Backtalk

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Popaganda: The Pumpkin Spice Must Flow Oct 04, 2018

Show notes

At the end of summer, when the super hot days get rarer, the signs of fall appear: reddish leaves, leather jackets, people talking about football, and pumpkin spice lattes. Like death and taxes, the pumpkin spice latte seems inevitable, and it takes up an incredible amount of space in the public consciousness. So yes, we're succumbing to the siren song and devoting a whole episode to the PSL.

So why are we so obsessed with pumpkin spice? And why is it so easy to hate on the drink and the people who consume it? How did this assortment of spices from the Indian subcontinent become the hallmark of basicness, and what can its autumnal popularity tell us about capitalism, misogyny, and the need to belong?

On this episode, we have a special guest! Backtalk's Amy Lam reads an excerpt of a spicy ode to squash. In our first segment, you'll hear from Tiffany Midge, a poet and humorist who wrote "An Open Letter to White Girls Regarding Pumpkin Spice and Cultural Appropriation." After that, you'll get the specialty coffee barista's perspective from Adam JacksonBey. Then you'll hear from Rebecca Jennings, a consumer reporter for Vox who wrote about the backlash to pumpkin spice and what it all means. Finally, Sasanka Jinadasa chimes in to remind us of what we lose when we're so hyper focused on the meaning behind a latte.

Backtalk: We Said #MeToo, Now What? Sep 27, 2018

Show notes

This week, Dahlia and Amy discuss how the #MeToo movement can evolve beyond survivors exposing their own traumas and the role of abusers in creating real change. From public radio to the Supreme Court, what can a true reckoning with misogyny and abuse look like? We've also got a Petty Political Pminute—with a bonus! And in our latest Amy vs. Dahlia, we're asking the important question of plant lady or cat lady?! Text "Pussywillow" to 503-855-6485 to let us know!

Popaganda: When People Become Internet Memes Sep 21, 2018

Show notes

The Internet, which connects us to each other in ways that were pretty unimaginable to most people a century ago, has become a totally casual part of daily life. It's changed so much: from the way we do business to the way we unlock our front doors. But it's also changed the way we see ourselves and our relationships to other people. We live in a time when even children are able to use social media to juggle a front-facing, personal brand with their imperfect, true selves; and when a small gaffe could bring the rage of hundreds of thousands of strangers into your life.

So Soleil wanted to take a step back and ask: how did things get this way? And does the Internet have to be like this?

Backtalk: Naomi Osaka & Serena Williams Deserved Better Sep 13, 2018

Show notes

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 Sep 06, 2018

Show notes

Whether they expose past tragedies or family tragedies, ghosts reveal what is hidden away, under the layers of social etiquette, historical revisionism, and taboo. A poltergeist may expose unethical building practices as a ghost on videotape may reveal an unsolved murder.

In that way, the monster is really a messenger: of a past that won't stay buried, of feelings that haven't been acknowledged, of a heartache that still stings. In this episode, we'll be talking about the storytelling potential of ghosts and the truths that emerge when they appear. First, Stu Maddux, the independent filmmaker behind the web series Queer Ghost Hunters, will speak on the task of unearthing hidden queer histories. Then you'll hear Margaret "Maggs" Williams of the Bench Breaking Broads, an all-woman ghost-hunting crew that operate in the American South. Enjoy the show, and don't forget to check out our Ghosts issue of Bitch magazine, on newsstands now!

Popaganda: Queering Virginity Aug 30, 2018

Show notes

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?

So on this episode, Soleil talks to Juno Roche, a trans writer and advocate who recently authored a book called Queer Sex. Then she discusses the theological aspect of virginity with Presbyterian minister Mihee Kim-Kort, author of "Outside the Lines: How Embracing Queerness Will Transform Your Faith." Enjoy the show!

Backtalk: #MeToo Is Here To Stay Aug 23, 2018

Show notes

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 Aug 16, 2018

Show notes

Pro wrestling hasn't been the kindest entertainment industry for women. Relegated to Playboy-sponsored pillow fight matches or mud wrestling, women wrestlers didn't get to shine for their athleticism or fighting prowess very often until Chyna came around in the late 90s. Her storylines were pretty meta, with male wrestlers and announcers who questioned her qualifications being on the receiving end of her feminist rage. But even then, women wrestlers like her had to constantly endure being sexually objectified and called "yapping female dogs" by the commentators. Yet pro wrestling is still very much a part of American pop culture, with folks making connections between it and other forms of expression, as an art form. So what's the draw? Why does pro wrestling affect people so much, to the point of emotional catharsis? And… is it art? Today's guests are two people who've shown me just how cool wrestling can be.

First, I talk to Julian Burrell, producer of a really great podcast called Tights and Fights, about a wrestling match that made him cry.

Then you'll hear from Kath Barbadoro, a comedian and host of Wrestlesplania, a podcast where she explains to her co-host, Rachel Millman, why wrestling is good.

SHOUT-OUTS

Read April LaValle's retrospective take on WWE's Attitude era for Bitch.

Curious about EVE? Find out more about their mission, events, and wrestlers.

Check out this great writeup on Chyna and her history with the WWE at the Mary Sue.

If pro wrestling lingo seems a bit confusing, you can cross-reference with this handy guide from Complex.

Backtalk: The Myth of Racism Against White People Aug 09, 2018

Show notes

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 Aug 02, 2018

Show notes

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.

First, I talk to Erin Vilardi, the founder and CEO of VoteRunLead, an organization that trains women to run for office. Then I speak to Minnesota State Senator Patricia Torres Ray, who is seeking her party's nomination for a Congressional seat in a few weeks, about why she's running.

SHOUT-OUTS

Last November, Lillyanne Pham wrote an article for Bitch on women of color candidates to watch

Curious about those Rutgers numbers? Here's more data on women candidates than you can shake a stick at! Look up your state!

Want even more numbers?? The Washington Post has a good review of survey data on women candidates and their favorability.

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