Backtalk

This week, Dahlia and Amy reflect on the past years of pop culture, feminism, and rageful conversations. Backtalk couldn’t have happened without its listeners and all of the thoughtful feedback that have sparked convos in each episode. We’ve giggled, we’ve cried, and we’ve learned so much along the way. Thanks so much for all of the support. 

Always and forever, your rage cheerleaders!   You can follow Amy at:  https://twitter.com/amyadoyzie https://www.instagram.com/amylamjam byamylam.com   You can follow Dahlia at:  https://twitter.com/salvadordahlia https://www.instagram.com/dahliabalcazar https://www.salvadordahlia.com

This week, Dahlia and Amy discuss comments made by Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer, Donna Rotunno, insisting that women could avoid sexual assault by not placing themselves in risky situations. Plus we read some great listener notes that start conversations.    READ  “Ceremonials” by Katharine Coldiron is a twelve-part lyric novella inspired by Florence + the Machine's 2011 album of the same name. Between prose and poetry, it’s about two girls who fall in love at boarding school and the ghosts that follow.   WATCH  Netflix’s “Next in Fashion” features amazing designers and garments, with a behind-the-scenes look at their creative process.    LISTEN  “Sullen Girl” by Fiona Apple

This week, Dahlia and Amy get into the controversy over the publishing industry and the book that’s too big to fail. “American Dirt” by Jeanine Cummins, and her publisher, Flatiron Books, have been at the center of discussions about how the industry decides who deserves huge advances and to have their books championed, and what writers get left behind. Will this literary drama change the publishing landscape?   READ “I Know What I Am: The Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi” by Gina Siciliano is a gorgeous look at the life of the seventeenth-century painter.   WATCH “Gloria Bell” stars Julianne Moore as a middle-aged woman living her ordinary life in this tender film.   LISTEN “religion (u can lay your hands on me)” by Shura

This week Dahlia and Amy talk about the beginning of the trial against Harvey Weinstein in New York. Weinstein was first exposed in 2017 in part due to the investigative reporting by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey at the “New York Times.” The story of that investigation is documented in their book, “She Said,” and reveals all of the work that went into their story.    WATCH “Watchmen” is a multivalent exploration of justice and corruption. Plus superheroes and great acting.    READ “The Friend” by Sigrid Nunez explores grief, canine companionship, and writing life. 
   LISTEN “Hit Reset” by The Julie Ruin

Dahlia and Amy ring in the new year (yay!) talking about how the world is burning down (boo!). The beginning of this decade can feel hopeless, but all hope is not lost: stay informed, organize, and create change.  WATCH Not to be confused with “Celebrity Couples Therapy,” “Couples Therapy” on Showtime is a really interesting look at the work of being a therapist. There’s also a very strange and engaging new “Dracula” miniseries on Netflix.  READ “Severance” by Ling Ma is the apocalyptic dystopian consumerist novel of our times.  LISTEN “Fresh Blood” by Eels

This week, Dahlia and Amy talk about the latest in the impeachment inquiry and whether it means we’ll finally kick Trump out of office. A whole crew of former and current government officials have appeared to testify as to whether Trump engaged in a quid pro quo with the Ukrainian president. The testimonies have revealed a Trumpian shitshow that points directly at that quid pro quo—but will it be enough to dethrone him?   WATCH “Parasite” by director Bong Joon-ho is a film for our times. Bong shows us how capitalism has failed us all in this smart, funny, and anxiety-inducing film.   READ “The Beautiful Ones,” a memoir that Prince was working on before his death, was meant to "be a handbook for the brilliant community," "a radical call for collective ownership, for black creativity," and “a book about freedom.” Featuring Prince’s own handwritten memoir pages, the book is also filled with photos, letters, and other rad Prince ephemera.   LISTEN “Rich Man’s World 1%” by Immortal Technique

This week, Dahlia and Amy talk about the meme that’s the perfect digital eye roll. “OK Boomer” is the millennial and Gen Z clapback that has some people clutching their pearls. But what does this meme say about calling out people in power and starting a conversation about what young people stand to inherit?    WATCH Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’s “Eat Shit, Bob Murray” episode is a perfect middle finger to a wretched coal baron who silences critics with frivolous, expensive lawsuits.    READ "In the Dream House" by Carmen Maria Machado LISTEN The Muffs “Sad Tomorrow”

