Geek Herring

The holiday season is upon us again! And while we don't have a hilarious Hallmark bot script to make you ROFLMAO, we hope you bring you enough laughs to get you through our 4 week break!In this episode, we reminisce about our favourite holiday movies - HELLO RUDOLPH AND FROSTY!, help transform Monika into less of a Grinch (she's actually bought a Christmas tree this year!), and get excited about all the geeky things we hope we'll find under our trees.Really, you'll have to listen to our annual holiday episode to find out what we're up to this season and what goals we're setting for the New Year!BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU??!Tell us what you've got going on for the holidays. Do you have some leet goals for 2020?Drop us your deets in the comments of wherever you see this episode.Remember, we're going on a 4 week break after this episode, but we are coming back with one hell of a bang!!!Happy Holidays and Merry New Year from Geek Herring! Love you all!If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! G

There's a subtle (sometimes) and encouraging movement happening in Hollywood and we are so here for it. From classics getting remade with strong and kick-ass women in the lead to biopics of famous gay men to disability and gender representation... hooo yeah! These changes are making the gentle waves that will lead to some damn diversity for a change!Despite that fact that all the freaking incredible female directors were totally and rudely overlooked at the Golden Globes, we are getting a bit closer to some actual, honest to goodness, recognition and representation on the big screen.Believe it or not, this episode started out as a Geek Girl in the News.... but we were having so much fun chatting about what was new in our lives - and for Amanda who flew 10 hours across the ocean - it was all sorts of movies!HAVE YOU SEEN ALADDIN!??! Okay, so Amanda is like, a year late to this party, but she finally got to enjoy it and holy shit, what a game changer. We geek out about it and what it means for the future of not

Geek Girl in the News looks at the awesome or not so awesome news that will make you go either: "YAY" or "OMG I can't believe that." The latest and greatest geek girl news from November 2019 covers the cancelled prequel to Game of Thrones, the next Star Wars trilogy (yes, trilogy!), Sacha Baron Cohen being an incredible human being, the 14-year-old girl who solved the blind spot problem plaguing drivers, the first leading trans character in a video game, and the game developers focussing on mental health problems in their releases.Are we a little bit gutted that HBO have cancelled Naomi Watts' Game of Thrones prequel that was 3 years in the making? Uh - yeah! They've axed this progressive, super interesting sounding prequel in favour of one about the Targaryens. Sounds like just what the last 8 seasons were about. Snooze fest!Speaking of Game of Thrones - you remember how the showrunners royally f#cked up the last season so they could go work on the next Star Wars trilogy? Well, they've bailed out of that one

Feminists: What Were They Thinking Is a documentary about second wave feminism. It features stories from women involved in the feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s and it definitely evokes emotion about the trials and tribulations women went through (AND ARE STILL GOING THROUGH) around our world.Feminists: What Were They Thinking is available on Netflix worldwide. A photographic project called Emergence by Cynthia McAdam brought together these incredible women and feminists and this documentary sees many of them looking back at their photos and sharing their stories.We highly recommend that you check it out!!Why?Because it's full of inspiration from women who were part of the grassroots movement. Women like Lily Tomlin, Z Budapest, Jane Fonda (BABE), Phyllis Chesler, Judy Chicago, and other incredible feminists. They talked about their experiences during the 60s & 70s and how second wave feminism was the first time women truly took responsibility for themselves.In this review episode, hosts Monika and

eSports history has been made when VKLiooon won the Hearthstone Grandmasters during Blizzcon. Not only was she the first woman to win an international Hearthstone tournament, she was the first woman to win an international eSports tournament ever!So first of all: BIGGEST CONGRATS TO VKLIOOON! You're incredible and a true inspiration. Just check out her speech:“I want to say for all the girls out there who have a dream for esports competition, for glory. If you want to do it and you believe in yourself, you should just forget your gender and go for it. This is the best way to strike back at those people who doubted me only because I am a girl. It proves that girls can be strong pro players, just as guys do.”And we're totally feeling this. All of this. Not only this, VKLiooon said that at one of her first Hearthstone tournaments, a guy told her she didn't belong there and to leave. What bullshit is that even?? VKLiooon has obviously proven herself and shown that women do belong in eSports.As we've talked about

