Cntroversy

We're back with a brand new episode! Pride is love. Pride is protest. Pride is presence. In this episode we're delving into a brief history of Australian LGBTQIA+ pride & queer political legislation from colonial invasion in 1788 through to the present day. From the early evidence of gay culture in the 1800s, to the monumental moments & people in the 1970s who paved the way to where we stand today. Please note: this episode contains references to homophobia, violence, sexual assault, death & police brutality against LGBTQIA+ persons. C*ntroversy The Podcast is produced, written & hosted by Velma Vouloir. You can follow us on Instagram & X at @cntroversypod, or on Facebook at Cntroversy: The Podcast. Email us at anytime with thoughts of feedback at cntroversypodcast@gmail.com, and please don't forget to follow, rate & review the show. Thanks for listening!

On today's episode we are taking it back to the 1980's and delving into the life and legend of one of Los Angeles' most iconic figures - Angelyne. A precursor to the famous for being famous socialites such as Paris Hilton & Kim Kardashian, Angelyne was doing it decades before anyone else. Key Sources: Angelyne: Attack of the 50ft Sex Kitten. BAM. 1984.The Billboard Queen. Los Angeles Times. Sarah Medof. 1995.The Queen of L.A's Billboards.  The Telegraph. Anthony Haden-Guest. 2000L.A. Billboard Diva Angelyne Bemoans Kardashian, Hilton and “Boring, Gauche” Celeb Culture. The Hollywood Reporter. Gary Baum. 2015.The Mystery of L.A. Billboard Diva Angelyne's Real Identity Is Finally Solved. The Hollywood Reporter. Gary Baum. 2017.Audio sourced from Entertainment Tonight's TV Interview 1984.C*ntroversy The Podcast is produced, written & hosted by Velma Vouloir. You can follow us on Instagram & X at @cntroversypod, or on Facebook at Cntroversy: The Podcast. Email us at anytime with thoughts of feedback at cntroversypodcast@gmail.com, and please don't forget to follow, rate & review the show. Thanks for listening!

Amongst an ongoing tech conundrum, we managed to pull together a portable microphone and laptop to bring you this weeks episode. Coming to you straight from the Easter long weekend, Velma is joined by her baby sis Jules for a wine fuelled Q & A sesh. You submitted your questions, & we do our best to answer them! We dive into topics ranging from access to ethical pornography to supporting local artists, as well as a whole lot of would you rather's & fuck, marry, kill scenarios. Grab your chocolate stash, pour a glass of wine (or in our case... 4) & enjoy!C*ntroversy The Podcast is produced, written & hosted by Velma Vouloir. You can follow us on Instagram & X at @cntroversypod, or on Facebook at Cntroversy: The Podcast. Email us at anytime with thoughts of feedback at cntroversypodcast@gmail.com, and please don't forget to follow, rate & review the show. Thanks for listening!

Hold on to your bowler hats kiddos - Mommy & Daddy are about to take you to the school of cabaret (or is it cabarYAY). This week Velma is joined by legendary Australian cabaret artist, dancer, performer, choreographer, producer & creative director James Welsby (as well as legendary drag artist Valerie Hex) for a discussion on the history of cabaret. We look at the origins of cabaret, as well as some of the key figures, productions & venues specific to Australian cabaret (as well as pondering our own formative inspirations, experiences & the future of the industry). Please note - Wine was absolutely consumed during the recording of this episode.You can follow James Welsby on Instagram at @valerie_hex and YUMMY at @yummytheshow. Key SourcesTivoli. Frank Van Straten. Thomas C. Lothian Pty. Ltd, 2003Satie The Bohemian: From Cabaret To Concert Hall. Steven Moore Whiting. Clarendon Press, 1999C*ntroversy The Podcast is produced, written & hosted by Velma Vouloir. You can follow us on Instagram & X at @cntroversypod, or on Facebook at Cntroversy: The Podcast. Email us at anytime with thoughts of feedback at cntroversypodcast@gmail.com, and please don't forget to follow, rate & review the show. Thanks for listening!

Calling all muses, queers, bohemians & fashionistas of the world... Join Velma this week for a look inside the decadent world of Luisa Casati, the priestess of hedonism & patroness (& lover) to some of the worlds greatest artists of all time.Key Source"Infinite Variety: The Life & Legend of Marchesa Casati", Scott D Ryersson, Michael Orlando Yaccarino. University of Minnesota Press.1999.Secondary Sources"The Divine Marquise", Judith Thurman. The New Yorker. September 14th, 2003."Marchesa Luisa Casati - A Life In Fashion", Casci Ritchie. The Costume Society. 11th November, 2018.C*ntroversy The Podcast is produced, written & hosted by Velma Vouloir. You can follow us on Instagram & X at @cntroversypod, or on Facebook at Cntroversy: The Podcast. Email us at anytime with thoughts of feedback at cntroversypodcast@gmail.com, and please don't forget to follow, rate & review the show. Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the third and final instalment on our series on Bettie Page. This episode, we look not only at the mystery of what ever happened to the vanishing pinup, but the incredible influence she had on art, pop culture, the sub culture of fetishists and kink lovers of the 80s, through to the burlesque revival of the 90s as well as music, haute couture and fashion right through to today. Please note this episode contains references to severe mental illness and physical violence. Time codes for these are specified below:31:00-31:40  (physical violence/domestic abuse)36:00 - 39:50 (severe mental illness/physical violence)Key Sources:The Real Bettie Page: The Truth About The Queen of Pinups (biography), Richard Foster. 2005Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin Up Legend (biography), Karen Essex, James L Swanson, Bettie Page. 2006The Notorious Bettie Page (digital), Mark Mori. 2012Secondary Sources:Bettie Page: The Lost Years (biography), Tori Rodriguez. 2018Bettie Page: Queen of Curves (reference), Petra Mason, Bunny Yeagar. 2014The Early Photographs of Bettie Page: An American Icon (reference), Jack Faragasso, 2013Bettie Page: Aphrodite Rising (fiction), Kimberly Ussery. 2020.C*ntroversy The Podcast is produced, written & hosted by Velma Vouloir. You can follow us on Instagram & X at @cntroversypod, or on Facebook at Cntroversy: The Podcast. Email us at anytime with thoughts of feedback at cntroversypodcast@gmail.com, and please don't forget to follow, rate & review the show. Thanks for listening!

