It's been a week. Amid uprisings and violent police suppression, we turn to Mariame Kaba. Mariame is a longtime police and prison abolitionist, educator, and organizer who has been doing the day-in, day-out work of activism and opposing state-sponsored violence since the early 2000s.

If you've been wondering: what's police abolition? what's prison abolition? why not simply reform or defund police departments? how do I commit myself to racial justice? what does a post-police future look like? is there room for hope?

...this episode is for you.

The inimitable Maurice Harris joins us to discuss his creative origins, how he started using flowers in art, being a small business owner in the time of corona, and his new show Centerpiece.

In the second of two parts, we discuss Tara Reade's sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden with Vox's Laura McGann who spoke with Tara when she came to her in 2019 with a different complaint about abuse of power in Biden's Senate office. Plus, how Biden makes progressives complicit in his pattern of non-consensual behavior, why you may or may not vote for him, and how we can be re-center survivors in our discourse.

Links:

Laura McGann on reporting out Tara Reade's allegations

Tarana Burke's tweets

Rebececa Traister on the Biden Trap for women politicians

Stacey Abrams' Biden endorsement

AOC's Biden comments

Throughout public life, Joe Biden has claimed to stand for women. His long career from the Senate to the Vice Presidency to presumptive Democratic nominee can paint a very different picture. In the first of two episodes, we discuss key moments that give us pause about Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.

1991: Biden mishandles Anita Hill's testimony during Clarence Thomas's confirmation hearings as chair of the Senate Judiciary committee.

1994: Biden uses the Violence Against Women Act as character witness, a shield from backlash against his treatment of Professor Hill. VAWA was situated within the crime bill and tended to focus on training law enforcement and judges, stopping short of addressing the broader scale of violence women confront.

2016: Speaks at the United State of Women conference to a packed room of gender equality advocates, among them untold numbers of survivors, and us, describing his work on the Violence Against Women Act and recounting numerous instances of violence against women in borderline lewd, graphic terms.

2019: Announces his campaign and calls Anita Hill. Professor Hill was not impressed with his apology and shared some pointers for how he might make amends.

Throughout his career: inappropriately grabs, touches and hugs women in congressional offices and the campaign trail.

Links:

Biden's role in the Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991

Violence Against Women Act in 1994

Biden speech at the United State of Women in 2016

Lucy Flores on Joe Biden kissing her head in 2014

CYG Episode 33: Low Key Creep in 2015

Joe Biden "just likes giving hugs"

Biden's non-apology to Anita Hill in 2019

From snakes to ocean waves to people's unstated political ideologies, we talk about our fears. Plus, journalist Eva Holland on how fear lives in the body and her new book where she unwinds trauma, phobia, and grief.

What allows people to endure and try again? In the first of a series tackling big ideas that are helping us get through these deep-feeling quarantimes, we talk with Lulu Miller about a scientist who lost everything - again and again - and somehow was never fazed. Plus, Amina's love of country music, and how friendship is a beautiful unexplained anomaly in an often-selfish world.

The U.S. Census is underway and - if you just started snoozing, gently nudge yourself awake. This once-a-decade opportunity to be counted. Why? As Jeri Green of the National Urban League tells us, the Census is used to determine everything from how Congressional seats states get to federal funding for student loans, and much more. And now you complete it online. It's especially important for people from marginalized communities to get counted. Go to My2020Census.gov to fill out the quick and easy from and tell your besties!

The legendary Fran Tirado is here to tell us what to watch and where we can stream it.

We talk with national treasure Samantha Irby about her hilarious and confident writing about all of her foibles and insecurities. From dealing with money and contracts, to love, her white stepchildren, and her fondness for TV's Judge Mathis, Sam is the antidote to all of our cooped-up sadness right now. Her latest book, Wow, No Thank You is out now.

Our book is finally available (for pre-order at least)! Aminatou and Ann discuss the making of Big Friendship, writing in a single voice, and the vulnerability in a deep creative partnership. Plus, how to support your local indie bookstore, and even more reading recommendations from Emma Straub. And we talk with Adeline Dieudonne about her novel Real Life, just translated to English, and Ashley Woodfolk about her new YA novel about a friend breakup, When You Were Everything.

Books are one of our go-to ways to stay sane, when bored, cabin-feverish or stressed out. And there are so many great authors and bookstores who need our support right now. At the moment, we're curled up with Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb and Thin Places by Jordan Kisner. Pro tip: if buying books isn't possible for you right now, your local public library probably uses the Libby app to get audiobooks and e-books to you, even while branches are closed.

Links

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb
Bess is hilarious on Twitter
Thin Places by Jordan Kisner
Jordan's recent Atlantic article on reiki

Amina is also reading...

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby
Save Yourself by Cameron Esposito

Ann is also reading...

Glitter Up the Dark by Sasha Geffen
Look by Zan Romanoff

Bess is reading...

Topics of Conversation by Miranda Popkey
Elena Ferrante in lieu of taking melatonin

Jordan is reading...

On Immunity by Eula Bliss

Have you ever spent so much time at home? For those of us lucky enough to have somewhere to shelter in place, self-isolate, or recover from illness, we're gaining a new appreciation for what are homes are. Or maybe just dying of frustration at so many uncompleted projects. Never fear. Curbed Executive Editor and interim Editor-in-Chief Mercedes Kraus is here. Mercedes is a long-time curator of well-appointed spaces and shares her tips for shopping for and envisioning a welcoming place to live. Especially now that we are trying to be productive, patient, and present at home.

Are we overreacting? Not scared enough? The answer is probably both. We discuss how to keep your screwed on while dealing with an extremely serious situation and some do's and don'ts for controlling the contagion of panic. Yes, social distancing is a good idea right now. But even as you keep your germs to yourself, don't forget to check on your friends, get to know your neighbors, see who needs help, and as always, wash your hands.

Links:

Curbed: In a disaster that calls for isolation, your community will help you survive

On Immunity by Eula Bliss

WHO guidance

CDC guidance

WFH guidance

She left her husband for a female Olympian. She survived addiction. And that's just the beginning. Glennon Doyle's new book Untamed encourages women to break out of being good daughters, mothers, partners and be good to ourselves -- and then, in living fuller lives, the world.

The show, the "science" and men's feelings... we have quite a few, too, about this Netflix phenomenon.

From looking at our brain activity inside fMRI machines to mapping social networks, scientists are looking closely at friendship. Science journalist Lydia Denworth shares her look into the latest research finding what we know affectively to be true -- that friendship helps us live longer, better lives.

American Dirt. Plus, our 90s fashion trauma.

Reading List:

American Dirt, explained

NYT review

Myriam Gurba on American Dirt

Brandon Taylor on writing about people who don't look like you

Against italicizing "foreign" words

Chunky soles: All the rage

Books we’re reading in lieu of American Dirt:

Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe

Mean by Myriam Gurba

Girl by Edna O’Brien

Real Life by Brandon Taylor

In a special edition of our winter books episode, we talk with three of our favorite herstorians about American icons that could use a rewrite: Harriet Tubman, George Washington, and McDonald's.

We discuss some of our worst bosses, the difference between held to a high standard and a toxic environment, and what happens when women are bad bosses.

Coffee is a hard drug. MLK Day is a mindf*ck, especially when brands, the FBI, and the GOP chime in. RIP Mr. Peanut. And the cumulative impact of being told that your gender or race will stop you from reaching your goal, when that goal is the presidency.

You might be scared. Or you might be gearing up to beat the IRS at its own game. Maybe you're dipping your toe into freelance work and don't know what to ask. We talk to Claudia Yi León, the mastermind behind @TaxesforArtists to break it all down. She's accounting Xanax and we promise you will walk away with a good tidbit, whether you're terrified or all-too-well informed about managing your tax situation.

How to stay engaged when the news is terrible (more reading less tweeting is always a good start). Ann's review of CATS and our philosophy of which drugs and film genres go well together. Plus who gets to be a podcast breakout.

How do we remember a decade of life and friendship? How do we visualize time? And how do we have compassion for our past selves? Aminatou and Ann reflect on who they were in the 20s, the pleasure of having older friends to look up to, and realizing that our younger friends may have different reference points.

We're truly long distance as we close out the year. Aminatou and Ann leave each other voicemails. Who? Weekly shares the top three Whos who became Thems in 2019, and Emma Straub of Books Are Magic shares some of her faves this year.

Survivors are speaking out and we’re listening. We talk with Chanel Miller, whose victim impact statement echoed around the internet as the anonymous Emily Doe at Brock Turner's trial. In her new book, Know My Name, Chanel tells her side of her story, which goes far beyond one awful night and a long trial.

Sex work brings out extreme views. On one end of the dial: "It's purely exploitative and nothing someone could actively consent to!" And on the other: "It's wholly empowering consensual trade that should be celebrated!" We talk with writer and sex worker Lorelei Lee about how sex work can be like other kinds of labor: underpaid, boring, unfulfilling, and yet not necessarily vile criminality or sublimely erotic and expressive. A pair of laws passed by Congress in 2018, SESTA and FOSTA, have made sex work more dangerous and subject to criminal prosecution.

We rave about the power and politics of translation inspired by Emily Wilson's mind-blowingly less-misogynist translation of the Odyssey into English. And we talk with translator Katrina Dodson.

Even as an adult, big decisions that involve money can provoke anxiety, uncertainty and seem so far away and inaccessible. In this episode, we demystify two big adult money moves: buying a home and investing money. Real estate agent Aiesha Bailey Mannle and financial expert Paco de Leon help guide us.

From TV crime dramas like SVU to the explosion in true crime podcasts, we delve into the public - and especially women’s - fascination with murder content. Whose stories are centered? How prevalent is murder these days anyway? Why is the subject so bingeable? Rachel Monroe joins us to discuss. Plus, how and when we think about our own deaths.

We talk with Shirin Neshat about her solo exhibition at the Broad museum in Los Angeles. She's an Iranian-American artist who works in photography and film, using the personal to illuminate social change and political injustice in the Middle East and the United States.

We talk with authors Mary HK Choi and Liana Finck about their delightful new books. Plus, what we're reading: fiction, memoir and actionable non-fiction about climate change. Share your reading list on instagram with #cygbooks.

Links:

Permanent Record by Mark HK Choi

Excuse Me: Cartoons, Complaints, and Notes to Self by Liana Finck

We are the Weather by Jonathan Safran Foer

Inconspicuous Consumption by Tatiana Schlossberg

A Year Without a Name by Cyrus Grace Dunham

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

In a bonus episode to promote the current season of the Color Full Lives podcast, presented by State Farm we listen into Aminatou with co-hosts Tonya Rapley and Angela Yee. This season is all about financial planning for big life milestones. Amina, Tonya and Angela share their travel-saving tips and are joined by Jessica Nabongo who has visited every country in the world.

Listen and subscribe to Color Full Lives on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Soundcloud.

A very political and newsy episode inspired by our visit to Washington, DC in which we discuss:

• Giuliani's butt dials
• Who is speaking truth to power and who is rewriting history to spiff up their image (looking at you former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen)
• Katie Hill's departure from Congress
• Drake's birthday
• The Democratic candidates' corny tendencies
• The FTC investigation into cult skincare brand Sunday Riley faking online reviews

What does it take to live your ideals? We discuss growing up and trying to make a positive change in the world with former UN Ambassador Samantha Power.

Life on the road, impeachment inches forward, and are vitamins for real? Plus, we talk to one of our favorite writers, Sarah Hagi, about Scamnadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. And, an apology for a fatphobic comment in last week's episode.

"Dead bodies are not dangerous!" is a fitting manta for mortician, author and death positivity activist Caitlin Doughty. This week: how to die, the funeral-industrial complex, and why you need an advance directive.

Friend of the podcast Hillary Rodham Clinton returns with Chelsea Clinton to discuss their recent joint project, The Book of Gutsy Women.