Because hanging out listening to us talk is the best half hour of your week, we've gone free form again! Geek Herring and Chill is just that, time to sit back, relax, and listen to us ramble on. This week, we really do just ramble on about what we've been up to in our lives!Have you read The Mortal Instruments by Cassanda Clare? Amanda's just started them! After listening to her friends obsess about them for years, she's finally got stuck in.. and let's just say she is STUCK. IN.But this actually brings up an interesting topic! So you know in most books, there's a BIG BAD GUY. And that big bad guy is usually, well, A GUY? Voldemort, Valentine, Sauron... you know what we're talking about. Is there a fantasy series with a big bad gal? We can't think of one, so let us know!What we did come up with? Disney villains are more often than not women. Cersei from Game of Thrones is definitely evil, but is she BIG BAD GUY evil? What else did we chill with? Well, you're just gonna have to listen and find out!Oh, PS. Leav

It's been a year since we've spoken with Sil, host of Warcraft podcast Whispers of War, and we're so excited to catch up and see what she's been up to this year!The biggest thing going on for Sil is her growing podcast. She's been having some of the coolest guests on the show who are all geeking out about their Warcraft experiences. And you know what? Everyone playing World of Warcraft has different thoughts and feelings about the game! But there is the overarching theme that they absolutely love it and can't get enough of the MMO.Sil's also working on creating a go-to resource for roleplaying in Warcraft. Amanda's recently started playing on a roleplay server and could definitely use some tips and tricks from a seasons RPer. Roleplaying in an MMO definitely brings a whole different element to the game - it's so much more immersive and, dare we say, fun!?Sil shares some of her experiences as one of the first female Warcraft podcasters, how she's created and grown her super supportive community, and what makes

Geek Girl in the News looks at the awesome or not so awesome news that will make you go either: "YAY" or "OMG I can't believe that." The latest and greatest geek girl news from October 2019 covers Blizzard's reality check from Congress, female directors for Disney+ Star Wars shows, the new Catwoman, Natalie Portman's call for women to fuck up and own their mistakes, Delta's women-led flight to NASA, and the first all-female spacewalk FINALLY happening!After recording and releasing our last episode about everything going on with Blizzard, China, and Blitzchung, it's now come to light that the US Congress - from BOTH sides - got involved, too. 5 politicians wrote Blizzard a, uh, pretty strongly worded letter urging them to reconsider their stance... Next up, we hit the entertainment news and talk about Deborah Chow's lead directorial role with Obi-Wan Kenobi - how cool does this show sound!? And Zoe Kravitz getting cast as the next Catwoman. Then Amanda learns a shocking discovery about Monika's past - make sur

Halloween is all about dressing up as someone or something you're not, having fun, and eating all the candy your belly can hold. Or at least that's what it was like for Amanda, who grew up in North America. Monika, on the other hand, doesn't have the same kind of connection since they don't celebrate in Austria.On this episode of Geek Herring, we're talking about some of Amanda's best costumes over the years. From the one and only year she dressed as a "slutty something" (what? You'll have to listen and find out!) to the amazing group costumes she pulled off at university - armhair and Backstreet Boys. Yes, seriously. (And she 100% made a mistake in recording, they dressed up as Nick, Kevin, Brian, and Howie - it was AJ who was the Phantom!)Halloween movies are the absolute best, though, right? And by Halloween movies, guess we really just mean Hocus Pocus. Best Halloween movie ever. Maybe the only Halloween movie ever!? Okay... there's also Halloweentown - the best!But let's get serious for a minute. Hallowe

Geek Herring discusses a politically hot topic this week, giving an overview and our insights into Hearthstone streamer, Blitzchung's statement during the GrandMasters about the Hong Kong protests. Blizzard had made what seemed like a snap decision to delete the entire VOD of the stream, remove Blitzchung from the GrandMasters, revoke his prize money, and ban both him and the two casters from Blizzard eSports for a year.We're joined by Thom from Three Extra Lives and Jonathan from all sorts of podcasts, two people we love and respect in the Blizzard content creation community. Together, we're taking an objective look at this whole situation - right from the start.  What's actually happening in Hong Kong? What did Blitzchung actually say? Blizzard Entertainment did what!? The community backlash that shook the video game world What Blizzard did to remedy the situation How this relates to cancel culture And lots more! While we do go into what's going on in this situation in brief detail, this episode of Geek Her

