Leftist Teen Drama

Live from The People’s Forum in New York City, it’s Leftist Teen Drama’s first-ever live episode in honor of the podcast’s five-year anniversary! This is an audio version of the episode that was livestreamed on YouTube on August 21, 2026, with an opening comedy set by Mick Gilbert followed by the main segment with Maria featuring Kelly Diaz and Kelly Gilbert. We reflect on the first five years of the podcast and discuss the importance of showing teen characters engaged in successful social movements by analyzing “win” moments from three different teen dramas we’ve analyzed in-depth on the pod – ONE TREE HILL (2003-2012), FELICITY (1998-2002), and SWITCHED AT BIRTH (2011-2017). We also play a diabolical game Maria devised called Name That Teen Drama!, complete with buzzers for the two Kellys. If you want to watch the video version, we highly recommend you check out the replay on our YouTube channel. (Especially for the game toward the end of the ep, because it’s partially visual!)

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky, threads, youtube, serializd: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, organizing with Italians Against Fascism and in her tenant association, and reading and writing a mix of literary and romance fiction and political nonfiction. Maria’s writing will appear in the book “So Long, Dental Plan” Unions, Labor Relations and Class Struggle…As Seen On TV, forthcoming from SUNY Press in April 2027. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, Bluesky/Letterboxd @mariadip, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

KELLY DIAZ (she/her; recurring guest) is a Research Program Manager at Yale University studying disability & chronic illness justice, access, and inclusion. She is also an adjunct instructor of Media Studies at the City College of New York (CCNY). She has a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania where she wrote her dissertation on depictions of youth activism on television. She loves to analyze and discuss the intersection of pop culture and politics and is passionate about the role entertainment plays in social justice movements. She has a dog, Matilda "Tillie," who is named after the magical, brilliant, and justice-serving character!  

KELLY GILBERT (she/her; recurring guest) is a student (phd in Twilight), sometimes activist, teen drama aficionado in Brooklyn! Find her IRL every night drinking her sorrows away at Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffet Experience!

MICK GILBERT (they/them; recurring guest) is a comic based between Upstate NY and Brooklyn, and Kelly’s identical twin! They love Degrassi: The Next Generation and turn to it for wisdom on how to be the best 32 year old Canadian teen they can be. (@mommysack11 on social media)

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

Logo art by Maddy Wiryo

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

• “So Long, Dental Plan” Unions, Labor Relations and Class Struggle…As Seen On TV, forthcoming from SUNY Press in April 2027. Follow on Bluesky!
• Download our "Take Action with Leftist Teen Drama" Brochure!

In our fourth Special Episode of Leftist Teen Drama featuring a writer talking about her related body of work, Maria introduces Anjali Madgula (pronounced uhnjuhlee mudguhla), who recently completed her Master’s thesis at Rutgers University-Newark entitled, “Organizing In Popular Culture: Teen Drama Television and Jane McAlevey.” (Maria—and Leftist Teen Drama—were featured in the Master’s thesis!) Maria and Anjali delve into the project, breaking down the various teen drama tropes that Anjali analyzed and problematized, as well as the narrative framework she devised, translating Jane McAlevey’s organizing framework in order to effectively depict organizing plotlines on teen drama television. Anjali will be back in Leftist Teen Drama Season 6 to discuss the largest case study from her thesis – an OUTER BANKS (2020-2026) Season 4 organizing plotline – so you don’t want to miss this introduction to Anjali’s research and our newest recurring guest slash member of the super unofficial Political Teen Drama Caucus. 

YOU ARE INVITED TO CELEBRATE FIVE YEARS OF LEFTIST TEEN DRAMA! Join us at  The People’s Forum in NYC on Friday, August 21, 2026 at 6 PM for our first-ever live recording featuring Maria alongside Kelly Diaz and Kelly Gilbert, with opening comedy by Mick Gilbert. Get your free ticket on Eventbrite here to secure your free union-made Leftist Teen Drama logo sticker! Outside the tristate area? Livestream the event on YouTube!

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky, threads, youtube, serializd: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, organizing with Italians Against Fascism and in her tenant association, and reading and writing a mix of literary and romance fiction and political nonfiction. Maria’s writing will appear in the book “So Long, Dental Plan” Unions, Labor Relations and Class Struggle…As Seen On TV, forthcoming from SUNY Press in April 2027. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, Bluesky/Letterboxd @mariadip, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

ANJALI MADGULA (she/her; recurring guest) is a New Jersey based organizer and writer who recently graduated from Rutgers-Newark with an MA in American Studies. Her research focuses on how organizing is represented in popular culture and how popular culture genre and tropes might relate to telling stories about organizing. Her latest research focuses on teen drama television while drawing inspiration from labor organizer Jane McAlevey’s No Shortcuts. Follow Anjali on Twitter @anjpiscesmoon or instagram @netipotfirefly or email her at anjalim3123@gmail.com. 