Starting next year, you'll see celebration galore for the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, often celebrated as voting rights for American women. But which women could vote? We talk with historian Lisa Tetrault about the myths of suffrage (spoiler alert: it's not actually a right) and the racist politics of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Then we move to the state of suffrage today with activists Arekia Bennett of Mississippi Votes and DeJuana Thompson of Woke Vote, who are working to ensure that marginalized people are enfranchised under new waves of voter suppression.

An update on #MeToo from Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, the New York Times reporters who broke the Weinstein story. They share behind-the-scenes details of how they urged survivors to speak out, the institutions and individuals that protect abusers, and some points of hope.

Chase Strangio, an activist for trans rights and a staff attorney at the ACLU, talks about the Supreme Court case that we should all be outraged about. The government wants to redefine the Civil Rights Act to discriminate against transgender Americans, people in queer relationships, and anyone who doesn't fit a tidy definition of male and female. The Court takes up oral arguments on October 8.

Wondering what it's like to see us live? We share one of our favorite nights of 2018, when we visited Seattle and discussed Ted Cruz's love of Disney movies, Megyn Kelly's obsession with blackface and why one of our favorite writers, Ijeoma Oluo, would be perfectly happy if white people wanted to take up the hard work of talking about race.

What makes you feel rich? When does money create strife in friendships? We go deep on our own money feelings and answer listener questions about money in relationships with Reema Khrais, host of This is Uncomfortable.

Bad people aren't only on the internet, but digital life sure gives predators and creeps more permission to make other people miserable. Fortunately, lawyers are fighting back. We talk about the taxonomy of predator behavior, how to anticipate their playbook, and turning victims to warriors with New York attorney Carrie Goldberg. Her new book is Nobody's Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs and Trolls. Content warning: sexual assault, revenge porn, and online harassment are discussed. If you or someone you love has experienced a violation of your privacy, it's not your fault.

LINKS

Tour / merch

How to copyright your nudes // This isn’t new!

Resource: Without My Consent

Nobody's Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs, and Trolls

Binaries aren't good for babies or friendships. We discuss angst around the "gender reveal" party from the blogger who popularized it. How to avoid judgement around a friend's parenting and their choice about whether to become a parent. Crucially, how to weather change when a friend has kids and you don't. Hint: communicate! Also, untested but good-smelling mosquito repellents. And, we have brand new merch + don't forget to buy tickets to CYG Live!

Links

Tour / Merch

Inventor of gender reveal parties weighs in!

How to hang out with your friend who has a kid

Childfree By Choice by Dr Amy Blackstone

No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNicol

In vintage CYG fashion, Amina and Ann discuss their Harry Potter houses (as sorted by Gina) and then move on to sadder and more serious topics. The intractable problems of hate and guns, men who abused their power and want it back. And, Rest in Power, Toni Morrison. Content warning: gun violence and the fact of sexual violence are acknowledged in this episode.

Links

• Mona Chalabi’s charts on domestic terrorism
• Metoo check in: Age of consent laws and Epstein
• Alan Dershowitz profile
• Epstein case explained
• Al Franken (New Yorker profile / Jezebel report) and Aziz Ansari (reporting on Babe.net / “reflective” new set) stage their comebacks
• Toni Morrison's 2011 commencement address at Rutgers: "I am myself a storyteller, and therefore, an optimist—a firm believer in the ethical bend of the human heart; a believer in the mind’s appetite for truth and its disgust with fraud and selfishness. From my point of view, your life is already a miracle of chance waiting for you to shape its destiny. From my point of view, your life is already artful—waiting, just waiting, for you to make it art."

Marriage didn't always wreck friendships among women, as it did the 1950s, or strain both beloved relationships, as often happens today. Stephanie Coontz studies the long history of family structures from forager society to the present. History has some stark (and cheering) lessons about the ways that friendship functions as a deep human bond. Plus, we're renewed, refreshed, and restored after taking a break and doing a full home reorganization.

Links

We're going on tour!

Stephanie Coontz

The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap

For a Better Marriage, Act Like a Single Person

We're staying cool reading plays, essays, sci-fi, and YA. Amina talks with Keah Brown about her essay collection, The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me. Gina chats with Aminah Mae Safi about her Gilmore Girls-inspired lesbian teen romance, Tell Me How You Really Feel. Tell us what you're reading by tagging #CYGbooks.

We look back at Girlfriends, the 1978 film that took women's friendship seriously long before Hollywood was ready to do the same. Director Claudia Weill talks with Gina about how Girlfriends was made and financed, her creative endeavors in television and theatre, and why she made just a handful of movies.

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about sex and still haven’t learned, even though you’re an adult now. Our expert panel includes Myisha Battle and Jaclyn Friedman. You’ve got sex questions, and they have answers! Full NSFW show notes + resources at callyourgirlfriend.com. Kinda goes without saying, but you probably don't want to listen to this one with young kids around.

Body hair! our feelings about it and our practices around it. Removing it, grooming it, loving it, hating it, keeping it. Our guest is data journalist Mona Chalabi, who’s written a lot about her relationship with the hair that grows on her bod. We also shout out Jacob Tobia’s Sissy: A Coming of Gender Story.

How a functional piece of grammar says so much about the fight for gender equality and better representation for non binary and trans people. We learn about pronoun best practices and how progressive linguists are fighting for better words and more creative expression. If you’ve been wondering… is “they” a good stand-in when you don’t know someone’s gender or pronouns? How do I ask for people’s pronouns? If someone uses she/her does that mean she identifies as a woman? But isn’t “they” a grammatically incorrect singular? We get into all these questions and more.

Writer and rock critic Jessica Hopper joins us to crate dig through some archives we have and some that we need. From the inbox appearance that sparked her friendship with Ann, to untold histories of women in arts and music, to the power of the year 1975 for women writing songs and playing them. Plus, Joni Mitchell, problematic fave.

We talk with author, organizer, doula, emergent strategist and podcast co-host adrienne maree brown about doing good while feeling good and her new book, Pleasure Activism.

We’re talking about legal efforts to extend the #MeToo conversation beyond firing men who behaved badly. And we’re exploring policies that can actually foster more inclusive work environments. Plus, we talk to the co-author of the inclusion rider, attorney Kalpana Kotagal.

We talk about books we love in genres we don't often cover: poetry, graphic memoir, short stories and essays. Ali Liebegott talks with Ann about her poetry collection, The Summer of Dead Birds. Aminatou interviews Mira Jacob about her graphic memoir, Good Talk. Gina speaks with Xuan Juliana Wang about her collection of short stories, Home Remedies. And Briallen Hopper joins Aminatou to talk about her book of essays, Hard to Love. What are you reading? Tag #cygbooks to share your current faves.

Reading List:

The Summer of Dead Birds by Ali Liebegott

Good Talk by Mira Jacob

Hybrida by Tina Chang

Home Remedies by Xuan Juliana Wang

Hard to Love by Briallen Hopper

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory (coming in July)

Trust Exercise by Susan Choi

Futurists are not only white guys who give self-congratulatory TED talks. Everything from political appeals to Instagram ads are pitching us on a vision of the future. Rose Eveleth of Flash Forward expands our notion of what futurism can be, and how we can pry it away from arch capitalists and tech billionaires.

Rose’s podcast Flash Forward is everywhere you listen: Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and more.

This special edition of CYG includes excerpts from these Flash Forward episodes:

• Money for Nothing
• Snip Snip Snip
• Countless
• What to Expect When You’re Expecting in Space
• Farm to Tablet
• California Dreaming
• Deceptible Me

We reflect on how making Call Your Girlfriend has changed our friendship, and revisit some of the cringeworthy, hilarious, depressing, and proud moments we've had in five years of making this show.

Constant smart phone use may not be great for us, but what are we supposed to do instead? Artist and writer Jenny Odell explores how we reclaim our time and attention in her new book, How to Do Nothing.

Women's pain is frequently dismissed or underestimated by the medical establishment. Research into drugs and their effects often have few or no female subjects, meaning too little is known about symptoms specific to female-assigned bodies. So it's all too easy for doctors to treat those symptoms as psychological. Author Maya Dusenbery shares some disturbing stats from her research and what they mean for women's lives: how the average autoimmune patient goes four years and sees four doctors before receiving a diagnosis. How endometriosis affects one in 10 women, but takes patients over a decade to diagnose. Plus, how all this systemic pressure makes women feel like they have to be the perfect patient.

We open our topic suggestion box and talk about women's drinking and sobriety, lifehacks, therapy, and friendship with men. Note: in discussing alcohol and Men™, we mention sexual assault.

Links

Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp

The real reason why women drink (2016)

The new face of risky drinking is female (2013)

Digit app

iPhone screentime settings

Libby app for library books

ATM shake

Mentalhealth.gov

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Find a Therapist through Psychology Today or GoodTherapy.org

Ask your therapist about sliding scale pricing!

One in four Americans are disabled. It's one of the only minority groups you can join at any point in your life. And yet, people with disabilities are often ignored or stereotyped, including by other activists. This week we pass the mic to Kelly Dawson and Emily Ladau, two writers who also both have physical disabilities. Kelly and Emily describe the planning and preparation in their daily lives, the challenges of online dating while disabled, and resources for people without disabilities who want to learn more and grow as allies and friends. Click here for a full transcript of this episode.

Shine Theory is cropping up everywhere from social media to the halls of Congress. But you might have wondered or had a friend ask, what exactly is Shine Theory? We go deep on its origin, what it is and is not, and how Shine Theory can fortify friendships, work alliances, and help diminish the role of jealousy in your life.

Have you experienced a big loss? The death of a friend, family member, illness, even a breakup or losing a job can be devastating. Help and support pour in for a day, a week. And then what? We're supposed to just be fine and pretend like it never happened? We realtalk grief and suffering with Nora McInerny, host of the podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking, and author of funny-sad books like her latest, No Happy Endings.

Scammers are in the news again. From parents who buy their children's college admission to political media obsessed with white male candidates, we interrogate the long-running scams of wealth and power all around us.

Links:

The real college admissions scam

Stacey Abrams doing the work

Andrew Gillum doing the work

Beto sucking up the press

"Real" America does not belong to white men in red states. Queer people do not only live their best lives in New York and San Francisco. Across the country, queer folks form tight knit communities and love their towns, in spite of the oppressive measures enacted by their state legislatures. We get real with journalist Samantha Allen and her book Real Queer America, which takes us along on a road trip to meet LGBT people from Tennessee, Utah, Georgia, Indiana, and more.

Abortion rights are under attack. And while many are scared, maybe for the first time, the push to control and criminalize women's health care is nothing new. For many Americans, access to abortion as promised after Roe v. Wade never really came. We discuss reproductive justice and ways to get involved in your community with activist Renee Bracey Sherman. And we learn how Chicago women took action to create safe, private ways to access abortion in the 1970s under the pseudonym JANE with one of the collective's members, Judith Arcana.

Aminatou, Ann, and Gina discuss the business of Call Your Girlfriend, LLC in this hyper-transparent check-in. We still make most of our money from the ads you hear on the podcast, but we've branched out into live touring, more merch, and adding team members! (Welcome Sophie Carter-Kahn of She's All Fat fame, who is doing our social media!!) How CYG fits into all of our individual work lives (and LLCs). Then, we hear from Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo about the bestie-preneurship secrets they uncover in their new book, Work Wife.

We revel in Billy Porter’s tuxedo gown, Jason Momoa’s scrunchie, and Selma Blair’s cane. Watching Pen15 on Hulu is giving us all the middle and high school feels. And, remembering soul singer Jackie Shane.

We sit down with feminist icon, author, and activist, Gloria Steinem to talk about some the defining friendships of her life. Plus, where our views diverge, particularly around sex work and pornography.

Self employment realtalk: how we went from office workers to freelance to boss ladies. We bust myths about staff jobs and incorporating your own business. Is it hard? Yes. Is it for everyone? No. Could you stand to make a lot of money and forge your own path? Yes! We discuss our career trajectories, how much to charge, who to ask for help, and how much you should have saved.

We discuss what's on our bookshelf and talk to authors of some of our favorite recent titles. Nikki Darling and her protagonist (also named Nikki Darling) explore teen girlhood and '90s Los Angeles in her novel Fade Into You. Esmé Weijun Wang investigates mental illness, stigma and her own diagnosis in The Collected Schizophrenias.

