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The Polyester Podcast — Society & Culture
The Polyester Podcast

Is Blake Lively a bitch or being misconstrued? Will Elon ever stop cringing us out? And why is everyone using slurs again?

Every week Polyester’s head girlies Ione Gamble and Gina Tonic take you down a weekly rabbit hole of online discourse and pop culture – from trad wives and surrogacy to porn stars and unhinged press tours. Exploring the intersection of IRL and URL through a feminist lens, the Polyester Podcast is your weekly digest on absolutely everything everyone on the internet is talking about.

With guests like Tavi Gevinson and Sofia Coppola collaborator Stacey Battat, and special episodes beamed into your ears from cultural centres like London’s Tate Modern and Barbican Centre, every Monday we offer a down-to-earth take from the front lines of the internet, feminism, and the weird world of celebrity it has spawned.

Hosted by Editor in Chief Ione Gamble with Senior Editor Gina Tonic. Edited by Olivia Graham. Have faith in your own bad taste!

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Polyester is a self published, intersectional feminist arts and culture publication aiming to bridge the gap of URL cyberfeminism with the IRL world.

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

Copyright: © Copyright Polyester zine 2019 All rights reserved.

Latest Episodes:

From The Tea App To Princess Treatment: How The Right Wing Agenda Is Poisoning The Dating Pool Aug 10, 2025

Show notes

Should you quiz your man on if he's doing princess treatment or the bare minimum? Are you allowed to look waiters in the eye or would that ruin you and your husband's night? Have you tried to check if your Hinge date is a creep and ended up getting doxxed by 4chan? If you're single and looking to mingle, these extreme situations - or, extreme online recommendations of how to act - are getting more and more commonplace.

In this week's episode, hosts Ione and Gina discuss how the right wing agenda is poisoning the dating pool, whether the widening politics of gen z men and women are affecting romance and why uploading your ID online is the opposite of a step towards a safe internet experience.

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!

Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!

A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.

Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.

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

Are Sydney Sweeney's Jeans The Harbinger Of Doom? Aug 03, 2025

Show notes

It's been over a year since we last spoke about Sydney Sweeney and how many online and off see the Euphoria actress as a MAGA spokeswoman. Her latest scandal - an American Eagle advert celebrating the blonde's "great genes" - cements Sweeney's spot as the right's poster child.

In this week's episode, recorded before that expose revealing Sweeney is a registered Republican - hosts Ione and Gina dig into how fast speed advertising has changed the role of celebrity, why brands are being more blunt about appealing to Trump fans and why we should be more comfortable in calling a spade a spade (or calling a eugenicist a eugenicist).

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!

Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!

A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.

Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.

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

Is It 'The Gen Z Stare' Or Have Young People Always Been Called Rude? Jul 27, 2025

Show notes

Just as the internet once spent years ripping into the minutia of what made up Millennial sociological habits and expression, now the younger generation is feeling the flack as social media takes the mickey out of 'the gen z stare'. The look itself is comprised of staring blankly when presented with a query, especially when in a work environment.

In this week's episode, hosts Ione and Gina ask whether young people have always been seen as rude or whether gen z have a particularly obvious feeling of apathy due to the lingering effects of COVID, the climate crisis and an inability to connect with one another. Are we on the brink of gen z being the main focus of online mockery or is it genuinely shocking that they don't say 'hello' upon answering a phone call?

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!

Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!

A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.

Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.

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

Our Verdict on Lena Dunham’s Too Much: Are We So Back Or Is The Rom Com Not Good Enough? Jul 20, 2025

Show notes

We're back from our (unplanned, sorry!!) break with a big one. Lena Dunham has returned to television with a Netflix series that many online are claiming to be as good as - or even better than - Girls, the much lauded HBO show that launched her career. Conversely, critics are writing scathing reviews for broadsheets about the portrayal of romance, women and London in the show. But which is it? And are our hosts impressed with the Megan Stalter fronted romcom?

This week, Ione and Gina get to grips with whether Too Much is hot or a flop: exploring the representation of class dynamics, the acclaim the series is receiving for fat representation, and questioning why Jess, the show's lead, has absolutely zero mates.

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!

Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!

A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.

Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.

