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Abby, Patrick, and Dan are joined by writer, academic, and cruciverbalist Anna Shechtman (author of the recent book The Riddles of The Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminist History of the Crossword Puzzle) to unpack the dense knots of overdetermination and fantasy that make up the recent rom-com "The Idea of You" (2024). It's a world where Anne Hathaway is a 40-year old divorced mom in mid-life crisis, Nicholas Galitzine is a 24-year heartthrob boy band pop star, and their meet-cute sets off sparks and a whirlwind romance. But if desire truly is the desire of the Other, what happens when the desire of the mother extends to a member of her daughter's favorite boy band?  Is there too much incest in this film, or not enough? Plus: rom-com typologies, symptoms that can't be enjoyed, and more.

Plus: If you want more Anna on OU, please check out last week’s episode, in which Abby and Patrick interview her about crosswords, French feminism, and the sexual politics of wordplay!

Have you noticed that Freud is back? Got questions about psychoanalysis? Or maybe you’ve traversed the fantasy and lived to tell the tale? Leave us a voicemail! 484 775-0107
 
 A podcast about psychoanalysis, politics, pop culture, and the ways we suffer now. New episodes on Saturdays. Follow us on social media:
 
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Formal Chicken - Gnossienne No. 1
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