We watched both Fyre Festival documentaries. Beyond the quirks of those films we're left with qualms about the social media platforms that ensconce our lives, Instagram in particular. Tech companies evolve, their products change, but we don't have laws or norms that govern the many different digital lives we lead. We get into it about FOMO, the history of personal photography, features that tag your 'close friends' and old pictures, and their ties to capitalism. Plus, how we think about what we post, and the accounts we love to follow.

What if you knew you were dying? How would you prepare your family, and yourself? In a special episode sponsored by Pineapple Street Media, we talk with Eleanor Kagan, producer and host of a new podcast, Julie, that explores the extraordinary life and death of Julie Yip-Williams.

Poetry is the kind of art that makes you slow down and pay attention. And we can’t imagine a better guide than Tracy K. Smith. Tracy is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and the current U.S. Poet Laureate. She is the author of Wade in the Water, her most recent book of poems. She hosts The Slowdown podcast, which is all about seeing the world through poetry. And she is the editor of American Journal: 50 Poems for Our Time. We listen to Lia Purpura read her poem "Proximities." Plus, Aminatou and Ann share the poets and collections they're (re)discovering this year.

Reading list:

Wade in the Waterby Tracy K. Smith

The Slowdown podcast

American Journal: 50 Poems for Our Time

"Proximities" by Lia Purpura

Pome, a poem-a-day email

Nikki Giovanni

June Jordan

Audre Lorde

Morgan Parker

Lingerie is more than silks and lace worn only to sexually entice someone else. We go deep on foundation garments: who makes them, who wears them, when, and why. From our own associations around comfort and desire, to the labor, design and skill involved in making intimate garments, to brands that are expanding sizes and shades to fit all bodies. Cora Harrington of The Lingerie Addict joins us with the case for why we all deserve to wear beautiful, comfortable things that fit us, so close to our skin.

We discuss the very real concerns about antisemitism within the leadership of the Women's March. In a Kardashian-level internet investigation, we provide the backdrop of the past two years: from its initial organizing, centering of white women, framing principles, fallout from Charlottesville, and the recurring role of Louis Farrakhan. So while the New York Times is not incorrect to note the divisions "roiling" the Women's March, fighting for freedom and justice isn't a pretty and pleasant task undertaken by nice ladies. Anger, hurt, and fear are all valid emotions when building a movement.

READING LIST

• 2018: “Women’s March Roiled by Accusations of Anti-Semitism”
• 2016: “Amid Division, a March in Washington Seeks to Bring Women Together”
• 2017: Day Without a Woman strike platform
• Op-ed, “Does feminism have room for zionists?”
• Linda Sarsour response in the Nation
• Adam Serwer, “Why Tamika Mallory Won’t Condemn Farrakhan”
• Collier Meyerson’s Twitter thread on anti-Semitism and racism

Our yearly kickoff episode in which women we love give you permission to…

• Liberate your attention (adrienne maree brown | How to Survive the End of the World)
• Make just a small adjustment (Autumn Brown | How to Survive the End of the World)
• NOT reply to email (Otegha Uwagba | Women Who)
• Get to know your body better (Erica Chidi Cohen | Loom)
• Be tender with yourself (Samhita Mukhopadhyay)

We look back at the podcast year that was, including interviews with many of our sheroes: Kamala Harris, Alicia Garza, Stacey Abrams, Cynthia Nixon, and Cecile Richards. We also tackled subjects like bisexuality, poop, and white fragility. We even had some men on the show this year! (Remember the dulcet tones of LeVar Burton?) Whether you're a weekly listener or you just heard about us, come bask in some of our favorite moments of the year.

We asked for your meet-cute stories, the platonic version of a rom-com whirlwind friend romance. From love at first eyeroll to the bestie you initially hated, to staying friends through the rough patches, we listen to some voicemails and talk about the early days of friendship.

We begin to close our books on 2018 as Nancy and Chuck get covered in Cheeto dust. Financial tips for the end of the year, including good money tracking, and organizations we're supporting. Plus, we're cheered by the gambling and vacationing exploits of a pair of scammer nuns.

Reading list:

Pelosi double-standard

Taxes for Artists

Shop CYG

Scammer nuns

Organizations we support:

Families Belong Together | Paola Mendoza on Twitter + Instagram

Brooklyn Defender Services has an Amazon wishlist of warm clothes for inmates on Rikers Island

Operation Santa delivers gifts to families through USPS

The Bail Project allows low-income people to avail themselves of their full rights

National Network of Abortion Funds

Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles

Library Foundation of Los Angeles

ACLU

Sylvia Rivera Law Project

Our queen of cookbooks, Netflix, and writing is here! Samin Nosrat is the author of Salt Fat Acid Heat, and brings her infectious personality and obvious pleasure in eating to the TV show of the same name. We discuss her time at Chez Panisse, how male chefs take credit for their grandmothers centuries of unpaid kitchen labor, and amazing food writers of color to follow. Plus, you can make delicious things in the kitchen if you want to! Samin's pro-tips: don't judge yourself by Instagram and focus on mastering a couple of dishes. (As you may have guessed, figuring out your salt, fat, acid, and heat is pretty important to making something delicious.)

We put the personal in personal finance. No lectures, no shame, we turn to Tonya Rapley and Lindsey Stanberry to help us unlock the secrets of making money work for you, whatever your financial picture.

Our favorite herstorian, Alexis Coe, joins us to bust Thanksgiving myths, shade male historians who always disparage the wives and mothers of U.S. Presidents, and shine light on some of the amazing women she profiles in her new podcast for The Wing, No Man's Land.

Criminal justice reform is about more than police and prisons. It's about changing the way prosecutors do their jobs. It's about schools, community centers, parks, drug treatment and other resources that stop or delay interactions with the criminal justice system. It's about letting people vote and letting go of trumped-up claims of voter fraud. Lawyer, reporter and criminal justice reform advocate Josie Duffy Rice helps us think through the system, and the role we can play in fixing it, beyond our Law and Order: SVU imagination. Please note: beginning at 45:30, Amina and Josie discuss SVU, including the ways the show (in)accurately depicts sexual assault allegations. The conversation is not graphic, but words like rape and rapist are used, and we discuss how survivors are treated by police and the justice system.

Reading List

Justice in America

Josie’s writing on The Appeal

Josie’s oped in the NYT

For Keeps bookstore in Atlanta

Josie on Twitter

We decompress from our tour and the midterm elections. Plus, the one-and-only LeVar Burton helps us answer listener questions in a special post-election edition of Ask A Man.

Readers are leaders! We talk with the authors of some of our favorite recent releases. Nicole Chung's memoir explores transracial adoption through her own experience finding her birth family. Imani Perry brings playwright Lorraine Hansberry's complicated life and relationships into focus in her recent biography. Finally, Glory Edim's Well-Read Black Girl started as a t-shirt, became a book club, events series, and now an edited collection.

In an excerpt from our first stop on the Shine Theory Tour, we discuss the Cheeto Administration's attempts to erase trans people, investing advice from Reddit, and San Francisco's debate over how to fund services for homeless residents. Plus, we talk with Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza about how she channels her energy, how she manages hard days, and an innovative approach to handling haters.

We have a full hour of additional segments that can only be seen on the road. There are still some tickets left in Chicago, Minneapolis and Philadelphia: callyourgirlfriend.com/tour.

Reading List:

Trans people cannot be erased

Tips for allies of trans and non-binary people

San Francisco’s Prop C would tax large businesses to fund homeless services

Black Futures Lab

Black Census

Follow Alicia @aliciagarza

Elizabeth Warren's DNA test woes. (Psst: race is a social construct and tribal membership is not granted by chromosomes.) Practical Magic does not hold up. Hocus Pocus does. Melania's colonial cosplay. A brief consideration of fashion we loved from monsters in the Cheeto administration. Plus, Taylor and Kanye's role reversal.

Reading List:

Lizzie Warren

Practical Magic + the curse of heterosexuality (good alternative: Hocus Pocus)

Bette Midler’s offensive tweet

Melania, most bullied person in the world, is into colonial cosplay

Get a flu shot, make sure you're registered to vote, and make a vote-by-mail or Election Day plan with friends. We're still raging at the news, while trying to remind ourselves that working for freedom is a lifelong endeavor, and change can take centuries. A bright spot of hope: we talk with Stacey Abrams, who could be Georgia's next Governor.

Reading List

Come see us on tour!

Get a flu vaccine

Register to vote in the midterms

Michelle Alexander on resistance

Alicia Garza on the long game

Marian Wright Edelman: "Be a good ancestor."

Stacey Abrams for Governor of Georgia

In a bonus episode sponsored by Ulta Beauty, we take time away from the news and indulge in self-care in the form of skin care, a loud lip for public speaking, and following posts from people of color and of all genders reshaping the meaning of makeup. Plus, beauty hacks from some of our faves: Jenna Wortham, Virgie Tovar, Dodai Stewart, and Fariha Roisin.

From #MeToo to Brett Kavanaugh, we have a lot to be mad about. Rebecca Traister is back to discuss her new book exploring the social and historical power of women's anger. When women get angry, movements form and revolutions spark. See: Rosa Parks, Florynce Kennedy, Maxine Waters, and many more sheroes. We discuss rage-crying, the specific history of white women's tears, the lasting impact of Professor Anita Hill, and who has room to express their rage today. No wonder we're told to keep our anger to ourselves.

Reading List:

Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister is on sale now.

For smart thoughts and links on Kavanaugh, we turn to Rebecca Traister, Irin Carmon, Jenée Desmond Harris, Laura McGann, Brittany Packnett

Go deeper with books by and about these incredible angry feminists:

• Flo Kennedy: her public access show archive
• Vivian Gornick: all of her books
• Rosa Parks: At the Dark End of the Street
• Anita Hill: Strange Justice
• Rose Schneiderman: her 1911 speech at the Metropolitan Opera House after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire

Personal shero and labor innovator Ai-jen Poo joins us to discuss the politics of domestic work. How we can think about and pay for help with children, elders, and housework more fairly and comprehensively.

Poverty need not exist in the U.S. So what can we do about it? We talk with Annie Lowrey about universal basic income and her deeply reported (and kinda radical) book, Give People Money.

Reading List:

Tour tickets!

Give People Money

It's Q3 and we're hitting our stride: heading out on tour and really feeling ourselves... enraged. As are some listeners who have written in about recent ad campaigns.We respond to criticism about our ad choices, note pushback against other small women-owned businesses, and how many critiques fall disproportionately to Amina, personally. There no ethical consumption under capitalism. (And, fwiw, the Koch brothers do not own Coca-Cola.) Plus, Serena's righteous rage on the tennis court. And a new petty anger corner, where we share our hilariously mundane gripes.

Reading List:

We're going on tour!

Our Businesswoman Special episode

Tuesday Bassen

Serena’s justified rage

Claudia Rankine on Serena / Citizen

As some of our faves' fave women face charges of abuse and impropriety, we dig into the deeper meaning of #metoo. From feminist critics rushing to the defense of an NYU professor whose texts and emails paint a damning picture of her relationship with a grad student, to accusations against Weinstein survivor Asia Argento (more damning texts), to himpathy for Louis C.K., we look at the many ways people we like or agree with have caused harm. In some cases, in deep contrast to the ideals they profess. Artist Jenny Holzer put it best: abuse of power comes as no surprise.

Reading List

Asia Argento accusations

Response from Tarana Burke

Avital Ronell accusations

Responses from Andrea Long Chu // Judith Butler // Chris Kraus

The “Cool” Pope

Jenny Holzer

Let's talk about race, baby, and what white people really mean when they say they don't see it. Whether it's willful ignorance about collective racial identity or an unexpectedly defensive flare-up from someone who claims to be progressive or an intersectional feminist, white fragility has serious consequences. We discuss its impact on people of color with Rachel Cargle, and explore ways for white people to break down internal barriers to growth with Robin DiAngelo. If you are white and listening to this, stick with it, even if you're confused or uncomfortable.

