#9 - Joey Potter Against the System: the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Protest Episode

Leftist Teen Drama

In the season 2 premiere, we take it all the way back to the year 2000 to discuss iconic teen drama DAWSON’S CREEK (1998-2003), as Maria and her guest Emma dive into the time that Joey Potter briefly led a student protest movement in Capeside. When a horde of racist white parents attempt to get the new Black principal fired, Joey leads the students in coming to Principal Green’s defense through a series of direct actions that involve 2000s-era flyers, a speak-out, and a picket outside the superintendent’s office. Maria and Emma also talk about how the angry white mob parallels the anti-CRT/anti-mask/anti-vax panics of today, and call on any millennial leftist parents to get involved on their local school boards!

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with DAWSON’S CREEK 3x15 “Crime and Punishment” and 3x16 “To Green, With Love,” streaming on Netflix and HBO Max.

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. In addition to Leftist Teen Drama, Maria hosts Bodysuits For Bughead: A Riverdale Podcast | tumblr: @bodysuitsforbughead twitter: @B4B_Podcast instagram: @bodysuits4bughead

EMMA ROSE (she/her; recurring guest) watches a lot—and she means a lot—of reality tv, with the occasional teen drama or murder mystery or sci-fi thriller thrown in for good measure. When she's not watching said television, you can find her listening to podcasts and diving into internet content about said television. Sometimes she posts on instagram @emmaaaaaroseeeee (5 a's and 5 e's)

CHARLES O’LEARY (they/them; art) is, of course, a Brooklyn-based designer, artist, and dilettante. A survivor of the 2012-2016 Tumblr wars, media criticism is all they know. You can find their work at charles-oleary.com, and their silly little life on Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

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:

• The peak early 2000s flyer design for the Dawson’s Creek protest
• Politico, September 8, 2021, Critical race theory turning school boards into GOP proving grounds by Daniel Payne
• NBC Boston, October 18, 2021, Catholic School Football Team on Cape Cod Allegedly Used Racist Language in Game by Kaitlin McKinley Becker
• NBC Boston, November 13, 2021, New Calls for Investigation Into Racist, Sexual Hazing Allegations at Danvers High
• CNN, November 13, 2021, Massachusetts high school students hold walkout to protest racist video by a White classmate by Sahar Akbarzai
• The Washington Post, November 16, 2021, Opinion: Progressives can no longer cede school boards to the GOP. They should treat them as political arenas to fight — and win. by Katherine vanden Heuvel

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SUGGESTED FURTHER READING/LISTENING:

• School Colors podcast
• Jacobin, June 12, 2021, Conservative Opponents of Critical Race Theory Are Pushing Their Own Propaganda by Robert Greene II
• Jacobin, March 3, 2022, The Republican Party Is Waging a War Against Personal Freedom and Free Expression by Luke Savage