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

Logo art by Maddy Wiryo

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

• SPECIAL EP: Leftist Teen Drama In Conversation with Kelly Diaz
• No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age by Jane McAlevey
• Raising Expectations (and Raising Hell): My Decade Fighting for the Labor Movement by Jane McAlevey
• The Promise of Happiness by Sara Ahmed
• Time Passages: Collective Memory and American Popular Culture by George Lipsitz
• Teen TV by Stefania Marghitu

YOU ARE INVITED TO CELEBRATE FIVE YEARS OF LEFTIST TEEN DRAMA! Join us at The People’s Forum in New York City on Friday, August 21, 2026 at 6 PM for our first-ever live recording featuring Maria alongside Kelly Diaz and Kelly Gilbert, with opening comedy by Mick Gilbert. Get your free ticket on Eventbrite here to secure your free union-made Leftist Teen Drama logo sticker! Outside the tristate area? Livestream the event on YouTube!

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky, threads, youtube: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, organizing with Italians Against Fascism and in her tenant association, and reading and writing a mix of literary and romance fiction and political nonfiction. Maria’s writing will appear in the book “So Long, Dental Plan” Unions, Labor Relations and Class Struggle…As Seen On TV, forthcoming from SUNY Press in April 2027. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, Bluesky/Letterboxd @mariadip, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

Logo art by Maddy Wiryo

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

 

Welcome back to our series of special episodes covering political moments in teen movies! Maria is once again joined by twins and self-professed “camp freaks” Kelly and Mick Gilbert as we return to the CAMP ROCK universe to discuss CAMP ROCK 2: THE FINAL JAM (2010). It’s all about the poor kid camp vs. the rich kid camp in a televised musical battle pitting Camp Rock against the newer and fancier Camp Star. We break down all the class conflict and the movie’s heavy-handed critiques of the music industry, which don’t fully land when they’re being professed by the Disney Corporation. 

TW for discussion of Demi Lovato’s real-life eating disorder, drug addiction, sexual assault, and reported bad working conditions on the set of Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. 

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with both CAMP ROCK films, but especially CAMP ROCK 2: THE FINAL JAM, streaming on Hulu.

YOU ARE INVITED TO CELEBRATE FIVE YEARS OF LEFTIST TEEN DRAMA! Join us at The People’s Forum in NYC on Friday, August 21, 2026 at 6 PM for our first-ever live recording featuring Maria alongside Kelly Diaz and Kelly Gilbert, with opening comedy by Mick Gilbert. Get your free ticket on Eventbrite here to secure your free union-made Leftist Teen Drama logo sticker! (We’ll also be livestreaming the event for out of towners; check out our social media for updates on how to access.)

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

KELLY GILBERT (she/her; recurring guest) is a student (phd in Twilight), sometimes activist, teen drama aficionado in Brooklyn! Find her IRL every night drinking her sorrows away at Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffet Experience!

MICK GILBERT (they/them; recurring guest) is a comic based between Upstate NY and Brooklyn, and Kelly’s identical twin! They love Degrassi: The Next Generation and turn to it for wisdom on how to be the best 32 year old Canadian teen they can be. 

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Richmond, VA by way of Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

Welcome to an emergency special episode of Leftist Teen Drama in which Maria pays tribute to teen drama icon James Van Der Beek, who sadly passed away at the age of 48 on February 11, 2026 after a battle with colorectal cancer. Thanks to Kelly Gilbert for submitting a reflection! Maria reflects on his iconic roles, including on shows we’ve covered – his legendary run on DAWSON’S CREEK (1998-2003) and guest-starring roles on ONE TREE HILL (2003-2012) and OVERCOMPENSATING (2025-present). We also mourn the fact that James spent the last years of his life selling off memorabilia and fundraising to be able to afford his cancer treatments. May this be a call to continue fighting for our vision of a collective future where every person has access to universal healthcare. Leftist Teen Drama is sending all our love and solidarity to James’ friends and family and all that knew him.