Reading List

White Fragility book

Robin DiAngelo's resources

Rachel Cargle's website and Instagram

Remember that November 9th feeling? We'd like to move in the other direction, so we're donating money, making calls, and shining a light on the people we'd like to see in office instead. We talk with with state-level candidates we're supporting: Cynthia Nixon in New York and Felicia French in Arizona. Christine Hallquist is trans and just became the Democratic nominee for governor in Vermont. Plus, shoutouts to Congressional candidates Abby Finkenauer in Iowa; Lauren Underwood in Illinois; Ilhan Omar in Minnesota; and Rashida Tlaib in Michigan.

Reading List

Higher Heights

Sister District

Gettable Senate seats

Cynthia Nixon for NY governor

Felicia French for AZ state legislature

Abby Finkenauer in Iowa congressional race

Lauren Underwood Illinois congressional race

Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib

Christine Hallquist in VT governor’s race

Also! STOP KAVANAUGH Day of Action

Amina and Ann are writing a book! It's a memoir-manifesto called Big Friendship, and, as we kick off the writing process we're answering some of your friendship questions. Friendships where privilege gets in the way. Friendships where one of you has moved on and doesn't know how to talk about it. Friendships that are post-breakup. Friendships where fat shaming comes into play.

Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) joins us to discuss her policy goals and accomplishments. She believes there is room for optimism even in Ivanka’s dad’s America. Plus, her yes vote on SESTA, safety for sex workers, and why addressing race is a national security imperative (as well as a moral one).

Reading List:

Harris-Rand op-ed on bail reform

Harris statement on SESTA

Smart on Crime by Kamala Harris

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

We love a money diary, even if the internet hated a recent one in Refinery29 about a marketing intern who makes $25/hour and has significant family support to afford her life. In the interest of transparency, we get real about how much we make, where it comes from, secret white people money, emotional spending, and what it means to be self-made.

Shouldn't we all have a personal code for how we internet? Through the mini saga of plane bae, how we're conditioned to indulge in hetero-patriarchal fantasies. When internet fascination turns to outrage, no surprise, women pay the price. TV networks that juice social media storylines do not. Just because someone's account is unlocked doesn't mean you should publicize their posts, at least not without permission. Plus, the hosts of Unladylike are diving deep into the Equal Rights Amendment and its (possible!) future.

Reading list:

Why plane bae was so fucked up / Apology

ERA campaign from Unladylike

We step back from Cheeto-induced chaos in the U.S. and take a global view. Protests at the World Cup in Russia. The politics of globalization and migration on and off the pitch. In China, the government is cracking down on women organizing online. In Nepal, menstrual stigma risks the lives of women and girls. In slightly better news, women in Egypt are working to end gender-based violence, starting with the men who drive cabs and tuk-tuks.

Reading List

Russia: Hidden Flag / Pussy Riot World Cup protests

China: Women factory workers’ networking group shut down

Nepal: Menstruation taboo leading to deaths / ZanaAfrica

Egypt: Iman El-Mahdi of CARE Egypt / Circles of Change program

Everybody poops and we're finally talking about it all: Period poops. The pleasure of getting regular. Checking your stool as an indicator of health. Eliminating poop shame and stigma. The pleasure of the bidet. And Dr. Susan Stryker on the unnatural social construct of sex-segregated public bathroom.

Reading List

Everybody is constipated by Maggie Koerth-Baker at FiveThirtyEight

The Lily on documenting their poop for the duration of the month

“America has softened on stool.”

Period poops

Oprah was on this tip back in 2005 / clip

Tushy, SquattyPotty, Poo Drops

Bristol stool scale

Mona Chalabi on stress and rectal bleeding

Susan Stryker: Everybody poops. No one should be stigmatized for it.

Stalled project

We're at the library, on the beach, and by the pool with our noses in books/kindles. And you know we're all about the stories that share and expand on women's experiences. This week we hear from Jessica Knoll about The Favorite Sister, her novel full of murder and scandal set in the world of reality TV. Glynnis MacNicol's memoir No One Tells You This is full of dispatches on life after 40 when you don't follow a spouse-and-kids blueprint. Yrsa Daley-Ward is perhaps best known as a poet, and her new memoir The Terrible uses that precision of language and feeling to explore her youth.

Reading list:

Novels by Jessica Knoll: Luckiest Girl Alive, The Favorite Sister

...and essays: I Want to Be Rich and I’m Not Sorry, What I Know (trigger warning: description of sexual assault)

No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNicol

Bone and The Terrible by Yrsa Daley-Ward

Share your faves using #cygbooks!

After a week of upheaval in legal doctrine, the Supreme Court issued another shocking decision: Justice Anthony Kennedy is stepping down. Legal writer (and icon) Dahlia Lithwick explains why Kennedy has never been a centrist, reviews some of the landmark cases Kennedy decided, and previews the likely jurisprudence to come. (Hint: it’s about as scary as you think.) A small silver lining: progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won her Congressional primary thanks to grassroots support. Plus, we're working on our protest signs and fundraising with friends.

READING LIST

Dahlia Lithwick on the “fan fic” that Kennedy was a moderate

If all goes well in November, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will be the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

Flippable / Indivisible / Sister District / Run for Something / Swing Left

Donate, Protest, Midterm Elections is the new Gym, Tan, Laundry. Let's move from shock and despair at Ivanka's dad's inhumane immigration policy to reading history and taking action. The white women who defend Trump (and still get burned). Delightful quotes from Flo Kennedy: ''Sweetie,'' she said, ''if you're not living on the edge, then you're taking up space.'' Gina got a website! Bey and Jay's creative partnership and black art in white spaces. And the power of a bespoke suit.

Reading list:

Gina got a website!

Kirstjen Nielsen & complicit white women

Children ripped from their families: Native Americans, slaves, Japanese Americans

Democrats who paved the way for family separation

“Donate, Protest, Midterm Elections is the new Gym, Tan, Laundry.”

Flo Kennedy’s life, quotes, and public access show

June 30: March to Keep Families Together

Bey and Jay’s creative partnership, forgiveness, black art in white spaces

Emily Meyer suits / the power of bespoke

Remember when the question was, let me know when this administration gets really bad? Welcome to this week, especially for immigrants. We rage and discuss options for supporting people who are likely affected in your local community. Plus, loving ways to handle bouts of mental illness and depression within a friendship.

Reading List:

ShopCYG is back!

DOJ not interested in asylum

A small town in Tennessee deals with immigration raids

That Merkel photo

Voter-roll purges greenlit by SCOTUS

Why “You are loved” and “please reach out” aren’t good enough

Crisis text line: Text HOME to 741741 in the United States

Or call 1-800-273-8255

"The scam economy is entering its baroque phase." From Ponzi schemes to fake royals to imposters in the tech and wellness space, our guide to scammers both amusing and insidious.

Common grifters and their scams:

• Fake royals: Anna Delvey, fake-German-heiress scammer; the guy who impersonated a Saudi royal; fake British royal-adjacent Thomas J Mace Archer Mills Esq.
• Political grifters: Trump cabinet scammers: Pruitt (and his wife), Carson, Zinke; Ivanka; all Trumps, really; Jill Stein, recount scammer
• Messy bitches who live for drama: Joanne the Scammer; the ex-Vogue staffer
• Self-declared saints: Pope Francis (and all popes, really); Justin Trudeau; John McCain
• “Wellness” icons: Gwyneth Paltrow; Amanda Chantal Bacon; related scammer: Alex Jones
• Pyramid schemers: Bernie Madoff; the Vegan Bernie Madoff; multi-level marketing
• Silicon Valley tech-scammer: Elizabeth Holmes; so many dude “serial founders”

(Hint: you're already in one.) We talk about all the ways we’re feeling good in our bodies this summer; why body positivity is about working to make the world better for ALL kinds of bodies, not just your own; our favorite instagram accounts from people with a range of hot bods; microdosing, psychedelics, and other ways we get out of our heads and into our bodies.

Insta accounts we love

Jessamyn Stanley / Keah Brown / #DisabledAndCute / the thicc / She’s All Fat / Jacob Tobia / Tuesday Bassen / Muse Gold / Virgie Tovar / FatLeopard.jpeg / Myisha Battle

Reading List:

Lindy West on being a happy fat woman

Microdosing / Michael Pollan / Ayelet Waldman

A feminist guide to microdosing

Interview with our faves at She’s All Fat

We let our aggressive word nerd selves out to play. Why the Glass Cliff is an imperfect metaphor for women who get promoted after men fail (glass shovel, anyone?). Al Franken and what's next for #metoo men. Plus, your questions: is it okay to call a group of women "hey guys"? how do you deal with a fragile male ego at work? And, you donated 580 pints of blood in our drive, enough to save 1700 lives!

Reading list:

“The glass cliff”

Laura McGann on Al Franken + letters she’s gotten from men who miss him

Kate Manne on what misogyny is really about

Leeann Tweeden’s statement

What’s next for ‘Me Too’ men?

#MeToo doesn't lack nuance. Its critics do

The writings of Andrea Dworkin

Hey girl, we're furious and saddened about, well, a lot actually. First, that former New York AG and public feminist (TM) Eric Schneiderman has abused multiple women. Meanwhile in Iowa, that "fetal heartbeat" bill is really an abortion ban, intended to challenge Roe v. Wade. In Ireland, voters could repeal a constitutional ban on abortion, May 25. New research on the stress and financial strain of anti-abortion laws. And a palate cleanser: we love the web series Bad Ally, Naomi Alderman's book, The Power, and the nation of Australia.

With so much attention on Iran this week, we look at daily life for women. Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad joins us to discuss her campaign against compulsory hijab. Plus, how Western feminists and politicians can be better allies to women in Iran. Masih's soon-to-be-released memoir is The Wind in My Hair.

Reading List:

The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran by Masih Alinejad

My Stealthy Freedom campaign

White Wednesdays

Girls of Revolution Street

Wedding season is in full swing. Michelle Markowitz and Caroline Moss join us to discuss their book Hey Ladies, which chronicles the (fictional) emails among 8 BFFs in amid bachelorette party planning and wedding madness. We share our loves and gripes about weddings, group travel planning, and how to communicate better across budgets and desires.

We discuss the fears black customers face in stores and coffee shops (white people stop calling the cops!) Thank you to everyone who's been #bleedin4Amina, no thank you forever to human housecat Jonathan Chait's opinions about female politicians, and we are devastated about Shania Twain's support for Trump/inability to apologize like a proper Canadian.

Reading List:

Fear of A Black Patron

Alex Nieto

EYEROLL @ Jon Chait

Nooooo, SHANIA

We're taking 420 off to get stoned, but fear not, some of our favorite men are here to answer questions from listeners and some of ours, including: Why aren't men funny? Why are men so emotional all the goddamn time? And, can men have it all?

The Men:

Cord Jefferson

Thomas Page McBee

Chris Roan (aka Mr. Of a Kind)

Ezra Klein

Bobby Finger

Jason Parham

Spencer Ackerman

Emmanuel Hapsis

Jorge Rivas

The Resources:

Chris's skin care picks, Ezra's book list and more at callyourgirlfriend.com

A deep dive into some of the new books we're most excited about, with a focus on nonfiction: Brotopia by Emily Chang, Just the Funny Parts by Nell Scovell and Your Art Will Save Your Life by Beth Pickens.

Reading List:

Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys Club of Silicon Valley by Emily Chang

Just the Funny Parts: And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking Into the Hollywood Boys’ Club by Nell Scovell

Your Art Will Save Your Life by Beth Pickens

Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

Back Talk by Danielle Lazarin

The Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch

We're together in NYC with the iconic Cecile Richards. Cecile is the president of Planned Parenthood, and announced earlier this year that she's stepping down. She tells us why she's leaving, how she felt after testifying before Congress for nearly five hours, and what's next. (A political career perhaps?) Her new book is Make Trouble with the #goals subtitleStanding Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead--My Life Story. Come for the juicy behind-the-scenes memoir about the fight for repro rights and her front-row seat to her mom (and former Texas governor) Ann Richards' life and career. Stay for practical and inspiring ways to lead and make social change.