This week, Dahlia and Amy talk Facebook’s bid for world domination and what Mark Zuckerberg’s latest appearance before Congress revealed. Ahead of the 2020 elections and in the wake of influence campaigns that have led to violence around the world, it’s been asked if the social-media giant is capable of growing responsibly. (Hint: nope).    Extra reading: I’m the Comedian Who Just Confronted Harvey Weinstein. Here’s Why I Spoke Up. [New York Times]   READ  “Fake Like Me” by Barbara Bourland is part art-world exposé, part murder-mystery, and all-engrossing.    WATCH  Jenny Slate’s Netflix Special “Stage Fright” is a quirky mix of her stand-up and documentary footage with her family.    LISTEN  “Which Witch” by Florence + The Machine

This week, Dahlia and Amy get into the recent campus conflict when white students with hurt feelings thought it’d be a good idea to burn books written by a visiting author. Jennine Capó Crucet was invited to Georgia Southern University to speak about her novel, which was required reading for some freshmen students at the school. Students confronted her during the Q&A and burned her novel after Capó Crucet’s lecture! Plus, we celebrate Indigenous People's Day and what it means to decolonize a federal holiday.    READ  In “Molly Fox’s Birthday” by Deirdre Madden, an unnamed narrator spends the day in her friend’s home. Molly is an actress visiting London, and the narrator, a playwright inhabiting Molly’s Irish cottage on her birthday, reflects on their friendship and the crafts of writing and acting.    WATCH  “Doubt,” starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and the incomparable Viola Davis was released in 2008 and worth a re-watch in this #MeToo moment.    LISTEN “Aute Couture” by Rosalia

This week, Dahlia and Amy get into the impeachment inquiry. Hold the balloons and streamers, it’s a long road ahead to remove Trump from office. How did we arrive at this specific moment when so many outspoken politicians, especially women of color Democrats, have been calling for his removal for years?    READ  “Freshwater” by Akwaeke Emezi is a gorgeous and surreal exploration of fractured identity. WATCH Netflix’s “Unbelievable,” based on a true events, is a necessary look at how law enforcement can support rape survivors without inflicting more harm.    LISTEN  “Cities in Dust” by Siouxsie and the Banshees

This week, Dahlia and Amy talk about Kurbo, a weight loss app for children. The app is from Weight Watchers and they claim its purpose is to help children become healthier but experts say that an app like Kurbo can cause children to have an unhealthy relationship with food, promote eating disorders, and cause extra stress. The app feels like a ploy to create future consumers for the $72 billion diet industry and it’s so wrong.    WATCH  “What We Do in the Shadows” (both the movie and the FX TV series) take a hilarious mockumentary lens to vampire living.    READ  Yukiko Motoya’s short story collection, “The Loneliest Bodybuilder” is quirky, surreal, and so much fun to read. A must-read for contemporary Japanese literature.    LISTEN “Skin & Bone” by Ambrosia Parsley

This week, Dahlia and Amy get into the back-to-school season. We spend more than a decade in school developing our worldview and learning how to be decent human beings. What happens when the people in charge of our education are closed-minded and unwilling to accept social progress? From schools with Confederate namesakes to creating a more inclusive curriculum, here’s a look at all the ways our education can shape us.    WATCH  Based on the Patricia Highsmith romance novel, “The Price of Salt” (1952), “Carol” is a gorgeous film starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara about unrequited lesbian love in an unaccepting time.    READ  “Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self delusion” by Jia Tolentino covers internet culture, scammers, reality shows, and so much more. This essay collection is truly an instant classic of the worst decade.  LISTEN  “Darkest Hour” by Joy Crookes

This week, Dahlia and Amy dig into the mass protest movements across the globe. From Puerto Rico to Portland, Oregon, people are showing up to have their voices heard en masse, demonstrating that the power of people to bring down oppressive systems is inspiring and necessary.  READ  The New York Time’s 1619 Project is a reframing of American history, centering on the first enslaved Africans and the effects of slavery that can still be felt to this day. The project is a reminder that history isn’t static and can only benefit from more perspectives.  WATCH  HBO’s Years and Years is a near-future dystopia centered on the Lyons, a British family, and how they deal with life in extraordinarily fucked up times. LISTEN  Mucha Data by Cazzu  

This week, Dahlia and Amy are heartbroken over the spate of mass murders at the hands of white men with assault weapons. They talk about the importance of naming the acts of violence as white supremacist terrorism and how marginalized people across all communities are left vulnerable. Plus, we take a moment to celebrate the life and work of Toni Morrison, whose words and stories have forever shifted how we understand our world—for the better. 