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

“Leftist Teen Drama” alternative logo by Charles O’Leary

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

• Leftist Teen Drama: SPECIAL EP: Leftist Teen Drama In Conversation with Thea Glassman
• Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television by Thea Glassman
• Vanity Fair, January 19, 2018, Inside the Thrilling, Chaotic Writers’ Room of Dawson’s Creek by Thea Glassman
• Leftist Teen Drama: #9 - Joey Potter Against the System: the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Protest Episode
• Leftist Teen Drama: #39 - Benny Scanlon’s Millennial Queer College Journey On 'Overcompensating' (So Far)
• Previously On with Jillian Bonanne: Dawson's Creek Reunion Recap + Pilot Episode Reaction (Tyler's First Time Watch)
• Los Angeles Times, February 11, 2026, Appreciation: On ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ James Van Der Beek taught millennials how to cry by Ashley Spencer
• The New York Times, February 11, 2026, James Van Der Beek, Teenage Heartthrob of ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ Dies at 48 by Anita Gates
• Melissa Joan Hart remembrance on Instagram
• Steven Canals remembrance on Instagram
• Dominique Jackson remembrance
• Hailie Sahar remembrance
• Eric Andre remembrance
• Katie Holmes remembrance
• Busy Phillips remembrance
• Universal healthcare tweets and James Van Der Beek's death, part 1
• Universal healthcare tweets and James Van Der Beek's death, part 2
• Donate to the PCRF

Welcome back to our series of special episodes covering political moments in teen movies! To close out 2025, Maria is joined by Mo and Christina, the co-hosts of the Movies That Raised Us podcast, to dive into the American Girl cinematic universe via SAMANTHA: AN AMERICAN GIRL HOLIDAY (2004) starring a young AnnaSophia Robb. This deeply political story traces 1904, an unforgettable year in Samantha Parkington’s life, exploring class difference, child labor, women’s suffrage, and workers’ rights. Samantha goes on quite the journey, from plotting to jail break her friends from an orphanage to witnessing the harrowing factory injury scene that stuck with Mo as a child. In true American Girl fashion, Samantha ultimately gives an unsanctioned speech about factory working conditions at a school event, learning that sometimes you have to break the rules to fight for justice. Plus: we discuss Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia as THEE hottie brownstone socialist power couple, Mia Farrow gagging us as Grandmary, and how Samantha’s fits remain undefeated. 

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with SAMANTHA: AN AMERICAN GIRL HOLIDAY, rentable on YouTube and Apple TV.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

MO CRUZ (she/her; guest) and CHRISTINA SCHMIDT (she/her; guest) are co-hosts of Movies That Raised Us, a weekly film review podcast. Once Upon A Time (aka freshman year of college), Mo and Christina met in the big apple. While neither became Princess of Genovia or found their long lost twin sister, they did bond over the movies that put those ideas in their heads. If you long for the days of talking through movies with your best friends, analyzing every juicy detail, and making whatever film you just watched your entire personality- look no further. Sit back and relax, as Mo and Christina cover formative movies, flip phones, and growing up on Movies That Raised Us. Listen to the pod anywhere you get your podcasts, plus find MTRU on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter.

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

• December 13, 2023, Collider, 'American Girl' Movie In Development From Mattel, Paramount by Rob London
• September 24, 2025, Retail Dive, The American Girl doll of the year is Samantha’s great, great granddaughter. By Kaarin Moore
• October 29, 2025, Michael Lange, How Zohran Can Reach 50% (includes discussion of the “Commie Corridor.”)
• November 3, 2025, Michael Lange, Predicting Every Block of the 2025 NYC Mayoral Election

In the Leftist Teen Drama Season 5 finale, Maria is joined by twins Kelly Gilbert and Mick Gilbert to contrast the experiences of Catholic teenage girls coming of age in Belfast and Derry during The Troubles on SAY NOTHING (2024) and DERRY GIRLS (2018-2022). For one set of teen girl characters – Marian and Dolours Price – the Cause and the war are all consuming, inseparable from their experience of girlhood. But for teen characters in the DERRY GIRLS universe – Clare Devlin, Erin Quinn, Orla McCool, and Michelle Mallon [and honorarily James Maguire] – the Troubles are simply the political backdrop of their girlhoods, with much more teenage problems often taking a front seat instead. Still, thorough lines run through the stories: a deep hatred for British colonialism; common socioeconomic conditions and the Catholic working class solidarity that comes with it; and, overall, a love for Ireland. We discuss all the political complexities explored on the two shows, ending with a lot more questions than answers.  

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with DERRY GIRLS Seasons 1-3, streaming on Netflix, and SAY NOTHING Season 1, streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

KELLY GILBERT (she/her; recurring guest) is a student (phd in Twilight), sometimes activist, teen drama aficionado in Brooklyn! Find her IRL every night drinking her sorrows away at Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffet Experience!

MICK GILBERT (they/them; recurring guest) is a comic based between Upstate NY and Brooklyn, and Kelly’s identical twin! They love Degrassi: The Next Generation and turn to it for wisdom on how to be the best 32 year old Canadian teen they can be. 

