Podcasts

We publish a new feminist podcast episode every week. Our hour-long show Popaganda digs deep on movies, books, TV, and media while Backtalk is a snappy conversation between two Bitch editors about the week’s pop culture. Subscribe to the podcasts on iTunes!
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Backtalk: Naomi Osaka & Serena Williams Deserved Better

by Amy Lam on September 13, 2018 at 3:02pm

This week, Dahlia and Amy talk about what went down at the U.S. Open and how it hurt both Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams. In a sport with a history of sexism and racism, specifically anti-Blackness, it’s tough to ignore the unfairness lobbed at Williams during this championship match and how it overshadowed Osaka’s win. And we’ve got time for a Petty Political Pminute! We want to know if you like your cooking shows baked in delight or like an overheated kitchen—text “Food” to 503-855-6485 to let us know!

Popaganda: Speaking to Specters

by Soleil Ho on September 6, 2018 at 1:16pm

Ghosts reveal what is hidden away, under the layers of social etiquette, historical revisionism, and taboo.

Popaganda: Queering Virginity

by Soleil Ho on August 30, 2018 at 10:03am

On her Netflix one-woman show, Nanette, Hannah Gadsby opines, “There’s only ever been two options for a little girl to grow up into: virgin or whore…. And I don’t fit neatly into either of those categories. Virgin or whore? I mean, on a technicality, I’d get virgin.” Virginity is a weird, nebulous idea that’s mostly measured in heterosexual terms. So what value does virginity hold for queer and trans people? Is it worth pulling it out of the patriarchal muck?

Backtalk: #MeToo is Here To Stay

by Amy Lam on August 23, 2018 at 1:57pm

This week, Dahlia and Amy talk about a report that Asia Argento paid a settlement to a former castmate who accused her of sexual assault amidst questions about whether Argento’s behavior undermines the #MeToo movement. Another case has come to light about a female NYU professor who harassed and assaulted a male student and how the #MeToo movement can be inclusive for all survivors. Plus, we need your votes about the worst Marky Mark film—text “Mark” to 503-855-6485 to let tell us which film was suckier.

Popaganda: Pro Wrestling with the Sublime

by Soleil Ho on August 16, 2018 at 12:43pm

Why does pro wrestling affect people so much, to the point of emotional catharsis?

Backtalk: The Myth of Racism Against White People

by Amy Lam on August 9, 2018 at 12:19pm

This week, Dahlia and Amy dig into the trolling of writer and lawyer Sarah Jeong with accusations of racism against white people. Jeong was recently hired to the New York Times editorial board when conservative trolls dug up tweets where she mocked white folks with the likes of #CancelWhitePeople. It’s too bad that punching up with bad jokes about white people isn’t enough to get someone fired because it doesn’t cause concrete harm. Plus, this might be the spiciest Amy vs. Dahlia—text “Animal” to 503-855-6485 to let us know your pick for best pet!

Popaganda: The Blue Wave

by Soleil Ho on August 3, 2018 at 8:14am

As we go into the 2018 midterm election season, we’ve got a lot of unknowns to think about. What can we expect to change this time around? Will there be more political upsets, like we’ve seen during the Democratic primaries in New York with the ascendancy of first-timer Alexandria Ocasio Cortez? One thing’s for sure: this year, more women, especially women of color, are running for public office than have ever before. Today, I’ll talk to two people with unique insight into how this all happened and what we can look forward to in November.

Backtalk: Don’t Waste Hannah Gadsby’s Time

by Amy Lam on July 26, 2018 at 11:59am

This week, Dahlia and Amy dig into Hannah Gadsby’s tremendous, heartbreaking, and honest Nanette. Gadsby’s Netflix special gives us insight into what it means to to tell one’s story to wide acceptance—at one’s own expense. Using comedy as an example, Gadsby asks: Is it enough to be in control of our own narratives and art if we’re still creating and consuming it through a colonized gaze? When do folks from marginalized communities get to be messy, frank, show their whole selves? Plus let us know what you want Dahlia and Amy to argue about—text “Fight” to 503-855-6485!

Backtalk: Turn off the Gaslight

by Amy Lam on July 12, 2018 at 10:53am

This week, Dahlia and Amy got to thinking more about the ubiquity of gaslighting after seeing a Twitter thread by writer Carmen Maria Machado and the case against Junot Diaz. The term originates from an eponymous play and film about a husband who gaslights his wife into thinking she’s going crazy and is now commonly used to describe making another person feel as if their own thoughts and memories are untrue and inaccurate. This episode explores how gaslighting operates on a larger scale when organizations and institutions use it to make us doubt our own feelings. Plus, an Amy vs Dahlia worth getting animated about—vote by texting “Disney” to 503-855-6485!

Backtalk: We Don’t Need to be Civil to Inhumane People

by Amy Lam on June 28, 2018 at 1:52pm

This week, Dahlia and Amy survived another week where hell is empty and all the devils are here on earth. It’s been a couple weeks of horrifying news and the last thing we need to hear is how progressive folks need to be civil to the inhumane Right. It feels the the least possible harm that Stephen Miller, Kirstjen Nielsen, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders can face is to have their restaurant meals interrupted while they’re supporting an administration that’s tearing families apart at the border and putting them in detention centers. More in bad news: Screw SCOTUS. But in an attempt at some fun: a new Amy vs. Dahlia!