This week, Dahlia and Amy agree it’s about time for mainstream media organizations to label racists as racists. Recently, Trump tweeted to four congresswomen of color that they should go back to where they came from and accused them of being un-American. While his vile tweets were unsurprising, it was unexpected to see a national news outlet like NPR finally label it as racist. Language matters and it’s important to use the right words to describe despicable people. Plus, a shoutout to all our listeners and their support—it means so much! READ  Milkman by Anna Burns, winner of the 2018 Man Booker Prize, is a stream-of-consciousness novel that depicts 1970s Belfast through the eyes of “middle sister,” a young woman who is caught between town gossip and a local paramilitary known as “the milkman,” WATCH  HBO’s limited series, The Night Of, has some amazing performances and cinematography exploring the criminal justice machine and how it grinds through anyone involved in it.    LISTEN    “Alaska” by Banks is a dramatic and dreamy song for the summer.

This week, Dahlia and Amy talk about the live-action casting for Disney's "The Little Mermaid." Halle Bailey was announced as Ariel in the upcoming film and many racists cried it would be inaccurate to have Black mermaid in this classic story. Why is it so important for viewers to see a young Black woman be cast as a Disney princess? Plus we're taking a break from Amy vs Dahlia, but leave a rate & review to let us know what you'd like us to argue about in the future. 

This week, Dahlia and Amy discuss E. Jean Carroll's cover story for New York Magazine about all of the hideous men from her life. Through her piercing and frank prose, Carroll shares an account of sexual assault at the small hands of Trump. How will this latest accusation against Trump affect his presidency—if at all? In our latest "frivolous" argument, Amy and Dahlia want to know what you think of the 90's comeback in fashion! Text "fashion" to 503-855-6485 to let us know! 

This week, Dahlia and Amy are talking about climate change. Climate science consistently shows we must curb our greenhouse gas emissions ASAP in order to stop the exponential damage to the environment, which will most likely create global climate devastation by 2050. Though we can live more conscientiously, it's also up to governmental bodies to set policies and regulations that can create larger change. The fight against climate change can feel hopeless, but at least we're in this together.    June is Pride month and in Amy vs. Dahlia, they discuss the worst co-opting of the celebration: Is it the upcoming Straight Pride parade or how brands are unabashedly performing allyship to sell you shit? Text “pride” to 503-855-6485 share your feelings!

This week, Dahlia and Amy discuss the recent passage of the most severe abortion ban in Alabama and what this could mean for Roe v. Wade and abortion access across the country. Anti-abortion politicians continue to argue for the sanctity of life and the personhood of a fetus while ignoring the humanity of the person who would have to carry the fetus to term—even if their pregnancy was a result of rape or incest. The devil works hard, but anti-abortion politicians work harder. And in Amy vs. Dahlia, who are both in the midst of moving across the country, we want to know what you think is the worst part about packing up and moving. Text "moving" to 503-855-6485 share your feelings!  

This week, Dahlia and Amy get into their disappointment over the last and final season of "Game of Thrones." The epic series has given audiences a big cultural moment in the world of dragons, the fight for power, and a slew of women characters to love and hate—but is it doing justice to the story? In Amy vs. Dahlia, we want to know who could have been the best leader of the Seven Kingdoms, dead or alive. Text “thrones” to 503-855-6485 to let us know what you think!

This week, Dahlia and Amy get upset about student loans. Elizabeth Warren's campaign recently unveiled a student loan forgiveness plan as part of her platform, finally seriously centering the student debt crisis as something the government should help alleviate. How we talk about the student loan crisis is important because it can shift the focus from student responsibility to how predatory loaning is screwing us all. And we still want to know what you want to see re-booted in Amy vs Dahlia! Text “reboot” to 503-855-6485 to let us know what you think! WATCH Barry Jenkins's deeply moving "If Beale Street Could Talk" is now on Hulu and a must-watch of this James Baldwin adaptation about Black love against a harsh reality of structural anti-Black violence.