Reading List:

Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead--My Life Story

Cecile's 2015 testimony at Congress's sham anti-choice hearings

Color of Change

SisterSong

Texas Freedom Network

Stormy Daniels: politician, credible source, savvy scammer. Wild Wild Country is our new cult obsession. (Doesn't Amina have the makings of a good cult leader?) Learning new languages as an adult and we're still Bleedin' 4 Amina and discovering an international buffet of blood donation snacks along the way. A SESTA update. Plus, Aly Raisman is calling out concern-troll critics who re-victimize her fellow Olympic gymnasts.

Reading list:

Stormy Daniels is a boss

SESTA update: It passed

Wild Wild Country

Aly Raisman + leotard ban

Amina talks race, friendship and competition with U.S. bobsledders Aja Evans, Elana Meyers-Taylor & Kehri Jones in a bonus episode brought to you by P&G's My Black is is Beautiful.

Good and bad looks from RBG and Ivanka, respectively. The New York Times and National Geographic are reckoning with their legacies of racism and sexism in very different ways. A digression into Game of Thrones, Age of Adaline and the very dimply Michiel Huisman. An update from Patti Masciesz aka @artpatti on how CYG listeners have been billing the patriarchy! We love Drag Race! But have to drag some of RuPaul's outdated views on trans folk.

Reading List

Remember to sign up for the blood drive!

Scrunchies never went away

Ivanka is dressed up like a scientist

NYT “Overlooked” obituary project

National Geographic’s racial reckoning / John Edwin Mason / Doreen St. Felix

You, too, can Bill the Patriarchy

RuPaul's disappointing views on trans people doing drag

Ellen meets Asia Kate Dillon

Slump days, ethical travel, and the dominatrix who makes her clients read black feminist theory. Sex workers say a bill meant to stop child trafficking would do more harm than good. Artist Patti Maciesz is invoicing her reps for all her unpaid work: childcare, missed opportunities, emotional labor and all. Plus, that time Amina coverted a Trump voter at the resort bar in Jamaica.

Shine Theory, millennial pinkwashing, and intellectual property in the internet age. Plus, women-only spaces for profit and for community.

*****

Shine Theory / millennial pinkwashing

Appropriation in fashion

IP in the internet age

Jaclyn Friedman laying groundwork on consent

Audre Lorde laying groundwork on *everything*

NYC: The Wing and New Women Space

LA: Women's Center for Creative Work

Cramps, hysterectomies and the quest to make doctor's believe women's pain. An update from Amina about her cancer journey. Our #bleedin4amina blood drives start this month. Mike Pence's abortion delusions. Parkland teens are amazing. What if Black Lives Matter teen organizers got the same love and support?

Gina takes over the host seat to discuss bisexuality. First, professor and psychologist Jennifer Vencill's research on health, sexual satisfaction, and feelings of invisibility that can affect bisexual people. Plus, writer Catie Disabato on the word bisexuality, how we identify, the richness of being bi, and how to proceed when you feel new feelings for a friend.

There's so much to female friendship, and it extends far beyond a single bestie bond. When best friend is a category, a whole web of relationships develops. We discuss how to navigate the challenges that can arise between your friend and her friends. Plus, Kayleen Schaefer on the history of female friendship, her book Text Me When You Get Home, and policy changes that can better recognize powerful platonic relationships.

We say yes to new friends, sharing suggestions for moving to a new city, finding your feet after a breakup, and being a good bestie when your relationship is about to go long-distance.

We discuss finding your voice and power, particularly as a black woman, with Morgan Jerkins. Her essay collection, This Will Be My Undoing, is out this week. Part memoir, it's a real time exploration of living through your 20s. Plus, Morgan shares her career journey with Amina and her exciting projects to come.

From standup comedy and her #1 iTunes album, to her Queery podcast and yet-to-be-disclosed return to TV, Cameron Esposito is killing the comedy game. She and Ann swap stories of growing up Catholic in the Midwest, being a woman on the internet, and making the art you needed when you were a kid. Plus, Amina and Ann get real about the heteronormative (and oldtimey?) use of 'girlfriend' in the title of this podcast.

Our favorite scammer Wendi Deng Murdoch is back, and possibly a spy? A contraception app scammed its way into regulators' hearts. Kim's baby is here & DJ Khaled is repping Weight Watchers. CVS is banning photoshop. And, our feelings about the backlash against #metoo. (Content warning: while we do not discuss allegations in detail, if you need to skip this segment, we understand. We love you. This episode is long and intentionally front-loaded with fun stuff!)

Amina revisits Jacques Cousteau. We wanted hoverboards & underwater living, an end to racism and sexism, but all we got were these lousy scoop chips. Awards Season headscratching. Hollywood struggles to figure out feminism. Woody Allen is still working. Millionaire celebs donate paltry amounts to Time's Up. Americans desperate for stable genius try to make Oprah be president (let her be Oprah!) And this week in menstruation, free tampons at school in California and Illinois.

Take that new year energy and boost your accountability, activism, emotional health and career goals with advice from some very wise women. Featuring Sabrina Hersi Issa, Sister District co-founder Lyzz Schwegler, friend of the podcast Virgie Tovar, and Shondaland's Jenn Romolini.

This was ~quite~ a year, but we had some favorite moments, too. From talking to some of our sheroes (HRC! Margaret Atwood! Ellen Pao!) to special coverage of pelvic health and women running for office. Plus, some of our favorite podcasters who lent us their voices. If your bestie is daunted by our back catalog, this is the episode to draw her in.

We share our favorite movies, TV shows, podcasts and music of the year. Lean back and hang out as we discuss only good stuff.

Feminism is Webster's word of the year. We discuss our all-time favorite Christmas movies, including Elf, the Holiday, White Christmas and more. Yeah, it's super cozy as we're lounging in new sweatpants and trying all the NYT casserole recipes. Plus, an academic who tried to confirm gender norms got caught scamming. Zoe Terry is our girl shero. And an easy way to make someone's day this holiday with Operation Santa.

Amina shares some personal news. And so much drama at the federal level: the Muslim ban is back, undocumented immigrants could soon lose Obama-era legal protections, and the tax bill is still a nightmare. Plus, a cakemaking bigot doesn't seem like a big deal, but minor acts of discrimination are part of a long game. The waters continue to reveal the creep iceberg as more men in media fall. And yet, Terry Crews' story of assault isn't getting much attention and John Oliver simply doing his job is getting a few too many congrats.

We take a break from the news to discuss some of our favorite books in 2017. Featuring guests Jasmine Guillory (The Wedding Date - coming in January), Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties) and Jaclyn Friedman (Unscrewed).

When the beat drops (an IUD out of your body). The attack on health care, education and reproductive freedom bill known as tax reform. Love for journalists Rebecca Traister, Laura McGann and women speaking up against powerful men. Plus, why this #metoo moment can be about so much more than who gets punished, financially. And, Shine Theory at the NYC marathon.

Women winning in politics! Featuring good post-election news out of Virginia, Minnesota, Montana, Kansas, and elsewhere, and interviews with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Mass. Rep. Katherine Clark about how they won their early races and how they’re working to make change right now.

Are women today already living a dystopia? Ann talks with Margaret Atwood, author of the Handmaid's Tale and many other novels, realistic and speculative. Plus, the ACLU's Brigitte Amiri on real-life anti-choice action on the federal, state and local level. And Australian novelist Charlotte Wood imagines a near-future world where women and shamed, punished and turn on one another.

Gretchen Carlson was the Fox News anchor whose complaint eventually got Roger Ailes fired. Venture capitalist Ellen Pao sued her former employer, Kleiner Perkins, for discrimination and harassment. She didn't win the case, but it began the unmasking of Silicon Valley sexism and abuse. Amina talks with Gretchen about her book, Be Fierce, and with Ellen about her book, Reset. Plus, #WomenofNPR respond to newsroom harassment and the resignation of a top-level editor.

We need more women and people of color in the inspirational quote game. More on Weinstein's enablers. Loophole women and trashing. In posi news, middle school girls are doing great things: writing political plays performed by Hollywood stars and inventing new tests for lead in water. Amy Cuddy, power posing, and the danger of popularity in the academy.

Harvey Weinstein, his enablers, and #metoo. Amina is in Belgium, en route back to the USA. California recognizes a third gender. A street named Rihanna. And a strategy for singing along to your favorite songs (omitting one particular word).

Fresh off our annual retreat, we're tackling our 2018 goals and you can, too. Plus, our dear friends at Who? Weekly, Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger, read the tabloids and fill us in on some of the celebs you've never heard of so you don't even have to do a Google. (Fear not Wholigans: this episode's totally original for you, too).

Amina and Anndiego on the move. April and Sophie of the new podcast She's All Fat share a primer on body positivity (so much more than feeling good about your bod) and diet culture. And a deep dive on Oprah's long struggle-obsession with dieting.

Jessamyn Stanley tells us why yoga is for every body. And Taz and Zahra from Good Muslim Bad Muslim share recent awkward encounters with "can you answer this on behalf of all Muslims?" body questions.

Amina talks with Hillary Rodham Clinton about the friends who helped her through her election defeat, how she's resisting, and what's next. Plus, "authenticity" in politics, the Good Wife, and Elena Ferrante. Stay tuned after the interview for the debrief with Ann, all the way from Australia.

We answer your questions about embarking on a sexual journey, finding ethically sourced plus sized clothing, and trapdoors of racism, sexism, and white lady blindness in relationships.

Do you wish you had a feminist health care provider? What about a body positive experience at the gynecologist, or relief from pain, shame and stigma? Our pelvic health-stravaganza is here at last. A primer on medical literacy and pelvic health with the help of our listeners. Featuring nurse Amy Roberts, certified nurse-midwife Laura Todaro (we're now obsessed with midwives!), and physical therapist with special training in pelvic health, Dana Taussig. Plus, Midwest Divas, we're coming to you in October!

Diana, remembered. Kim in Interview Magazine (and North's first cover). How politicians, royals and celebrities spin the media. Where are the boundaries between public and private life? Plus, Houston relief efforts, the women who faked a male co-founder to pave the way for their startup, and when Prince Charles wanted to be a tampon(?!)

Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah's wrenching story about terrorist Dylann Roof. This Week in Menstruation: a woman fired from her job because of her heavy periods is suing her former employer. Zadie Smith goes after contouring. Aminatou talks to Nilofer Merchant about her new book, the Power of Onlyness. Related, why there will never be another Oprah.

Do you need a safe space to digest the white supremacist terror in Charlottesville? We got you. But hold up, do you need some counter programming to get away from the Nazis and racists? We won't look if you jump ahead to 26:25 for carefree conversation about the perils of group exercise, She Sheds (they're more than mancaves or menstrual huts), your feedback about the Girl Scouts, and where we'll be for the solar eclipse. Even in 2017, we can have nice things.

Overnight oats, heartbreak on The Bachelorette and GoT is finally good. Why the upcoming series Confederate, claims of censorship, and the Google memo are all bogus. Plus, listener feedback on debt, mental illness and housing. And a new segment, Ask a White Person!

How to lose a Mooch in 10 days. Shoutout to the women Senators who stopped the repeal of Obamacare. Cheeto Watch: the White House commission on opioids comes up with a surprising recommendation (fund Medicaid!), Barron Trump's cyber genius didn't stop many officials from getting drawn into a phishing scheme. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is *just fine* funding anti-choice candidates. Fleeing from Central America after being accused, prosecuted and jailed for an illegal abortion, which was simply a miscarriage. Plus, listeners defend the Girl Scouts and questions about debt, depression and a body-shaming group text.

In an extended Cheeto Watch: Ivanka's dad shares strange stories with the Boy Scouts, attempts to kick valiant transgender servicemembers out of the military all while John McCain and GOP senators try their 'skinny' repeal of Obamacare. In happier news, the Japanese artist who 3D printed the shape of her vagina into a kayak is back. The 150 best albums by women and 150 worst albums by men. Plus, CYG's summer bucket list (boob hickies and many crossfades are definitely on it).

