Strong Opinions Loosely Held

Latest Episodes:

Welcome to Season 3! Mar 30, 2018

Show notes

Welcome to the world of memes. Where nuance means nothing and images are everything! This season, we find out what happened to Peaches Monroee after she coined On Fleek, dive into the reaction GIFs selection on Giphy, and talk to meme maker Quinta Brunson. In this trailer, Elisa talks with UC Berkeley Center for Technology Fellow, Kate Miltner, who fills us in on some history and tells us why memes are pretty, pretty, pretty cool. Special shout out to our Season 3 sponsor, Spotify. We love you and use you all the time!

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S2E10: Why Male Bosses Don't Get It Sep 11, 2017

Show notes

You #LeanIn. You #AskForMore. You #SideHustle. Yet you still feel like an imposter, even though you're pretty sure you know more than your male boss. How do you survive being manterrupted, passed over, and side-eyed at work when even Senator Kamala Harris and Arianna Huffington have to put up with it at the office? Elisa talks to “Feminist Fight Club” author and New York Times journalist, Jessica Bennett about how to combat subtle sexism and why being a bitch is A-OK. Director and Head of Product at Wirecutter (and feminist husband) David Bloom provides a male boss' perspective. Bennett's book is now out in paperback.

This is our last episode of the season. *crying emoji* We’d love to come back for a season 3!

What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know!

Instagram: @popculturepirate

Twitter: @popcultpirate

Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Conversation with Aubrey Plaza Sep 11, 2017

Show notes

Elisa talks with comedian and actress Aubrey Plaza about her latest film and how Instagram has influenced her in her newest role and in real life. This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience after the LA screening of Plaza's latest film, "Ingrid Goes West".

What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know!

Instagram: @popculturepirate

Twitter: @popcultpirate

Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S2E9: When Your Pop Culture Doesn't Match Your Politics Sep 05, 2017

Show notes

What do you do when you love the beat but the lyrics aren't quite....liberating? If you're ashamed of your music choices, don't be. Elisa talks with "Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear, and Why" author Sady Doyle and "Call Your Girlfriend" podcast host Aminatou Sow about enjoying problematic popular culture.

This is our second to last episode for season 2! We'd love to come back for another season if you'll have us.

What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know!

Instagram: @popculturepirate

Twitter: @popcultpirate

Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S2E8: Why Are We Still Not Happy? Aug 28, 2017

Show notes

The main consumer of self-help products in the US are women living in coastal cities. So how have decades of encouragement to "find our best selves" and "live our best lives" affected us? And why are we still looking for happiness in self-help books when the world’s happiest countries don’t sell all that many of them? Elisa talks with lawyer-turned-journalist Jill Filipovic about her new book, "The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness." In it, Filipovic suggests that our biggest roadblocks could be toppled by a feminism and politics that focus on women’s happiness and pleasure.

What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know!

Instagram: @popculturepirate

Twitter: @popcultpirate

Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S2E7: How HGTV Explains America Aug 21, 2017

Show notes

HGTV is known for its unique audience that reaches millennials, feminists, queers, conservatives and Christians. That’s because the one thing we can all agree on is homeownership. But while HGTV’s homeowner-focused programming unites us, it also plays a role in dividing us. Elisa talks with “No Place Like Home” author and Georgetown professor, Brian J. McCabe to get to the bottom of how and why HGTV explains America.

What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know!

Instagram: @popculturepirate

Twitter: @popcultpirate

Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S2E6: Selling Squad Goals Aug 14, 2017

Show notes

Can you sell female friendship after you've put women down? Who did Taylor Swift vote for? Did she vote? Why does she represent our general distrust in well-intentioned white women? Elisa talks to "Stuff Mom Never Told You" podcast host Bridget Todd and BuzzFeed's senior culture writer Anne Helen Petersen to track the evolution of Taylor Swift from putting women down to embracing them. Petersen's book,"Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman" can be found wherever you get your books.

What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know!

Instagram: @popculturepirate

Twitter: @popcultpirate

Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S2E5: Teenage Girls Are Magic Aug 07, 2017

Show notes

Historically, young women have set all the trends: the Beatles, Instagram, and Snapchat just to name a few. But they are always discounted as silly, cute, or frivolous. Why do we discount young women but embrace "early adopters"? Elisa talks to Muhlenberg College professor Dr. Francesca Coppa and New York Times journalist Amanda Hess to unpack how teenage girls have all the power in the world... but simultaneously, no power at all.

What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know!

Instagram: @popculturepirate

Twitter: @popcultpirate

Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S2E4: Little White Lie Jul 31, 2017

Show notes

How do we come to terms with the lies our families tell us? Are we really an extension of our parents? How do we define our identities if we aren't? This week’s episode is dedicated to finding personal truth, inspired by the film "Little White Lie" by director Lacey Schwartz. The film is a personal documentary about the legacy of family secrets, denial, and the power of telling the truth. Schwartz was accepted to college as a Black student, a decision based solely on a photo she submitted with her application. Lacey didn’t openly acknowledge her black identity with her white family until her biological father's death forced her to confront her mother about the past. Elisa talks with Lacey about family secrets, dual identities, and the power of being honest with yourself and those around you.

What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know!

Instagram: @popculturepirate

Twitter: @popcultpirate

Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld

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S2E3: Please Exit Through the Feminist Gift Shop Jul 24, 2017

Show notes

Hold onto your pussy hats. Tuck in your Future is Female T-shirts. We are doing a deep dive into the buying and selling of feminism! Beyoncé, Emma Watson and Taylor Swift have all come out as feminists in a time when feminist themes sell everything from wireless plans to cigarettes. Are these empty signifiers of "empowerment" or are they helpful reminders that women are actually human? What happens when shopping becomes a political act? Elisa talks to "We Were Feminists Once" author Andi Zeisler about the mainstreaming of feminism and what it means, if anything, for us.

What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know!

Instagram: @popculturepirate

Twitter: @popcultpirate

Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.