This week, Dahlia and Amy get into the newest marketing ploy around consent: condoms that require four hands to open. These kinds of throwaway, viral products commodify ideas around sexual violence without actually working to solve a problem (while hoisting the blame for sexual assault away from the perpetrator), and we’re sick of it. And in Amy vs. Dahlia, we argue about what blast-from-the-past TV show needs to make a comeback. Text “reboot” to 503-855-6485 to let us know what you think!  

Rebroadcasted from February 2017: History isn’t static—it’s the stories we tell ourselves about the past. And that story changes depending on who’s doing the telling. On this episode, we explore what it means to tell your own history in three different ways. Iranian-American comedian Negin Farsad talks with us being a super patriotic teen and her new book, How to Make White People Laugh. Then, writer Jessica Machado discusses the life and music of blueswoman Bessie Smith, who told her own story in song in the 1920s and 30s. Finally, we call up brilliant scholar Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz to dig into her work, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. Listen in! 

This week, Dahlia and Amy dig into Jordan Peele's latest horror film, "Us." Lots of spoilers while they talk about how the film fits into genre canons, symbolism, and what can it all mean? And in Amy vs. Dahlia, an argument about the worst of adulting. There are so many terrible things to choose from, but is it paying your bills on time or having to cook yourself? Let us know what you can't stand about being grown. Text “Adult” to 503-855-6485 to let us know what you think!

In this episode, we’re going to be talking about an emotion you’ve probably heard a lot about lately: empathy. The way we talk about it, it’s almost like a superpower: it’s like we want to believe that the cure to political divisiveness, racism, and even war lies in the act of imagining exactly how someone else feels. But is empathy really going to save the world? First, Dr. Carolyn Pedwell, associate professor in Cultural Studies at the University of Kent, explains how different people define “empathy” and use it to achieve various, and sometimes opposing, goals. One of those parties is the virtual reality industry, and tech journalist Rose Eveleth explains the potentials and pitfalls of empathic VR experiences. Then we go into another sort of empathy experience with cartoonist Ben Passmore, whose comic and animated short, “Your Black Friend,” tackles empathy in a different, sharper way. Finally, we talk with scholar and activist Frances Lee (of the Bitch 50!) about how we can practice empathy better: in a way that acknowledges the humanity of other people without making it all about ourselves.

This week, Dahlia and Amy get into all things scammy. The recent news of what the FBI called “Operation Varsity Blues” has revealed a multi-million dollar college admissions scheme run by an organization to aid wealthy parents in bribing university administrators and college prep tutors to pay their way into elite schools. Another day, another story about the wealthy taking advantage of systems built to maintain their status! And Amy vs. Dahlia wants to know who’s the worse scammer: baritone Silicon Valley liar, Elizabeth Holmes, or Fyre Fest disaster bro, Billy McFarland! What’s your choice? Text “Scam” to 503-855-6485 to let us know what you think!

From the archive: Discussions of sex work often get mired in a couple basic questions: is it “good” or “bad”? Are sex workers empowered or not? But sex workers are a diverse group—their experiences aren’t all good or bad. On this show, we try to reframe the issue by exploring the legal and financial realities of sex work. For example: How does a dominatrix do her taxes? What kinds of healthcare do sex workers need? How would decriminalizing sex work change peoples’ lives?   

This week, Dahlia and Amy dig into the world of YA drama. Recently, two YA authors have chosen to cancel their own debut novels after being called out by some readers for "problematic" issues in the text. Dahlia and Amy talk about the effects of cancel culture that demands perfect art. Also, a Petty Political Pminute on what may be the road ahead to 45's impeachment. And Amy vs. Dahlia are debating the worst of the worst: manspreading vs mansplaning! What’s your choice? Text “Man” to 503-855-6485 to let us know what you think!

This week, Dahlia and Amy are back! They’ve got pop culture picks! They’ve got read, watch, and listen recommendations! They’ve got so many rage-induced opinions! In recent months, controversies have popped up in the news with the discovery of prominent politicians and actors donning blackface and prestige design houses releasing couture designs with unmistakable references to blackface. Amy vs. Dahlia wants to know who should win the Oscar’s Best Picture award! Amy thinks the beautifully-filmed “Roma” is the winner and Dahlia’s brilliant pick is “The Favourite.” What’s your choice? Text “Oscars” to 503-855-6485 to let us know what you think!

