing they love most. No one is safe, not even Dobby.
After a brief (9 month) hiatus, Harry Potter and the Hot Takes is back, baby! First, we will release previously unreleased episodes, and then we will be kicking off Season 2 with brand new episodes with HOT HOT TAKES and HOT HOT GUESTS!
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Enjoy this episode recorded back in February 2019 with the brilliant Carrie Wittmer, co-author of 'New Erotica for Feminists' (https://www.neweroticaforfeminists.com/). Carrie is a Brooklyn-based comedy writer, entertainment journalist, and critic. By day, she writes about television and "Paddington 2" for Business Insider's entertainment team. On nights and Saturdays, she writes jokes. On Sundays, she sings songs she made up about her dog to her dog.
She's been published in McSweeney’s, The New Yorker, and Refinery29 and her work has been syndicated on sites including The Independent.
Twitter + Instagram @carriesnotscary
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Hosted, Produced, Edited by Katie Johantgen (https://www.katiejohantgen.com/), Twitter + Instagram +TikTok @katiejoyofosho
Theme Song by Sean Wilcox, Instagram @wilcoxmusic, Twitter @wilcox_music
Cover Art by Maggie Brownstone
11 Apr 2019
"Hermione is Black" w/ Jordan Pesci
Actress/Writer Jordan Pesci (https://www.jordanpesci.com/) (@pescilovesyou (https://www.instagram.com/pescilovesyou/)) combines her knowledge and passion for Harry Potter, history, and black feminist theory for the woke-est episode of Harry Potter and the Hot Takes yet.
Katie and Jordan kick things off by confirming their chosen combo Hogwarts houses are spot on according to their Myers Briggs Personality Types (https://www.thethings.com/actual-hogwarts-house-according-myers-briggs-personality-type/). They discuss their irrational, yet incredibly rational (and topical) fear of black holes, and the role of magic in universe theory.
If you believe that Hermione, Jesus, and Santa are black, and have no time for genocidal hate crime snakes, this episode is for you!
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Cover Art: Maggie Brownstone (https://www.maggiebrownstone.com/)
Theme Song: Sean Wilcox
14 Mar 2019
"Quidditch Makes No Sense" w/ Ian Mather
It's time to address the broomstick in the room... Quidditch makes absolutely no G-D sense. This week Katie chats with Author/Comedian Ian Mather (@ianxmather (https://www.instagram.com/ianxmather/)) about the dirty, sticky frat house that is the Gryffindor Common Room, the fact that wizards are low key old school and seem to all get married immediately out of high school (do they go to wizard college?!), and of course, SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS.
Check out Ian's satirical "children's" book, 'Mean Mr. Trump (https://www.amazon.com/Mean-Mr-Trump-Ian-Mather/dp/173261430X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1532702524&sr=8-2&keywords=mean+mr.+trump)', and catch him in Sketchy History: A History Sketch Show (https://thepit-nyc.com/events/sketchy-history-a-history-sketch-show/), every month at The PIT Loft!
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28 Feb 2019
"Have You Heard of A Very Potter Musical?" w/ Paris Adkins
In episode 7 aka The Time That Dobby Died, Katie is joined by UCB improv queen Paris Adkins (@paris.adkins (https://www.instagram.com/paris.adkins/)) who at her peak HP crazy read the entire series 27 times. In one year. Yes, you read that correctly.
Katie and Paris discuss being a middle school Potterhead, new fanfic ideas, Katie's post-apocalyptic Harry Potter as a religion theory, and Paris finally brings up Katie's high school obsession, 'A Very Potter Musical (https://youtu.be/CDx1TyuosJ8)' (we love you Lauren Lopez).
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19 Feb 2019
"Harry and Ron Are F*ckboys" w/ Kelsey Caine
Episode 6 is here, aka Harry Potter Spring Break. This week's guest is the brilliant Kelsey Caine (@kelsey_caine (https://twitter.com/kelsey_caine)), mastermind behind the Chrissy Teigen approved (https://twitter.com/kelsey_caine/status/1097567808895045632), controversial satirical character, Penis C.K.
Katie and Kelsey do their best to get sued this episode, hoping to get some more publicity. They chat about Katie's stint in Friends! The Musical Parody (http://friendsparodyontour.com/), Kelsey's current comedy tour, and eventually, Harry Potter. They ask the questions everyone has been thinking.... do we....like Ron? Do we like Snape?!
