Our holiday coverage continues with an ITM personal favorite, and not just because she bore a resemblance to the boy as a young child. The Snowman is a beautifully animated special that tugs at all the right heartstrings. Ian unpacks her relationship to the special and its themes.

Note: Ian spends the first five minutes talking about EI’s 200th episode milestone. Listeners looking just for Snowman are recommended to skip the first few minutes. Happy holidays everyone! 

We are back in the Rankin/Bass cinematic universe! Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July is in many ways a prototype to the Avengers-style team-up modern audiences are used to, a convergence of beloved heroes such as Rudolph, Frosty, Big Ben, Jack Frost, and Mickey Rooney’s Santa. It is also a terrible movie, the only feature-length Christmas release in the Rankin/Bass catalogue.

ITM’s sister Barbara returns to the show to unpack this trainwreck. Where are Milton’s laughs? What’s up with the Caves of Lost Rejections? Find out as we take one of our last adventures into this bizarre world.

It’s time for holiday coverage! ITM takes a look at the 1947 classic Miracle on 34th Street and its 1994 remake. While the remake boasts an impressive cast, it’s hard to top the magic of the original. ITM examines the peculiarities of the beloved film, particularly its preoccupation with ethical consumption under capitalism and the trial that soaks up much of the narrative.

It’s that time again! ITM makes her appeal for you to fill out a ballot. The stakes are too high, something we’re used to hearing, but the threat of another four years of Trump is simply unfathomable for our country. Too many people’s rights are on the line. The Senate map is very tough for Democrats, and every vote counts.

Please take a moment to check your voter registration status, and be sure to make plans to vote in this election. Thank you.

ITM has a bunch of updates, including a lip implant removal procedure that kept her away from the microphone during Pride Month. It’s been a stressful time for many LGBTQ people. Ian shares her own struggles with stress, and talks about her new relationship. It’s a weird time to be LGBTQ in the world. It’s okay to not be okay 100% of the time (or any of the time). Be good to yourselves, fam.

Ian has a lot of feelings about The Phantom Menace on its 25th birthday. She already wrote an article about the film a few years ago, so naturally her only recourse was to make a podcast film about it. Why do we care about a children’s movie that somehow straddles the line mediocre and underrated? I guess you’ll have to listen to find out! 

Ian’s old article on The Phantom Menace (rescued from the Wayback Machine): https://web.archive.org/web/20200408092924/https://fansided.com/2019/12/16/star-wars-phantom-menace-best-prequel/

Five year Estradiol Illusions anniversary! Ian talks about what she’s been up to this year, mostly writing and trying to get over yet another breakup. Life is a tricky game. Best to keep a stiff upper lip and get on with things.

Thank you to everyone who’s listened to the show over the past half-decade! We don’t do as many new episodes as we used to, but it’s always fun to catch up. 

Ian is far more active on her two preferred platforms, Facebook and Threads

ITM just celebrated a three-month anniversary of her new relationship. She’s really excited to be in love again. So excited, in fact, that she recorded a whole episode on how her emotions represent the culmination of her whole transgender journey, even years removed from the end of her medical transition. For all the nonsense the world throws at trans people, there’s a lot of joy out there too. 

Did The Little Drummer Boy need a sequel? Absolutely not. Is Book II worth watching? Ian unpacks the short film’s surprisingly strong anti-capitalist message. For a special that’s running on fumes, Aaron’s second act is one of the better lesser-tier Rankin/Bass specials. 

EI’s coverage of the original Little Drummer Boy: https://ianthomasmalone.podbean.com/e/the-little-drummer-boy-1639166205/

EI’s full holiday slate: https://ianthomasmalone.com/2023/12/holiday-podcast-rankin-bass-muppets/