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

The Summer Of Crashing Out: Justin Bieber, Cory's World And Tattle Life Jun 29, 2025

Show notes

Ding dong the witch is dead - in a Scooby Doo worthy unveiling, the 'Helen McDougal' that began infamous British influencer gossip forum has been unmasked as vegan influencer Sebastian Bond. In the aftermath, TikTokers like Cory's World are cashing in on the moment to detail exactly how hate on platforms like these and trolls across the board has affected their mental health. Following a similar through thread of crashing out, Justin Bieber is going viral almost daily for his Instagram antics, scraps with paparazzi and alleged ill feelings towards wife Hailey.

In this week's episode, our hosts Ione and Gina get to grips with the continuing normalisation of brutality in the comment section, how the expanding definition of celebrity has negative ramifications and the rising forms of surveillance we are all putting one another under.

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!

Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!

A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.

Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.

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

Labubu? Lafufu? LaTime Has Come To Stop This Nonsense Jun 22, 2025

Show notes

We're addressing the elephant kids toy in the room - the Labubu craze. You've definitely seen these monsters everywhere from exclusive brand collabs to Gemma Collins' Instagram reels to hanging off handbags while you wait in line at the cocktail bar. But where did they come from? And why is everyone going absolutely mad for the Pop Mart blind box item?

This week, our hosts Ione and Gina go head to head about the validity of Labubu collecting, the Lafufu fakes populating the market and why nobody is seeing the proliferation of this plush for what it is - just another trend in a long legacy of popular toy collecting.

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!

Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!

A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.

Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.

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

Yes, We’re Talking About Sabrina Carpenter’s Album Cover Jun 15, 2025

Show notes

Freeze! The Polyester Podcast had a whole episode planned for our lovely listeners until Sabrina Carpenter delivered us feminist discourse on a silver platter, or rather, on a silver dog leash. On Wednesday, the singer announced her forthcoming summer album titled 'Man's Best Friend' along with artwork picturing Sabrina on all fours having her hair pulled by an anonymous suited figure.

Is the cover art a clever continuation of Carpenter's satirisation of female sexuality or are we being conned into embracing misogynistic portrayals of women again in the mainstream? This week, hosts Ione and Gina get into the nitty gritty of the discourse; from pop star sensuality, to ‘puriteens’ and the continuing poison of choice feminism on our ability to think critically.

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!

Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!

A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.

Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.

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

Kylie Jenner's Boob Job, Kris Jenner's Facelift & The Problem With Choice Feminism Jun 08, 2025

Show notes

Last week Kylie Jenner cemented her new identity as a ‘girl's girl’ revealing the specificities of her boob job while momager Kris chimed in with details of not just one face lift, but two of them. Are the KarJenners finally letting their guard down about how they crafted themselves in line with the modern beauty standards they've helped craft, or is it all a marketing ploy to win relatability brownie points for the family?

In this episode of The Polyester Podcast, hosts Ione and Gina are ripping apart the rampant normalisation of plastic surgery on social media - considering the actual statistics surrounding cosmetic procedures as well as the status of people turning their treatments into consumable content. Is self improvement culture to blame for our warped understanding of bodily autonomy? Has choice feminism poisoned all of our brains? And will our collective self esteem ever recover from the impact of influencers?

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!

Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!

A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.

Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.

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

Skinnytok, Crunchy Teens , & The Return Of Pro Ana Content Jun 01, 2025

Show notes

The writing has been on the wall for a while - Thin is in, pop songs are referencing eating disorders and flexing our ribcages in selfies and fashion content is back full force. In this week's episode, hosts Ione and Gina get stuck into the spectre that has been haunting social media platforms for the past six months and more - the pervasive return of pro ana content, now newly dubbed #Skinnytok.

From influencers like Liv Schmidt launching secret members clubs with tips on cutting calorie counts to crunchy teens falling hook, line and sinker for Robert F. Kennedy Jr's Make America Healthy Campaign to hyper focus on their food intake, the internet is riddled in body negative language that stands to harm us all.

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!

Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!

A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.

Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.

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

Where Are The Thinkers? Why Pop Culture Feels Doomed Right Now May 25, 2025

Show notes

Currently trending on TikTok, FKA Twigs is going viral for an interview in which she asks the host and the crowd - "Where are the thinkers?"

While internet users raise eyebrows at her question, one that ignores the socioeconomic conditions that affect our ability to create, this week our hosts Ione and Gina use the soundbite to discuss the wider problem at hand - when did pop culture turn into such a flopfest? We deep dive into the continuing escalation of how we consume media - from smashing that 1.5x speed button to the sheer amount of content available - and what effect it has on the creation of meaningful culture.

Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3

Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!

Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!

A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.

Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.

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

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