More popular than ever, horror is big box office business. We love to watch it, we love to hate it, and, above all, we love to talk about it. That’s why there’s no better podcast to listen to right now than Monstrous Flesh - the fortnightly chat that breaks down monstresses on screen. Hosted by film buff Clelia McElroy and folklore expert Megan Kenny, it’s an accessible listen for die-hard horror fans and newbies alike - you simply watch the films and listen along. We catch up with the two co-hosts about how the podcast came into being, collaborating with the local horror community, and learning from your audience…
Jennifer's Body, The Craft, Ginger Snaps: The horror genre is packed with female monsters. And, if you’re a film fan in Nottingham, then you’ve most likely come across Clelia McElroy - the workshop facilitator analysing the intersection between horror and feminism. But did you know that Clelia now has a podcast with co-host Megan Kenny? Named Monstrous Flesh, after the horror film course of the same name, it’s available to listen to now.
A big fan of Clelia’s contribution to the local scene, I met her in a coffee shop - alongside Megan - to chat about their most recent venture, “a continuation of the film course”, as she explains. Expanding to a podcast was something that she’d flirted with before, but it wasn’t until she met Megan that she had the confidence to take the leap. “We met when I did Clelia’s film course,” Megan adds. “I really wanted to get involved with Monstrous Flesh, so I suggested we could make a podcast, and it grew from there.”
Now streaming fortnightly, series one is set to have eight episodes all centred around the theme of female monsters, with each episode diving into a different film. A previous attendee of the Monstrous Flesh film course myself, I’m eager to know whether the format of the podcast will be similar. Yet, while Clelia explains there is some crossover, her hope is for the podcast to branch out even further than the course in terms of diversity and breadth.
I was quite conscious that I was coming from this topic from a white western perspective, so I really wanted to include different perspectives from around the world
Having Megan on board for this project definitely helps, Clelia explains. A folklorist and parapsychologist, Megan has a strong body of research when it comes to horror culture internationally, which is why Clelia feels so confident expanding. “Even while running the course, I was quite conscious that I was coming from this topic from a white western perspective, so I really wanted to include different perspectives from around the world,” she tells me, noting that the podcast seems the perfect place to trial this. And, pleased to be introducing a folklore corner, Megan notes that herself and Clelia make a perfect duo - her anthropological knowledge meeting Clelia’s broad understanding of film theory.
Curious to know where Megan’s love for horror came from, I ask what her first experience with the genre was. “I’ve been a spooky little weirdo goth kid my entire life, really,” she jokes, “but a lot of my interest did come from reading fairy tales and seeking out the original scary versions. I’ve always been a fan of horror shows and books too, but it was only as I got older that I became interested in how horror represents experiences - especially women’s experiences.” Similar to Clelia in their joint interest in the female experience, it seems that the two podcast hosts were on parallel tracks for a long time.
More generally, though, one of the special things about Monstrous Flesh is its approach to collaboration. As mentioned, Megan and Clelia met through a workshop, and connecting with local creatives is a core part of Monstrous Flesh as a whole. Take, for example, the artwork for the podcast, created by Nottingham’s own Aamina Mahmood, or the International Women’s Day Event which Monstrous Flesh hosted in March. “Collaboration is integral to the project,” Clelia responds when I ask her about that event, which featured a panel of local horror buffs and creatives. Likewise, Megan is eager to stress that “we really want to amplify the voices of local artists and get people on panels where they might not normally get asked.”
We really want to amplify the voices of local artists and get people on panels where they might not normally get asked
Why? Because, as Clelia tells me, it’s by interacting with the horror community that she learns even more about the genre that she loves. “When I began the original course, I didn’t take into account the spectatorship aspect, and it’s through talking to people who attend the course that I’ve learnt so many fascinating things.” Plus, collaborating with the local community feels validating. As Megan says, “Sometimes it can feel like you’re in a bit of a bubble and that maybe you’re the only one interested in your ideas. So, when you put on events and they sell out, you realise that other people do want it. It’s a lovely space and atmosphere.”
“These collaborations are coming up really organically too,” Clelia says. “We aren’t even really seeking them out, which is the beauty in it.” So, looking to the future, this is going to be a big element to the Monstrous Flesh universe. “We’d really like to include more guests in the second season of the podcast. I’ve actually just changed the biography for Monstrous Flesh on social media, so we’re now called a multi-disciplinary venture. Megan and I are talking about publishing a journal alongside the podcast, and we’re hoping to run another course too. Plus, we have some really exciting collaborations that we can’t quite talk about yet.” Other than that, “We’re just after a worldwide takeover. Total world domination,” laughs Megan as our interview comes to an end. At this point, it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility.
You can listen to Monstrous Flesh on all good streaming platforms
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