This week in menstruation: science says period brain is not a thing and Scotland provides period products for all, for free. The obituaries of Meechy Monroe and Frances Gabe. In just awful news: R. Kelly, predator. Sexual harassment and racism in science. Weighing a blacklist for Silicon Valley creeps. Keeping us posi: the hilarious new movie Girls Trip.

In the second installment of our series on women running for office, we hear from first time candidates. Laura Moser is entering the race for Texas's 7th Congressional district. Molly Sheehan is award-winning scientist with a PhD in biochemistry and biophysics running for Congress in Pennsylvania's 7th district. And yet, so much change is local. We hear from Erica Mauter who started running for a City Council seat in Minneapolis when she realized the candidate she wanted to see was a person with her skills and energy. Tell us about the first-time women candidates you're supporting with #CYGruns.

Let America vote! This Cheeto Watch we explore voter suppression efforts coming from the White House. Better news in Ireland, where Women for Election is working to right gender imbalances in government. Meal kits, cooking, and gendered expectations in the kitchen. Plus, Amina breaks down the latest (dark) developments in the Rob Kardashian-Blac Chyna saga.

Getting names right isn't so hard. Bad policy from the White House and Senate on health care. At the state level, Missouri's new restrictions on birth control in the workplace. In happier news, Rihanna has a new boo, Serena looks amazing in a caftan, and our suggestions for where to get your own luxury loungewear. Plus, new regulation of crisis pregnancy centers in California.

Ann's reporting trip to the Midwest and an actually great conference Amina attended. The politics of the Bachelorette. Why Megyn Kelly is the worst. A Wonder Woman breakdown. When Ivanka met Cecile Richards. And when powerful men don't get convicted for their crimes.

Two books all about women & pleasure: from a political stance, Jill Filipovic and Amina discuss how a feminist rewrite of policy would center women's happiness, not merely struggling toward equality in a white male driven world. Then, Ann talks with writer Chris Kraus, whose work is about so much more than "I Love Dick," including an exploration of class and race on the border in the Bush years, and her forthcoming biography of writer, artist and self-proclaimed It Girl Kathy Acker.

Have you ever considered running for office? Do you know a friend who should? In the first of a two-part special, we're talking about building the infrastructure to encourage women to enter all sorts of races: Congress, yes, but also your city council or school board. We hear from Stephanie Schriock of EMILYs List about the 10k+ women (!) who have expressed interest in running since the 2016 election. And from Amanda Litman of Run for Something, which encourages young people to get involved in politics. Plus, Ann & Amina weigh in on their own political ambitions. Announcements: our shop is still open for pre-orders and there are tickets on sale for our live show in Philly and YES, FINALLY, we're coming to Brooklyn.

Our new line of merch is open for pre-order and tickets are selling fast for our July 16 show in Philly. Gender differences in obituaries, intergenerational friendships, and Joyce Wadler, our fave NYT columnist you've never heard of. Plus, what's Hillary been up to? Samanthy Irby on lattes, avocado toast and economic security. Finally, Amanda Chantal Bacon, your scammer's favorite scammer, and 'shipping Stanley Tucci and Jeff Goldblum.

Come see us live in Philly. Listen to Amina's new podcast, On She Goes. Ruth Ann Harnisch and many more goosebump inducing, wise women are our sheroes. A hot Keanu update. Get your SPF ready for summer. Plus, Cheeto Watch: Ivanka isn't doing much to improve the lives of women in Saudi Arabia and while we respect Melania's hand-swatting, her divorce in the making is costing taxpayers some $$$$.

It's our third podcasting anniversary! Online shopping as a form of therapy. The RompHim, a romper for men. Cheeto Watch: flamin' hot mess edition. Plus, more book recommendations, and our upcoming live show in Philly.

We pause on a week of WTF political news, seeking refuge in the printed word. We discuss Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Helene Cooper; Isadora by Amelia Gray; Grace and the Fever by Zan Romanoff; and Startup: A Novel by Doree Shafrir.

A billion dollar businesswoman's hotel idea. Don't let Ja Rule plan your vacation. Don't let Ivanka Trump write a book about working women. And don't let her dad gut Michelle Obama's support for girls education. Plus, listener questions about what to do when your boss calls you sweet, men who want kids and their female partners who aren't so sure, and a single person's guide to friendship as your besties couple up and start having kids.

A body-positive pelvic exam, taking deep breaths and scam-worthy medical bills. Ivanka is getting (some) hard questions in Berlin. Leave Chelsea Clinton alone. PE class was weird. Astronaut Peggy broke the record for longest time spent in space. And shoutout to Ireland's Repeal the 8th abortion access activists.

Amina's newfound love of Broadway and Ann's woeful experience of being bodyshamed at the gyno. Politics around the world: there's an election coming up in the UK, Justin Trudeau is a climate scammer and Trump's executive order on the EPA is open for public comment. Diversity and inclusivity within the organizing ranks of the march for science. Plus, Barack Obama, former-POTUS, present Instagram Husband. And Tavi Gevinson returns to tell us about Rookie's new podcast in collaboration with MTV.

We go behind the scenes into the business of making this very podcast, from its zero-revenue start in 2014, to how (and how much) money we make today.

4/6/17 - DIY consumer protection and paint selection. Millennial men are not that interested in equitable relationships, apparently. This week in menstruation, Italy is considering paid menstrual leave, plus a very important reference book about cervical fluids. And, the women in a boyband-style group who call themselves "handsome youths."

Desperate times call for DIY home upgrades and a full episode of Cheeto Watch. Paul Ryan is gross. Javanka are up to no good, as usual. Angela Merkel, we feel your pain. Tips on tracking legislation in the states and a Congressional seat battle in Georgia. Plus, the hardest working baby in show business.

Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Human going-out-top and 24 year-old conservative Tomi Lahren facing blowback after supporting abortion rights on The View. Prominent women CEOs of startups are in hot water. But that's nothing compared to the attempted rehabilitation of American Apparel founder and CEO super villain Dov Charney.

How we spent the strike on International Women's Day. We answer listener questions about critically reading feminist thinkers, and keeping up on abortion rights laws. CheetoWatch: what's Kellyanne up to? Representative Steve King and other racist liars. Plus, Inspector Gadget and ALL of our problematic faves.

How did you spend International Women's Day? Thoughts on women's labor strikes of the '70s and now. Study shows that men are more aggro in the Trump era. Brief thoughts on La Croix, post-presidency Barack and the best wealthy communities for thrifting. Women are having too much fun to retire. And, staying politically engaged in a red state.

'90s icons return: Amina discovers the sexiness of Keanu Reeves & there's a a new ::fire emoji:: Calvin Klein campaign featuring the cast of Moonlight. This week in menstruation, that labia glue to stop period flow you heard about? It's a real patent, but also fake news. Cheeto Watch continues as Kellyanne gets too comfortable in the Oval Office and HBCU leaders realize they got played. Plus, a "feminist" manifesto.

An update on the LOL assassins. Amina saw 50 Shades Darker. A pubic hair digression. Dr. Willie J. Parker is an American hero. The wild world of anti-choice legislation coming to state legislatures near you. The books we're reading, the Golden Girls cafe in Manhattan, and the ridiculous GOOP-endorsed vaginal workout tools for when simple Kegels aren't enough.

Cheeto Watch: the crumbs are beginning to fall, from Mike Flynn to Andrew Puzder and, ~people are saying~ even Kellyanne Conway. A hearty handshake and Ivanka ::heart eyes emoji:: for Justin Trudeau. In better news, author Tiffany Dufu wants women to get ahead by doing less. Her new book is Drop the Ball.

Celebrity gossip and Ann's wedding officiant fashion dilemma. Cheeto Watch: soooo many leaks, Elizabeth Warren persisted, the most Ivanka's dad tweet ever and Melissa McCarthy was a too-good Sean Spicer on SNL. Plus, a song about impeachment, impeccable Super Bowl performances, and Galentine's Day.

Beyoncé's pregnant with twins! Which is about the only thing keeping us upbeat during the second week of Cheeto Watch. Plus, the hero lady spy who broke into the GOP retreat, menstruation news from Zambia, and political conspiracy theories from the left and the right.

We discuss the inauguration, the Women's March, and Ann's dispatches from DC. CheetoWatch 2017 begins with the global gag order and many other executive terrors. Plus, billionaire preppers get ready for the apocalypse.

It's Ivanka's dad's inauguration day. We discuss the latest Trump family grift, this time from Tiffany Trump and mom Marla Maples, shady inaugural balls, and the relatively celebrity-free festivities. In heavier news, abortion restrictions in Texas have led to the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world, and more anti-choice policies could be coming soon. In celebrityland, Kim is back on social media, Amina can't be emotionally implicated by Kanye right now, but Selena Gomez and the Weeknd's dumpster-side makeout was paparazzi gold. Plus, a fond farewell to the American Apparel pieces that shepherded us through our early 20s.

It's Ann's birthday week! We ponder decorating dilemmas, too much time spent with institutional racists and Batman villains on cable news, plus the obstinate toddler (aka President-Elect)'s press conference outburst. And, we speak with two organizers of the upcoming Women's March on Washington. More at womensmarch.com

Happy New Year! We're back and squaring our shoulders for 2017: talking money goals and taking our cues from Oprah and her boo Stedman. Plus we turn to some brilliant women for inspiration. Sex coach Myisha Battle reminds us to take time for pleasure this year. Plus, making creative work, getting politically engaged and staying accountable with arts consultant Beth Pickens.

We're snacking in our most luxurious loungewear, bingeing TV and reading away from our closets and microphones. Happy holidays, besties. We'll be back after the holiday break.

We bring you some of the highlights (and lowlights) of 2016: Amina explaining the Kanye-Kardashian-Blac Chyna-Amber Rose octagon, author Rebecca Traister, Whoopi's weed empire for combating period pain, Huma Abedin and our post-election feels. Not to mention the ceaseless gun violence this year. And, some comfort to recall for 2017 from the Joy of Missing Out and the chillout hoodie.

We respond to listener feedback, talk about our plans for gifts and charitable giving, and share the TV shows and a presidential history podcast that are distracting us from politics.

We're dealing with being cold and tired and extra long distance. Plus answers to listener questions about office politics in a family business, a sisterly dilemma, and the crazy capitalist notion that women should "have it all."

We discuss our love of Thanksgiving, namely Friendsgivings, frustrations with Black Friday, and what we're grateful for.

As we continue to process the election results, we discuss taking your anger out at the gym. Plus, answers to listener questions about the best ways to stay informed and support quality journalism, and how to be an activist with social anxiety.

We discuss the results of the presidential election, our tips for self-care and organizations to support, and an action plan for the next four years of Ivanka's dad in the Orange House.

We discuss the presidential race, then take a world tour of feminist news, rag on the men who dropped out of a birth-control study, and what's happening down-ballot with Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

Boycotting Ivanka's businesses. Is it Bigly or Big League? A letter to Trump-loving relatives. This week in menstruation, ancient Romans soaked tampons in opium and a contemporary British teen really doesn't understand how periods work (we don't pee blood, dude). How Amina got Wiki-leaked. And answers to listener questions about hiring women and the friendzone fallacy.

Ann and writer Michelle Tea discuss living hard, getting sober, worshipping Stevie Nicks, having mystical breakthroughs, rehashing the female experience, and making peace with conventional desires.

We discuss the second presidential debate, Kim Kardashian's robbery and capture ordeal, and on a lighter note, TV and movies we're watching: Fleabag, Queen of Katwe, and the third season of Transparent. Plus, RBG gets it wrong on Colin Kaepernick :/

In this phone-a-friend episode, Amina talks with BuzzFeed News tech writer Nitasha Tiku about Silicon Valley's storytelling prowess, how she dishes up smart and incisive journalism without alienating sensitive tech founders, plus the new TV show Westworld.