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEEK HERRING!Can you even believe that we've been at this for a whole year? It's pretty crazy to think that we're here. And not only are we here, we're going from strength to strength, learning and growing every single day. So many awesome things have come out of this podcast in the last year and there's so much to come. What's coming!? So first of all - THANK YOU - to every single person who has ever downloaded an episode of Geek Herring. To everyone who follows and chats with us on social media and Discord. And to everyone who's ever supported us in any other capacity. You all make this the best thing for us to do, ever, and we love you so much! Literally wouldn't be here without you <3 <3 YOU ROCK!We're really excited about how much we've accomplished with Geek Herring in the last year. We've tackled some really hard subjects (looking at you, Rape Day!), cried on the mic (hello, Robin Hobb!), and geeked out hard. Plus we've interviewed the RADDEST GUESTS EVER!Now we're saying hello to

Geek Girl in the News looks at the awesome or not so awesome news that will make you go either: "YAY" or "OMG I can't believe that." The latest and greatest geek girl news from September 2019 covers Kristen Stewart's sexuality, Scarlett Johansson's unfeminist takes, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp (again), Siri's stance on feminism, and the awesome new game, Ms Monopoly!September brought us a LOT of geek girl news. While we're bringing up a former couple we've spoken about a few times, there's been some new developments in the Amber Heard/Johnny Depp saga. What do you think about it?We also think it's totally rude to tell sassy bisexual actor Kristen Stewart to tone down her sexuality - let your bi flag fly high, Kristen! Your fans are out here supporting you. Whoever told you that shouldn't be working in PR. But let's not skip over Scarlett Johansson's latest hot takes - no thank you! Where's YOUR PR support? Because they should tell you to sit down!Let's celebrate the new game from Hasbro, Ms Monopoly, that cel

Rising up the ladder, hitting Legend, topping the Badass Women of Hearthstone league, and competing weekly in the Hearthstone GrandMasters is a journey, but not one without an emotional rollercoaster. We're joined by Pathra Cadness who's sharing her experience as a professional eSports athlete, currently competing at the GrandMasters!Pathra is a Thai/Kiwi Hearthstone player who started streaming on Twitch back in 2015. She quickly climbed the ladder and started making a name for herself on the Hearthstone scene. When a friend convinced her to start competing with the Badass Women of Hearthstone, she soon started topping their leagues. Of course, Blizzard noticed, and now she's a regular feature in the Hearthstone GrandMasters, a weekly tournament run a couple times a year.Now that Pathra has moved to Atlanta, Georgia, this competition has ramped up on another level. Because she still competes in the Asia-Pacific tournament, Pathra is waking up and competing sometimes at 4 in the morning - crazy or what!! Imag

Disney+ is coming and we couldn't be more excited! What the heck is better than all that Marvel goodness, every Disney movie ever, The Simpsons, and more!?? Nothing, that's what!Even though it might feel like Disney is taking over the world, who are we to argue? With so many incredible shows, films, and parks, not to mention the awesome merchandise out there in the world, it would just be fighting a losing battle to fight it. So we're not. Long live Disney!Here's what you need to know: It's an online streaming service similar to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and all those awesome things. Naturally, Disney had to get on board the streaming services! It'll be released in 5 countries in November, 2019. Sadly, The UK and Europe (minus The Netherlands) are not included in those countries.