In this episode, Dahlia, Amy, and special guest Soleil share their pop culture faves that got them through this year, from Shirkers and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, to online hoaxes, sandwich outfits, and Queer Eye. We've celebrated the best of this year's pop culture, and now we're ready for you, 2019.

This week, Dahlia and Amy round up some of the big hits of bad takes. From Lena Dunham's letter from the editor where she admits to lying to protect a rapist to a weird piece dissecting Ariana Grande's "thank u, next" music video, who gets to make mistakes over and over again? Writers get the brunt of the backlash, but how much responsibility should the editor take when they're the ones who click "publish"? Amy vs. Dahlia wants you to weigh in on the best winter flick! Amy can watch "Home Alone" every year and Dahlia loves Nora Ephron's classic "When Harry Met Sally." Who do you wanna chill with more? Kevin or Sally? Text “winter” to 503-855-6485 to let us know what you think!

This week, Dahlia and Amy talk about what real allyship can look like in Hollywood and beyond. Recently, Porter magazine hosted a roundtable with Gabrielle Union, Gina Rodriguez, Ellen Pompeo, and Emma Roberts where Pompeo called on white folks to do better and Rodriguez brought up the issue of pay inequity. Who gets uncomfortable in these conversations and does it create real change? And, as promised, Amy's fave pop culture moment is this the Black Mirror-esque anti-Amazon ad. In this week’s Amy vs. Dahlia, we’re hashing out the holidays: Are you Bah! Humbag! or Merry Everything? Text “Holiday” to 503-855-6485 to let us know what you think! 

At the end of summer, when the super hot days get rarer, the signs of fall appear: reddish leaves, leather jackets, people talking about football, and pumpkin spice lattes. Like death and taxes, the pumpkin spice latte seems inevitable, and it takes up an incredible amount of space in the public consciousness. So yes, we’re succumbing to the siren song and devoting a whole episode to the PSL. So why are we so obsessed with pumpkin spice? And why is it so easy to hate on the drink and the people who consume it? How did this assortment of spices from the Indian subcontinent become the hallmark of basicness, and what can its autumnal popularity tell us about capitalism, misogyny, and the need to belong? On this episode, we have a special guest! Backtalk’s Amy Lam reads an excerpt of a spicy ode to squash. In our first segment, you’ll hear from Tiffany Midge, a poet and humorist who wrote “An Open Letter to White Girls Regarding Pumpkin Spice and Cultural Appropriation.” After that, you’ll get the specialty coffee barista’s perspective from Adam JacksonBey. Then you’ll hear from Rebecca Jennings, a consumer reporter for Vox who wrote about the backlash to pumpkin spice and what it all means. Finally, Sasanka Jinadasa chimes in to remind us of what we lose when we’re so hyper focused on the meaning behind a latte.

On this episode of the show, we’ll be talking about the Middle Ages: that period in European history that most of us learned about through Game of Thrones and Robin Hood. We think of it as racially homogenous, rigidly gendered, and brutish, but scholars like the ones Soleil talks to in today’s show have more nuanced interpretations. And yet, white supremacists within the alt right are attempting to claim the Middle Ages for their own political ends. What is the truth, and why does it matter? First, you’ll hear from Dr. Tory Pearman on the lives and public perception of people with disabilities in Medieval Europe. Then, Dr. Dorothy Kim elaborates on the connections between the alt right and Medieval Studies and what scholars like her are doing to take back control over the field they love.

This week, Dahlia and Amy update on the latest horrifying policies the Trump administration are hoping to force into law. Beyond the midterm elections, the monsters in the White House are working overtime to push through harmful legislation, including limiting gender to being recognized to what one is assigned at birth, an end to birthright citizen, and more terribleness. In this week’s Amy vs. Dahlia, we’re debating the worse fake politician: Veep’s Selina Meyers or Idiocracy’s President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho! Text “Politician” to 503-855-6485 to let us know what you think!