We discuss the first presidential debate, Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna, the wobbly science of power posing, and positive and negative period news.

Aminatou chats IRL with Doreen St. Félix, brilliant MTV News writer and co-host of the podcast Speed Dial to discuss black excellence, the beautiful upcoming film, Moonlight, their real ages, and the many TV shows they're watching this fall.

Illnesses real and imagined, Congress linked Zika to Planned Parenthood and is funding neither, Bakeoff's bad move, Ivanka's dad's faux-empowerment tour. On a happier note, Shine Theory at the White House and among female bonobos.

We slay our inbox with answers your questions about dealing with an abstinent boyfriend, a weed industry woman asks how to manage men. Plus, Single with Sexy Dreams, being a jerk is not being assertive, and a casual friend who leans too hard in their time of crisis.

From our self-care retreat in Palm Springs, we chat IRL about Hillary conspiracy theories and invent some of our own about Ivanka's dad. Debating which heads of state and aging celebrities we'd kick out of bed. Creep news, from Johnny Depp to Nate Parker to lady villain Arianna Huffington. And a billion dollar period idea.

From our live show in Los Angeles, Shine Theory and black excellence at the Olympics and our new segment, What's Wendi Up To. Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz returns with her BFF Courtney Kocak. Plus, we answer a 23 year-old listener's question about how to befriend older women.

Happy Friday! We're in the pool in Palm Springs this week. Take a listen for our podcast recommendations while we're away. Back next week with the episode we recorded live at the Ace Theatre in Downtown LA.

We divulge some of our struggles around shopping and spending. How can you be an ethical consumer? At long last we launch the CYG shop and introduce our merch maven Caroline Knowles. And, independent artist and designer Tuesday Bassen on how Zara ripped off her work and her path to becoming an indie merch queen.

Amina and Ann share their book recommendations for the summer. Plus interviews with two kickass feminist authors named Jess. Jessica Valenti's memoir Sex Object is on the New York Times bestseller list. And Jessica Bennett's funny manual for avoiding workplace sexism, Feminist Fight Club, is out in September.

Post-DNC, Amina and Ann recap Michelle's perfect speech and HIllary's historic nomination. Ann sits down IRL with journalist Jorge Rivas to discuss his time at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and his work writing about race, gender, immigration, and the real people driving social movements.

We discuss signature fragrances, chic cults, Ivanka's dad's running mate and his wife's novelty business. Plus, Kim Kardashian's CVS-length receipts.

In a special episode, we reflect on America's gun violence epidemic, speak with CYG listeners who own guns, hear from advocates working to reform gun laws, and from Lucia McBath, whose teenage son Jordan Davis was shot and killed by a white stranger in 2012. Plus, what you can do to make your voice heard.

We discuss what it's like to be a bleeding-heart liberal political activist in a red state, the stretchy joys of being a midwest diva, and planning a big gay heartland wedding.

We discuss hot hot hot Supreme Court decisions, affirmative action and white women, free pads and tampons in New York!, Hillz and Elizabeth Warren, and Brexit.

Amina calls model and climate advocate Cameron Russell to discuss her time at the Paris Climate talks, what's on her Kindle, and balancing her dual identities in fashion and activism.

From the United State of Women Summit in Washington, DC, we talk about black girl magic, pro-choice fashion, tech safety tips for abuse survivors and Oprah and Michelle Obama's friendship. Plus, conversations with Valerie Jarrett, Renee Bracey-Sherman and Kim Gandy.

We discuss Hillary Clinton's historic nomination, when Amina met Kim, men getting vulnerable, the period ad that shows real blood, defining home, and a question about a never-ending internship.

Amina calls BuzzFeed Violet video queen Ashly Perez to discuss Oprah, being highly visible as a woman on the internet, why all TV should be bingeable and Ashly's scripted series, You Do You.

We COMPLAIN and discuss laugh therapy, why the pope is to blame for fake periods, incompetent men, Ivanka's dad's $60,000 weave, and the vegan Bernie Madoff.

Happy birthday CYG! It's our second anniversary and we're (still) celebrating Blac Chyna, (still) fearing menstrual sponges, and sending shine to our listeners and guests.

We tackle listener questions about bestie drama, internet FOMO, calling your doctor, and a high-pitched vocal dilemma.

We discuss Lemonade, scamming, the Met Gala, period activism going mainstream, Melania (aka Ivanka's stepmom), election season self-care, and child-free icons.

In a special four-way crossover episode with Another Round, we discuss the latest on Ivanka's dad, is the Pope a Bernie bro? And cis dudes experience periods for themselves (sorta). Then, Another Round hosts Heben and Tracy share their podcast love story and pump up song. And spoken sound art from musician Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs.

In this phone-a-friend edition, Ann calls journalist Maria Konnikova to talk about con artists, psychopaths, catfishing and her book The Confidence Game.

From our live show in DC, we talk with Maryland Rep. Donna Edwards about her run for the Senate. Hot topics: how to rate the very nice Uber driver who almost killed you, the newest Kardashian, and Hillary's liaBILLity. Then, Amina talks with tech power lady Kara Swisher about her political ambitions and sex appeal from the Lesbians Who Tech Summit.

We discuss futuristic tampons, weed as a cramp remedy, menstrual leave from work, and so much more.

We talk with Huma Abedin, longtime Hillary Clinton strategist, aide, and Vice Chair of her 2016 presidential campaign about having her emails and private life made public, Hillary's record on abortion rights, and what Bill might do as First Dude. A lightning round on her besties and what her podcast with Hillary would be about. Plus, Amina and Ann debrief on Susan Sarandon, the white people bubble, and current reading lists.

Millennial anxiety: the terrifying risk of falling into poverty, rude people, naked selfies and empowerment. Period euphemisms, both intended and accidental. What happens when women join formerly male-dominated professions. And introducing the chillout hoodie.

Ann calls Smitten Kitchen creator Deb Perelman to learn about her favorite recipes and the hustle of cooking and writing for the internet, home-cooked meals as a creative pastime and the chocolate cake that can ease menstrual woes.

We discuss the Supreme Court's "red hot feminists" and ending the tampon tax. Rebecca Traister shares from her new book All the Single Ladies, including the brief history of single women in America and the origin story of Amina and Ann.

In this phone-a-friend edition, Ann calls up Wendy MacNaughton, illustrator, visual journalist, and all around badass to talk about freelancing, collaborating, career changes, procrastination and documenting San Francisco through drawing.

From our live event in San Francisco, we discuss Scalia's death, period pain, and what's up with Kanye. Virgie Tovar's tips for surviving the diet-pocalypse. And Melinda Gates on the toll of unpaid labor and Bill's reaction to "Formation."

We're jam-packed with advice from business-minded ladies: Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo, cofounders and bestiepreneurs at Of a Kind on running a creative partnership. And we answer listener questions about receiving feedback at work and finding your passion.

In this phone-a-friend edition, Amina calls up core bestie and bruja Jenna Wortham to discuss movies to cry to on airplanes, potions, and Sex and the City. Not to mention key mixtapes, whether JK Rowling is woke, and post-Presidency life for the Obamas. Plus, catfishing confessions.

Podcasting in facemasks, we've got a news rapid fire, including the all-lady Congress during DC's snowstorm. This week in menstruation, would you try a marijuana suppository to cure cramps? Amina as internet investigator with deep background on Kanye's Twitter rant. And hate the caucuses but not Iowans.

In this phone-a-friend edition, Ann calls author, fashion-forward and body positive activist Virgie Tovar. She shares her journey from happily jiggling kid to starvation-obsessed college student, to happy and healthy Virgie of today.

An update on Y'all Qaeda. Ivanka endorses her dad and we seek an unassailable Trump. Sean Penn's soul patch is so gross but El Chapo's shirt is amazing. Plus, the Great British Bakeoff, our brief Bravolebrity moment and January gift problems.

For this week's phone-a-friend edition of Call Your Girlfriend, Amina calls up A++ lady and writer Dodai Stewart to talk about their mutual love of all things korean: k drama, k pop, tony moly face masks. Plus, personal dramas and mishaps on Tinder.

We discuss Amina's contempt for New Year's resolutions, winter sports, Oregon's snack-happy militia, a black woman's hilarious trolling of her rude white coworker, and Fox News' Megyn Kelly. Plus, CYG listeners raised $30k for ZanaAfrica and philanthropist Ruth Ann Harnisch on small and sustainable ways to effect big change.

Happy New Year! In this phone-a-friend edition, Amina calls content queen Shani Hilton to discuss houseplants, why the workplace is still not ready for black women's ambition (ugh) and BuzzFeed's coverage of HBCUs and unjust fines in Texas. Plus, Amina's white DNA, what has happened on Grey's Anatomy since we all stopped watching and life lessons from Shonda Rhimes.

It's Christmas! In this phone-a-friend episode, Ann talks with writer Heather Havrilesky about her existential advice column Ask Polly, making friends on the internet and how we can improve our advice-giving.

For this week's phone-a-friend edition of Call Your Girlfriend, Amina calls up amazing human, Editor-in-Chief of Rookie Magazine and your favorite lady's lady crush, Tavi Gevinson to discuss Rookie Yearbook 4, TV, besties, winter coping tips and so much grown ass woman shit.

We discuss why Ivanka Trump's dad is so embarrassing, our recommended end-of-year donation, what to do when you're jealous of your bestie, and why Sen. Barbara Mikulski writes the best emails.

For this week's phone-a-friend edition of Call Your Girlfriend, Amina calls top Hollywood bae, Stephanie Beatriz who plays the no-nonsense, leather-jacket wearing Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn Nine-Nine to discuss shine theory, how she got into acting, her favorite TV shows and so much more.

We discuss the Thanksgiving we spent in an Albertson's parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga, neighborly racism, and some podcast-on-podcast Shine Theory. Plus! A conversation with Rebecca Traister about our endless Hillary fascination.

Amina calls core lady and top-notch writer Marisa Meltzer to talk about Instagram models, rooftop seduction, and their holiday gift obsessions.

This week we discuss Aziz Ansari’s Master of None, the protests at the University of Missouri, the Irish abortion rights campaign #repealthe8th, why Jackeée Harry is so wonderful and Aminatou's ridiculous love for DJ Khaled.

In this special phone-a-friend edition of Call Your Girlfriend, Aminaou talks to Irin Carmon, co-author of The Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

We're back! We talk about the Benghazi hearings, Bieber's return, Drake's turtlenecks, Adele's furs, and the fact that someone made a bluetooth-enabled menstrual cup. Plus, guest Andrew Golis fields a question about not-so-feminist men, and we set the record straight on Shine Theory.