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

• Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
• March 4, 2019, Prospect Magazine, In Derry Girls and Milkman, teenage girls dance through the Troubles by Caroline Magennis
• May 2, 2019, Counterpunch, An American Reporter in Belfast: How a New Yorker Writer Got So Much Wrong in His Bestselling Book On The Troubles by Ed Moloney
• June 10, 2025, Los Angeles Times, ‘Say Nothing’ courted a global audience. In Ireland, it sparked a heated debate by Lesley O’Toole
• July 29, 2025, Hollywood Reporter, Disney Sued for Defamation Over FX Series ‘Say Nothing’ by Katie Kilkenny
• December 9, 2025, The Guardian, Britain’s ‘golden egg’: how IRA agent Freddie Scappaticci was protected to the end by Daniel Boffey 

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING/LISTENING:

• One Man's Terrorist: A Political History of the IRA by Daniel Finn
• The podcast Mick listened to beforehand: Redhanded, Episode 224 - The Guildford Four & The Maguire Seven

In the penultimate episode of Leftist Teen Drama Season 5, Maria is joined by fellow union comms girlie Diana Hussein to dive into the SAVED BY THE BELL (1989-1993) Teachers’ Strike episode. As the first of multiple Leftist Teen Drama episodes on this quintessential ‘90s teen show, we dive into this short-lived plotline in which Zack and Slater manipulate Principal Belding and union president Mr. Tuttle to ensure Bayside teachers go on strike so Zack and Slater can get out of school. Despite the shaky motives, the teachers do end the strike with a better contract than they started with, making this probably the weirdest strike episode we’ve discussed so far. 

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with SAVED BY THE BELL but especially the “Teachers Strike” episode, streaming on Tubi.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

DIANA HUSSEIN (she/her; recurring guest) has done Communications in the labor movement for nearly a decade. As a kid, Diana collected 1980s teen romance novels at garage sales and flea markets with her mom. This obsession later translated into a love for TV shows of that genre. From the days of My So-Called Life and Daria, to The O.C. and Gossip Girl, she still holds a passion for young adult storylines today — especially when they feature working-class narratives.

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

Maria is joined by Dondré Taylor-Stewart for Leftist Teen Drama’s first episode covering A DIFFERENT WORLD (1987-1993) – but it certainly won’t be our last. Once Debbie Allen took the helm in Season 2, she mde HBCU politics a cornerstone of the show, dealing with issues ranging from colorism and racism to HIV and date rape. We focus on Season 2’s “Radio Free Hillman,” a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day dedication episode in which Hillman College students stage a sit-in at a campus admin building after Dwayne Wayne’s radio show is abruptly pulled off the air. We talk about Freddie Brooks as a more natural protest leader than Dwayne; the short-lived movement’s demands, tactics, and strategy, or lack thereof; and the valuable lesson learned by Dwayne when he ultimately realizes that he jumped the gun in playing new, unreleased music without first listening to its contents. 

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with A DIFFERENT WORLD, but especially Season 2, Episode 10, “Radio Free Hillman,” streaming on Netflix. 

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

DONDRÉ TAYLOR-STEWART (he/him; recurring guest) is a Jersey-born, Jamaican-raised TV writer in Los Angeles. His writing focuses on Black and queer characters finding themselves amid society's margins. By day, he works in environmental public policy; by night, he's busy crafting original pilots and DJ-ing. 

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

October 26, 2020, Essence, Young, Gifted And Black: The Impact Of 'A Different World' 30 Years Later by Jessica Littles

**SPOILERS INSIDE** DO NOT LISTEN BEFORE YOU FINISH SEASON 1.

At first glance, WE WERE LIARS (2025-present) might seem like any other rich kid teen drama, but this show goes much deeper with its anticapitalist and anticolonial messages than most. Maria and Kelly Diaz break down the entire first season as the Liars – Cadence Sinclair, Gat Patil, Johnny Sinclair, and Mirren Sinclair – begin to shift their perspectives on the private island where they spend their summers, and the high-profile capitalist patriarch Harris Sinclair who rules over it all.

For this episode, we STRONGLY recommend you first watch the entirety of WE WERE LIARS Season 1, streaming on Prime Video, and/or have read the entirety of the book We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. 

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

KELLY DIAZ (she/her; recurring guest) is a Research Program Manager at Yale University studying disability & chronic illness justice, access, and inclusion. She is also an adjunct instructor of Media Studies at the City College of New York (CCNY). She has a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania where she wrote her dissertation on depictions of youth activism on television. She loves to analyze and discuss the intersection of pop culture and politics and is passionate about the role entertainment plays in social justice movements. She has a dog, Matilda "Tillie," who is named after the magical, brilliant, and justice-serving character!  

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

September 17, 2025, Elle, We Were Liars Season 2: Everything We Know by Aimée Lutkin and Lauren Puckett-Pop