This episode is all about how cool the Devil is, especially for people of marginalized genders and sexualities. The devil is all over popular media, not as a straight symbol of absolute evil, but as something a little more nuanced and approachable—and sometimes even a little queer. Is this a sign of the end times and the moral degradation of humanity? Or does the character’s appeal to young people speak to a greater rejection of good vs. evil binaries? To find out, Soleil spoke with two experts. First, you’ll hear from Megan Kennedy, the executive director of Utah’s Religious Education Series, on the political side of evil. Then you’ll hear from Holly Lyman Antolini, the rector at St. James’s Episcopal Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on what it means to disregard the idea of absolute evil. We hope you enjoy the show!

This week, Dahlia and Amy get creepy and ghouly about screen horror (as opposed to the horror of our everyday lives). In this Halloweeny episode, we dig into the role of horror film and TV and how it helps us cope with our lived realities. We've also got a Petty Political Pminute starring our least favorite ventriloquist dummy, Jared Kushner. In this week’s Amy vs. Dahlia, we're debating the metaphor of the Haunting of Hill House: Is it all about childhood trauma or white supremacy? Text “Haunting” to 503-855-6485 to let us know!

Even if you’ve never heard of Rebecca Solnit, you know who she is. It was Solnit’s 2008 essay at the blog TomDigest that identified the concept we know today as mansplaining. (“Most women fight wars on two fronts, one for whatever the putative topic is and one simply for the right to speak, to have ideas, to be acknowledged to be in possession of facts and truths, to have value, to be a human being.”) But long before Solnit became a patron saint of the extremely online, she was an activist, a historian, a mapmaker, and a prolific author of books on a dizzying breadth of topics: the history of walking (2000’s Wanderlust); the motion-photography pioneer Eadweard Muybridge (2004’s River of Shadows); the emerging evidence of climate change (2018’s Drowned River); and ambient cultural misogyny (2015’s essay collection Men Explain Things to Me). Solnit’s new book of essays, titled Call Them By Their True Names: American Crises (And Essays), connects the Trump administration, economic inequality, Indigenous history, police brutality, and gentrification gracefully, tying them together with meditations on American exceptionalism and the importance of precise language that gets right down to the lived facts of politics. Call Them By Their True Names doesn’t boil over with long-simmering ire on behalf of democracy and social justice, but rather deploys Solnit’s trademark precision, dry wit, and enduring optimism toward an absorbing whole. All the more reason to get her on the phone to talk about the role, and the necessity, of anger in a world that tosses up fresh outrages at least once a day.

On this episode of the show, we’ll be talking all about veganism and the politics of eating plants and meat. Is it possible to reduce it to a diet or wellness thing, or is it inherently political? What is the connection between industrialized meat production and patriarchy? And why does Western culture conflate eating meat with masculinity, and what does that have to do with climate change? Soleil will talk to two folks about the place of veganism in politics. First, you’ll hear from Carol J. Adams, author of The Sexual Politics of Meat and a recent cookbook, Protest Kitchen, on masculine anxieties around meat-eating and the progressive case for veganism. Then, Alicia Kennedy, a food and spirits writer and host of the Meatless podcast, on the complex relationships all people have with their own food choices.

This week, Dahlia and Amy are tired, depressed, and angry—what are we supposed to do with all these awful feelings? In the wake of the Supreme Court confirmation for Brett Kavanaugh, we’re thinking about who gets to display feelings and what it tells us about where our feelings belong. Mostly, we feel rage, but it isn’t enough and we’re thinking about what productive anger can look like. And in this week’s Amy vs. Dahlia, we want to know what’s more annoying about feminist marketing: all the vaginas or the faux self-care? Text “Marketplace” to 503-855-6485 to let us know!

At the end of summer, when the super hot days get rarer, the signs of fall appear: reddish leaves, leather jackets, people talking about football, and pumpkin spice lattes. Like death and taxes, the pumpkin spice latte seems inevitable, and it takes up an incredible amount of space in the public consciousness. So yes, we’re succumbing to the siren song and devoting a whole episode to the PSL. So why are we so obsessed with pumpkin spice? And why is it so easy to hate on the drink and the people who consume it? How did this assortment of spices from the Indian subcontinent become the hallmark of basicness, and what can its autumnal popularity tell us about capitalism, misogyny, and the need to belong? On this episode, we have a special guest! Backtalk’s Amy Lam reads an excerpt of a spicy ode to squash. In our first segment, you’ll hear from Tiffany Midge, a poet and humorist who wrote “An Open Letter to White Girls Regarding Pumpkin Spice and Cultural Appropriation.” After that, you’ll get the specialty coffee barista’s perspective from Adam JacksonBey. Then you’ll hear from Rebecca Jennings, a consumer reporter for Vox who wrote about the backlash to pumpkin spice and what it all means. Finally, Sasanka Jinadasa chimes in to remind us of what we lose when we’re so hyper focused on the meaning behind a latte.