We discuss hrod17's email dump, Taylor's colonial fantasy, big sisters and little sisters, and menstruation-loving cultures. Plus! Sexy bellybutton times.
Reading List:
hillary emails
taylor’s colonial fantasy
the williams sisters

We discuss the 1989 Tour, our favorite Trump: Ivanka, political scandals and LOLs, Drake+Serena and white people appropriating black slang.
Reading List:
BFF power couples
Ivanka's favorite podcasts
Joe Biden is a creep
Hang in There Columba
Aubrena forever
Fuckboy misuse
Shoutouts: Listen to Ann on the Dinner Party Download and Amina on Rerun and The Main Draw

We discuss the early days of the 2016 presidential race, our love for Planned Parenthood, free bleedin’, and period feminism. Plus, a user review of period underwear.
Reading list:
Republican debate
rebecca traister on how women are so hardcore
this week in menstruation: free bleeding marathon
period feminism

We discuss whether free dongin' is like free boobin', nudist resorts, menstrual sea sponges, and female Viagra. Plus, the shortcomings of both white people and White People (the documentary).
Reading list:
Free dongin’
(Un)natural sponges
The new female
White People

We discuss diversity and National Parks, Ariana Grande licking donuts, the best of summer (drinks/bodies/dresses/swimsuits/songs), a sponge update, sexual peer pressure, the power of women athletes, and the joys of Magic Mike XXL.
Reading list:
National Parks
Ariana Grande
Summer bodies
Queen Serena
Summer of Swoll
Magic Mike XXL

We answer listener questions about going braless, making it as a writer, how much we love Stanley Tucci and his polka dot apron, and a listener calls us out on how we talk about periods. Plus, an update on how white people are using diverse emoji and how to deal with an office frenemy.
Reading List:
A week of free boobin'
Ira Glass on doing the work
Stanley Tucci in a polka dot apron
Watch: Stanley Tucci and chef Eric Ripert make martinis and risotto

We discuss Rachel Dolezal, Ariana Grande's empowerment rant, women who shave their faces and what to do when you don't looove your long distance bestie's new bestie.
Reading List:
"Being able to shift one’s race is a privilege."
Shame shame Ben Affleck || Ariana Grande's feminist letter
Women who shave their faces
We endorse: Mat Johnson's amazing new book

We discuss famous dudes creeping on non-famous women, contraceptive sponges and other things that get stuck up there.
Reading list:
famous dudes creeping
how to talk to women on twitter
“Is he sponge-worthy?”
Music list:
Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
Junior Brown - Surf Medley
Ratatat - One
Hannah Rad Edit of Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

We discuss Ann's visit to RuPaul's DragCon, men and housework, women in flats, the gross faux food Soylent, how white people are using the new multiracial emoji and the amazing life (and death) of Sandra Bem.
Watch The Fall on Netflix: it's so feminist
Men and housework
Cannes Flatgate
Ugh soylent
How the other half lives
Sandra Bem, extraordinary woman
Shine Theory: Serena Williams: “Let’s just put an end to this myth that women players cannot be friends.”
This week in menstruation: The Period Fairy

We love Janet Mock, Kim K's selfie book, Bruce Jenner's incredible interview, power lady obituaries, Amy Schumer feminist commentary and so much more.
Reading List:
Shine Theory: Janet Mock on Super Soul Sunday
Feminist sefies
Kim K selfie book
We love you, Bruce
Jean Nidetch, Weight Watchers boss lady / “Compression is just so 15 years ago”
"You'll be the hottest girl in the nation with just a touch of foundation"
Diva cup of doom || bleached tampons
greek heroism

This week, a menstruation extravaganza: diva cupdate, period panty hacks, and a dramatic reading of Goodnight Menses. Plus! Couples' therapy for coworkers and Toni Morrison's regrets. And shoutout to listeners Charlotte and Danielle, who we met as part of OpenTable's #100opentables.
Reading list:
Period panties
Goodnight Menses
Tech dudes in couples therapy
Toni Morrison's regrets

In a special IRL episode from Amina's Palm Springs birthday compound, we discuss the origin of CYG mantra body's choice with the woman who coined it, Brittany Callendar. A primer on who's in the Illuminati. A listener says our use of "baby feminist" is condescending. California is in full drought mode. And Carolyn Pennypacker-Riggs of BOUQUET on the business of making music.
Reading and music list at callyourgirlfriend.com.

We discuss how to start your own podcast, making friends after college, and key reading for baby feminists to learn more.
Baby feminist syllabus, music list and resources for podcasting at callyourgirlfriend.com.

We discuss Hillary's email, leaning in together, a menstruation anthem, beefy dudes undermining the all-women Ghostbusters remake, and shine theory in mountain biking.
Reading list:
Hillary’s inbox problem
Don't call it "choreplay"
"Tampons & Tylenol"
Medicating women's feelings
The all-dude Ghostbusters remake
Shine theory in downhill mountain biking

We discuss the best moment of the Oscars, 50 Shades of Gray, what's in a name? And the best apps and books for managing your money.
Reading list
Don't change your naaaaaaame || a different perspective
“Fifty Shades of Grey” is to publishing what Spanx was to the undergarment business
Mr Money Moustache
Pound Foolish || The Opposite of Spoiled
Music list at callyourgirlfriend.com

We discuss why women should never have a candy dish at work, public radio voice and vocal insecurity, celebrities revolting against the red carpet, and Kanye and Taylor showing a little shine theory. Plus! A period-joke challenge.
Reading list:
Women doing the office housework
Public radio voice and vocal fry
The grossest period joke ever
Red carpet revolt
Kanye & Taylor
Music list at callyourgirlfriend.com

We discuss men in jeggings, playing through the (period) pain, naming your baby Nutella, and confronting your internet trolls.
Reading list:
Men in jeggings
Men worrying about balding
Playing through the pain
Baby Nutella
Lindy West confronts her troll
A week of online harassment
Girlhood! Girlhood opens in limited US release Friday, January 30.

We discuss wardrobe pare-down techniques, as Ann records from inside her closet. Why red carpet season turns us into human garbage monsters. Women who don’t want other women to have abortions. Sophia Grace shouts out her girlfriends, but where is Rosie? This week in Shine Theory, the delightful contestants on Masterchef, Jr. This week in menstruation, an IUD update and don't flush tampons. And, how to deal with imposter syndrome.
Reading List:
Closet pare-down
Women who don’t want other women to have abortions
Alison Turkos shoutout
Shine Theory: Masterchef Jr
Music:
Mark Ronson - Leaving Los Feliz (ft. Kevin Parker)
Sophia Grace - Best Friends
Nena - 99 Luftballons
Hannah Rad edit of Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

We discuss Amina’s facetime with the Notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Ann’s encounters with new age bullshit in Guatemala, the fantastic movie Selma and racism in Hollywood. And this week in menstruation, our birth control quandaries about IUDs and depo shots.
Watch list:
Country hunks for Hillary
Amina and RBG!
Go see Selma
Music:
Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
Weezer - The Good Life
Enya - Only Time
Hannah Rad edit of Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

We answer listener questions about group travel, how this podcast came to be, and which TED Talks are worth it. (Hint: POWER POSE).
Watch list:
Less stress, more confidence
Music:
Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
Tom Aspaul - Good Together
Hannah Rad edit of Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

We discuss the books, movies, TV and music we loved this year! Full recs at CallYourGirlfriend.com
Music:
Tinashe - Pretend ft. A$AP Rocky
Jenny Lewis - Just One of the Guys
Kelis - Jerk Ribs
Phantogram - Fall in Love
Drake - The Catch Up
Bobby Shmurda - Hot N*gga
Remy Ma - I’m Around
Sinkane - How We Be
Perfume Genius - Queen

We discuss period cramps, being the creepy journo lady at college parties, Solange's amazing wedding, white people will not shut up about the booty, Taylor Swift is so good at shine theory, and OMG SQUATTY POTTY.
Reading List:
Solange wedding
columbusing the booty
shine theory in the wild
squatty potty
Music:
Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
Speelburg - Kline
Janelle Monae ft. Solange - Electric Lady
2 Live Crew - Too Much Booty in the Pants
Hannah Rad edit of Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

We discuss the midterm elections, Taylor Swift and Beyonce, ebola and Jian Ghomeshi, and menstruation superpowers. Plus we answer questions about iPhone snobs and our favorite podcasts.
Links:
Ugh, the midterm elections
Beyonce rumors
Tay Swizzle will not be bullied.
"I knew about Jian Ghomeshi"
Menstruating women boxers
Music:
Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
I Just Can't Wait to Be King
Taylor Swift - Shake it Off
Cut Copy - Hanging on to Every Heartbeat
Phantogram - Black Out Days remix ft Danny Brown and Leo Justi

We advise listeners on how to deal with an ex-bestie who keeps popping up years later. And a sticky situation involving love, debt, marriage as a potential economic tool, and lasagna. Email your questions to callyrgf@gmail.com.
Music:
Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
ZZ Top - Viva Las Vegas
Hannah Rad edit of Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

We answer your burning questions about annoying coworkers, when to confront a long distance bestie who's let you down, and tips for surviving high school. Can women still love football? Can pulling out be sexy? What if it's a tampon? Plus, Chanel "empowertising" on the runway and why Karl Lagerfeld is evil.
Music:
Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
Roxane Polvin - I'm Too Sexy
Caribou - Silver
Lorde - Team (Autograf remix)
Clean Bandit ft Jess Gwynne - Rather Be
The Chainsmokers - KANYE (Kasum remix)
Call Your Girlfriend (Hannah Rad edit)

We discuss babies and why some people just don't know if they want them, how to not get fooled by fake body positive anthems, shero Shonda Rhimes, the brave & wonderful college ladies leading the anti-rape movement and this week in menstruation.
Reading list:
What if you just don't know if you want kids?
Ban Meghan Trainor
Don't mess with Shonda or Viola
Meet the College Women Who Are Starting a Revolution Against Campus Sexual Assault
"Carry that Weight"
Tampon run!
"Oh God, he's done period-sex taste tests. Oh God. Oh God.”

We discuss digital detoxes, Ferguson fallout and what it takes to get white people to care about police brutality, summer camp for adults, and our ideal retirement situation.
Reading list:
A year-long digital detox
Different rules apply if you're white
The white mom of a black son gets a rude awakening
On the likelihood of bumping into a police officer
Adult summer camp, not as sexy as it sounds
"we watch an early-sixties blonde seduce a mid-thirties male"

In a special listener mailbag edition, we answer questions about starting a long-distance friendship, women who are mansplainers, a Shine Theory dilemma, work self vs. internet self, an office style dilemma, and why iPhone read receipts are terrible.
Music:
Beyoncé - Irreplaceable
QT - Hey QT
Snakehips - Days Without You ft. Sinead Harnett
Kacey Musgraves - Follow Your Arrow
Phantogram - Fall in Love
Hannah Rad edit of Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

On this week's agenda: a Beyonce sighting, how to make friends, Pope Francis's internet, male aggression on public transit, baby feminists, black immigration and white perception, plus this week in menstruation.
Reading list:
How to make friends as an adult
The pope is so wrong about the internet
A story about defusing hyper-masculine aggression
Awesome baby feminists
Black people, white perception
lol at the phrase "accused of menstruation"

We discuss weekend trips to the wine country and geodesic greenhouses (dude! Bio-Dome!), Kanye's struggle against the creative class system, plug-and-play celebrity fragrances, how to contact your professional crush, and another genius trend story from the New York Times: wedding weed concierges.
Reading List:
Kanye’s GQ cover story
Beyonce fragrances
What happens when women and minorities try to promote diversity at work
OMG POT AT WEDDINGS

We discuss 42-year-old women, the potato salad Kickstarter and our dream food-truck ideas, how to break up with a bestie, uteruses for rent, and free PR advice for LeBron.
Reading list:
In "praise" of 56-year-old men "praising" 42-year-old women
The infamous potato salad kickstarter
LeBron takes his talents to South Beach and back again
The LeBron profile Nike didn't want us to read
Apparently you can get paid to gestate a baby
Sponsored shout-out to Heraty Law!

We discuss the terrible terrible Hobby Lobby decision, how much we love RBG, why annual lady exams are garbage, our predictions for song of the summer and we answer all your pressing topic requests. Happy 4th of July!
Reading List
Everything Irin Carmon Has to Say About Hobby Lobby is The Truth
Annual pelvic exams are useless
FIRST MOON PARTY!

We discuss wedding survival tips, innovation, (not) watching the World Cup, and dressing for success. Plus our pal Cord Jefferson tells us about the glamorous life of a Hollywood screenwriter.
Reading List:
"Disrupting" everything
Hillary's style
Racism fatigue

Welcome to a transatlantic edition of Call Your Girlfriend! Amina is in Brooklyn and Ann is in London. On the agenda: Techie backlash, caftan appreciation, why America is the best country for black people, Kardashian family values, faking it, myths of chillness, self-loathing straight people, and hippie remedies. Plus! A defense of rom-coms from Vulture writer Lindsey Weber.
Reading List:
Caftan-ready bodies
Reparations
You didn’t read that reparations article and here’s how we know
The plural of beef
Faking cultural literacy
Devastating “Blended” review LOL

Welcome to Call Your Girlfriend! On this week's agenda: Special IRL circumstances, smug Californians, the Obamacare struggle is real, menstruation clickbait, Beyonce's influence, and drunk online shopping. Plus: What's in a name?