Geek feminism is about issues that affect women across geek culture... and sometimes, those issues also affect the awesome geeky dudes in our community. Today, we're talking with Seage, an artist whose art styles mainly around drawing beautiful women in fantasy settings. Seage shares what it's like for him to be an artist online. Some of his experiences may surprise you, especially the disappointment some of his followers feel and tell him about when they find out that Seage is actually a dude. He also gives us some insight into what his thought process was when considering drawing erotic art and why, ultimately, he decided not to pursue this.We also talk about Seage's other passion: Electric Unicycle riding. Yes, really! Seage has recently started using one of these crazy awesome contraptions to get around the busy city of Toronto. He's also joined a local EU club so they can go on day trips together. Seage is passionate about getting more representation into this community and is actively encouraging women

Geek Girl in the News looks at the awesome or not so awesome news that will make you go either: "YAY" or "OMG I can't believe that." The latest and greatest geek girl news from August 2019 covers breastfeeding on Twitch, the newest female Hearthstone pros, banned commercials promoting gender stereotypes, inspirational women in TV STEM careers, teaching girls to code, and some awesome pop culture news!We get a bit heated over some of these articles today. Like, why is breastfeeding one of the most natural things in the world, not sexual, legal to do in public in most of the world, and totally okay on social platforms such as Instagram... yet it's sparking debate on Twitch? We mean, if a woman can get bits for eating a burger on stream, why can't another woman feed her hungry child? It doesn't make sense!And have you seen the recently banned from UK TV adverts? Both Volkswagen and Philadelphia (yes, the creators of the infamous chocolate cream cheese) have had their latest tv ads banned by the Advertising Stand

A recent post by a well known business coach sparked some outrage about what it means to be a woman. According to her, anything less than high heels, sexy lingerie, and cooking naked in the kitchen for your man is not feminine enough. We TOTALLY disagree! Femininity comes in many different shapes and forms, and what's right for one person might not feel right for the next.As self-identified geek girls, or geeky women, we don't necessarily like to dress up and wear heels. But does that make us any less feminine? NO! Being a womxn means whatever you want it to mean. You don't need to be all pink, frills, and lingerie if you don't want to. You can be sneakers, t-shirts, and jeans if that's what you want. The most important thing is that you are COMFORTABLE and HAPPY with what you do! Don't try to fit into a box just because some coach says you should.It's like when we had our episode about The Mask You Live In where we talked about toxic masculinity in America. Feminine and masculine qualities fall on a spectrum

Running two successful Blizzard positive podcasts, building a super supportive community, and working in gaming, all while dealing with anxiety and depression can definitely be hard! But our guest today, the incredible Thyst of Lagging Balls, makes it all look easy and completely natural.Thyst says that the best thing about everything she's doing is the community her and Laggin Balls co-host, Thorn, have built. They have an extremely active Discord channel where members of their community can share everything from memes and nudes to Blizzard game chatter to asking for help and support. It was really important to Thyst to have the kind of community that builds each other up.Thyst shares why she started podcasting and how she's built it from the ground up while dealing with some mental health issues and depression. In fact, World of Warcraft and podcasting is what helped bring her out of her depression -- who says gaming is bad for you! You can say that Thyst has definitely found her spark, which is a GOOD THIN

Because hanging out listening to us talk is the best half hour of your week, we've gone free form again! Geek Herring and Chill is just that, time to sit back, relax, and listen to us ramble on. This week, it's all the geeky gaming we've gotten into over the past week... and trust us, it's a lot! In this episode, we talk about what geeky things we've been up to lately! Amanda gets all excited about her big tech purchase, shares what games she's been obsessed with, and geeks out about Warcraft. Monika was finally able to join in on a Dragon Powered Studio games night! You can join our Discord and come to the next one! They're every 2 weeks on a Saturday right now

Stranger Things has been giving us all a good dose of 80s nostalgia that we, obviously, desperately crave. Following a group of badass teens while they work to stop the grossest monster from taking over Hawkins is the most fun we've had with TV in a long time. But it's not just the plot that has us hooked this season.We've kept this episode SPOILER FREE! No huge plot points have been spoiledStranger Things 3 is all about friendships. Okay, friends fighting against the Mindflayer, but really, it's friendships. Today, we're talking about what friendships were our favourites, what ones fell flat for us, and why! But not only were these friendships out of this world, can we talk about how incredible every. single. female character was? Amanda makes a great point about how without the Stranger Things 3 gals, the guys were totally screwed. Badass women? Check. Mate.And what about little nerdy Erica? This season of Stranger Things gave us PERMISSION TO NERD. In the first two seasons, it was the guys and their Dungeo