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

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

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

Whether they expose past tragedies or family tragedies, ghosts reveal what is hidden away, under the layers of social etiquette, historical revisionism, and taboo. A poltergeist may expose unethical building practices as a ghost on videotape may reveal an unsolved murder. In that way, the monster is really a messenger: of a past that won’t stay buried, of feelings that haven’t been acknowledged, of a heartache that still stings. In this episode, we’ll be talking about the storytelling potential of ghosts and the truths that emerge when they appear. First, Stu Maddux, the independent filmmaker behind the web series Queer Ghost Hunters, will speak on the task of unearthing hidden queer histories. Then you’ll hear Margaret “Maggs” Williams of the Bench Breaking Broads, an all-woman ghost-hunting crew that operate in the American South. Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to check out our Ghosts issue of Bitch magazine, on newsstands now!

On her Netflix one-woman show, Nanette, Hannah Gadsby opines, “There’s only ever been two options for a little girl to grow up into: virgin or whore…. And I don’t fit neatly into either of those categories. Virgin or whore? I mean, on a technicality, I’d get virgin.” Virginity is a weird, nebulous idea that’s mostly measured in heterosexual terms. So what value does virginity hold for queer and trans people? Is it worth pulling it out of the patriarchal muck? So on this episode, Soleil talks to Juno Roche, a trans writer and advocate who recently authored a book called Queer Sex. Then she discusses the theological aspect of virginity with Presbyterian minister Mihee Kim-Kort, author of "Outside the Lines: How Embracing Queerness Will Transform Your Faith." Enjoy the show!

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

Pro wrestling hasn’t been the kindest entertainment industry for women. Relegated to Playboy-sponsored pillow fight matches or mud wrestling, women wrestlers didn’t get to shine for their athleticism or fighting prowess very often until Chyna came around in the late 90s. Her storylines were pretty meta, with male wrestlers and announcers who questioned her qualifications being on the receiving end of her feminist rage. But even then, women wrestlers like her had to constantly endure being sexually objectified and called “yapping female dogs” by the commentators. Yet pro wrestling is still very much a part of American pop culture, with folks making connections between it and other forms of expression, as an art form. So what’s the draw? Why does pro wrestling affect people so much, to the point of emotional catharsis? And… is it art? Today’s guests are two people who’ve shown me just how cool wrestling can be. First, I talk to Julian Burrell, producer of a really great podcast called Tights and Fights, about a wrestling match that made him cry. Then you’ll hear from Kath Barbadoro, a comedian and host of Wrestlesplania, a podcast where she explains to her co-host, Rachel Millman, why wrestling is good. SHOUT-OUTS Read April LaValle’s retrospective take on WWE’s Attitude era for Bitch. Curious about EVE? Find out more about their mission, events, and wrestlers. Check out this great writeup on Chyna and her history with the WWE at the Mary Sue. If pro wrestling lingo seems a bit confusing, you can cross-reference with this handy guide from Complex.

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

As we go into the 2018 midterm election season, we’ve got a lot of unknowns to think about. What can we expect to change this time around? Will there be more political upsets, like we’ve seen during the Democratic primaries in New York with the ascendancy of first-timer Alexandria Ocasio Cortez? One thing’s for sure: this year, more women, especially women of color, are running for public office than have ever before. Today, I’ll talk to two people with unique insight into how this all happened and what we can look forward to in November. First, I talk to Erin Vilardi, the founder and CEO of VoteRunLead, an organization that trains women to run for office. Then I speak to Minnesota State Senator Patricia Torres Ray, who is seeking her party’s nomination for a Congressional seat in a few weeks, about why she’s running. SHOUT-OUTS Last November, Lillyanne Pham wrote an article for Bitch on women of color candidates to watch Curious about those Rutgers numbers? Here’s more data on women candidates than you can shake a stick at! Look up your state! Want even more numbers?? The Washington Post has a good review of survey data on women candidates and their favorability.

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