Big Egg Podcasting Universe: Episode 1 Show Notes
Welcome! The first episode of Big Egg Podcasting Universe, where I tag along with George and David from the Puro Pourri Podcast, is out now.
Our deep dive into the 10-hour, 24-match, interpromotional wrestling extravaganza starts with a potted history of Japanese women’s wrestling (joshi) and how we got to the ludicrous spectacle of November 1994.
I’ll be posting show notes on this site for every episode with links to where you can watch the show and how you can surpass us in your joshi knowledge with juicy extra reading. We all love homework.
Where to Watch
We watched Big Egg Wrestling Universe in two parts on Youtube. Fortunately for you, some utter hero has uploaded the entire show in one. Watch on Youtube
Reading Material
Sisterhood of the Squared Circle, Pat Laprade and Dan Murphy
The section on Japan is too short, but a really useful primer. I couldn’t have done Episode 1 without it.
Months after we recorded this episode I came across a really interesting thread on Twitter about the nascent women’s wrestling scene in Japan before the first Mildred Burke tour:
‘Women have always been wrestling fans’, in Women Love Wrestling
Alright, I’m citing myself, but here I went into a bit more detail about the phenomenon of young female wrestling fans driving the growth of the industry in the 1980s. You should read the rest of this book too.
Swap Some Links
I’m going to set up a Google Doc where everyone can share some of the most interesting and important sources on joshi – whether it’s where to find video, links to books and articles you rate, or even the Twitter feeds of joshi wrestlers.
Send your suggestions with this Google Form
Plugs
Women Love Wrestling
An anthology of wrestling writing by and about women; all profits go to Women’s Aid in the UK and RAINN in the US. Get from Amazon
The Rise and Fall of Rikidozan: A Novel in Seventeen Matches
George’s debut novel, telling the story of a young man working for Rikidozan in the shady world of 1950s and 60s puro. Get from Amazon
Draw, Lose or Draw
David’s podcast about life as a Partick Thistle fan, its joys and, more commonly, its miseries. Listen on Soundcloud
13 Japanese Birds
David’s madcap ‘music’ project mentioned in the episode with tracks named after joshi icons.
