EP85. HeathSMITH & WAUGHthering Heights Talk About Emily Brontë, Emerald Fennell & Satire

The episode our listeners demanded.

This March, Jo and Adam turn to the film everyone is arguing about: Wuthering Heights. From casting discourse to meme culture, the adaptation has generated an extraordinary wave of online reaction... and a surprising amount of satire.

Drawing on Jo’s expertise as a Brontë scholar (author of Charlotte Brontë and Contagion: Myths, Memes and the Politics of Infection and contributor to The Edinburgh Companion to the Brontës and the Arts), we unpack the film, the backlash, and the strange ecosystem of jokes, parodies, and hot takes that now surrounds it.

Along the way Jo gives her scholarly verdict on Emerald Fennell’s controversial adaptation, while Adam explains his growing concern about Jacob Elordi and the effect he may be having on a new generation’s understanding of classic literature.

We also dive into the satirical response to the film itself: what works, what feels justified, what misses the point, and what is simply very funny.

Because when the internet encounters Wuthering Heights, the result is apparently… satire.