Catch Kelsey coming to a city near you, check out her tour dates on Twitter!
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Cover Art: Maggie Brownstone
Theme Song: Sean Wilcox
15 Feb 2019
"A Bottom's Worst Nightmare" w/ Zach Teague
In Episode 5 aka The One Where Harry Desperately Needs A Therapist, Katie has a blast with comedian Zach Teague (@zachteague (https://www.instagram.com/zachteague/)), host of the monthly comedy shows Haus Party @ Chelsea Music Hall (http://www.chelseamusichall.com/) and Bottomless @ Westside Comedy Club (https://www.westsidecomedyclub.com/).
They play fun games like 'Dumbledore Approved Drag Names', and 'How Much Credit Card Debt Do YOU Have?!' They discuss whether being scared of riding roller coasters as a kid disqualifies you from being a Gryffindor, and the fact that Hogwarts had a MAJOR bullying problem!! If you think the fact that all Disney movies start by killing off the parents is f*cked up, and that the power of love is corny AF, this episode is for you.
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Cover Art: Maggie Brownstone
Theme Song: Sean Wilcox
6 Feb 2019
"The Liberty Bell is a Port Key" w/ Greg Hyde
Katie is joined by comedian Greg Hyde (@hydeyourlunch (https://www.instagram.com/hydeyourlunch/?hl=en)) and they quickly realize they're both originally from Philly. After unpacking the iconic Philly accent, and where Philly Hogwarts is located, Greg and Katie get down to business with a new segment, 'Make Up Your Own Hogwarts House'! Soon it's on to more serious issues like, 'Is J.K. Rowling okay?' 'Is Michael Gambon on Twitter?' and 'Are Wizards dumb Trump supporters?!'
Catch Greg in Nostalgia! A Comedy and Storytelling Show (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nostalgia-a-stand-up-storytelling-show-tickets-54294637723), this Thursday 2/7, 7 pm at Friends & Lovers!
NEW COVER ART! By the amazing Maggie Brownstone
Theme Song: Sean Wilcox
1 Feb 2019
"Where Are The Parents?!" w/ Vanessa Ogbuehi
In the third episode of Harry Potter and the Hot Takes, aka Prisoner of Azkaban, Katie chats with Philly-based actor Vanessa Ogbuehi! Vanessa wasn't allowed to read Harry Potter when she was growing up, so she just read the first book for the FIRST TIME! Her thoughts? This book is stressful! Where are the parents?! Vanessa and Katie break down what it's like to read the series as adults and Vanessa takes the Pottermore Sorting Test and a new segment called: Harry Potter Trivia for Muggles or Squibs!
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25 Jan 2019
"Hogwarts is a Sex Palace" w/ Steve Clark
Katie chats with comedian and YouTuber Steve Clark (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAtabJ0BMuIQ86DEP6AuX1w) (creator of the viral "I Try To Understand Game of Thrones" (https://youtu.be/nPjetpPcv4o) videos) about Power Rangers, Avengers, SpiderMan, Bird Box, The Happening, and eventually Harry Potter. Steve's hot take addresses something we've all been thinking... That those horny, essentially completely unsupervised Hogwarts teen were 1000% having sex all over Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Enjoying the tea? Subscribe! Tell your friends! Write us a review!
An 'I'm Sexy Productions' Podcast
Theme Song by Sean Wilcox
Cover Art by Dan Pardo
Special Thanks to Andy Roninson
17 Jan 2019
"Eddie Redmayne Sucks" w/ Matt Carlstrom
In this inaugural episode of Harry Potter and the Hot Takes, Katie Johantgen (comedian/host/Gryffin-puff) chats with Matt Carlstrom (producer + content strategy at Big Think (https://bigthink.com/)/Gryffin-slyth) about the stigma around the different Hogwarts houses, his favorite and least favorite books and films, and the fact that Hermione is ROBBED of a fleshed-out home life outside of Hogwarts in the series!! Then, of course, we tackle Matt's HP Hot Take, which is that Eddie Redmayne is trash, and Newt Scamander is not a character we should have to care about.
Enjoying the tea? Subscribe! Tell your friends! Write us a review!
An 'I'm Sexy Productions' Podcast
Theme Song by Sean Wilcox
Cover Art by Dan Pardo
Special Thanks to Andy Roninson
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