We're back this week for a much anticipated continuation of our discussion on pinup legend Bettie Page! This week we look at the years from 1950-1957 where Bettie was making waves as the most popular pinup & 'Queen of Bondage' in century America. Key Sources:The Real Bettie Page: The Truth About The Queen of Pinups (biography), Richard Foster. 2005Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin Up Legend (biography), Karen Essex, James L Swanson, Bettie Page. 2006The Notorious Bettie Page (digital), Mark Mori. 2012Secondary Sources:Bettie Page: The Lost Years (biography), Tori Rodriguez. 2018Bettie Page: Queen of Curves (reference), Petra Mason, Bunny Yeagar. 2014The Early Photographs of Bettie Page: An American Icon (reference), Jack Faragasso, 2013Bettie Page: Aphrodite Rising (fiction), Kimberly Ussery. 2020.C*ntroversy The Podcast is produced, written & hosted by Velma Vouloir. You can follow us on Instagram & X at @cntroversypod, or on Facebook at Cntroversy: The Podcast. Email us at anytime with thoughts of feedback at cntroversypodcast@gmail.com, and please don't forget to follow, rate & review the show. Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the first episode in a series dedicated to the worlds most recognisable pinup of the last century, Bettie Page. This week, Velma discusses the early years from Bettie's birth in 1923, through to her early days as a pinup model in 1950.Please note, this episode contains references to adult themes including family violence, domestic abuse, sexual assault and animal abuse. Listener discretion is advised. Time codes for sensitive content is as follows:18.34-19.08: family violence, animal abuse, sexual abuse. 34.19-34.29: domestic abuse.35.22-35.33: sexual assault38.33-41.00: sexual assaultKey Sources:The Real Bettie Page: The Truth About The Queen of Pinups (biography), Richard Foster. 2005Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin Up Legend (biography), Karen Essex, James L Swanson, Bettie Page. 2006The Notorious Bettie Page (digital), Mark Mori. 2012Secondary Sources:Bettie Page: The Lost Years (biography), Tori Rodriguez. 2018Bettie Page: Queen of Curves (reference), Petra Mason, Bunny Yeagar. 2014The Early Photographs of Bettie Page: An American Icon (reference), Jack Faragasso, 2013Bettie Page: Aphrodite Rising (fiction), Kimberly Ussery. 2020.C*ntroversy The Podcast is produced, written & hosted by Velma Vouloir. You can follow us on Instagram & X at @cntroversypod, or on Facebook at Cntroversy: The Podcast. Email us at anytime with thoughts of feedback at cntroversypodcast@gmail.com, and please don't forget to follow, rate & review the show. Thanks for listening!

It only took two years... but we are back! Welcome to a whole new season of C*ntroversy. Velma chats about what's coming, and what she's been up to since she ghosted everyone on the airwaves. Happy New Year everybody!

Just wanted to squeeze in ONE more indulgent ramble for 2021.  Tune in to hear Velma wishing you all a Happy Holidays, give something of a belated acceptance speech  for our NATIONAL PODCASTING AWARD (Whaaatt?!)  & share some insights into what's coming your way in 2022. 

Virgo intacta, chastity, purity - virginity.  Whatever you want to call it there's no denying the role it has played across the world. This highly sought after prize, this measure of a woman, this devotion to patriarch has caused women to be lusted and fought over, bought and sold, to burn, be controlled and to die for... And guess what? It doesn't actually exist**Feminist ramblings ensue! **One can argue. Listen. Find out.

This week get on your knees as we're joined by internationally acclaimed Dominatrix, author, artist, kinkster & mental health advocate Miss Marilyn. We talk about life as a sex worker, authenticity online & sex work stigma as well as dads giving out career advice, magicians on OnlyFans and a mass scale murder plot... Enjoy!Content Warning: Mental health, BDSM, Childhood trauma & abuse.

This week be prepared for a whole host of "expert" life advice including Velma's favourite ethical pornographers, why you should follow your dumbass heart and why we are actually all buildings... Also be prepared for references to Studio 54, a 16th century blood countess and George R R Martin quotes because who even let Velma have a microphone.

Another day another another lockdown another bad bitch herstory! This week we play the game of "is it true or is it another classic example of misogynistic slut-shaming of a powerful woman." Our lucky contestant for this episode is Catherine The Great, the powerful Russian empress who was known for murdering her husband, being a massive sex fiend and who reportedly died whilst having sex with her favourite stallion...  Sounds legit. 

Did somebody say sequin disco jumpsuit rainbow showgirl? Yah, Velma did... This week we talk about the life and legacy of Raffaella Carrà, a woman who brought youth culture, feminism and sex into our tv sets decades long before Cardi B was talking WAP or Ariana Grande was walking Side to Side.  

Think old Hollywood used to be prim & proper? Just you wait...This week, Velma tells you all about the brief time in early Hollywood where sex was unapologetic & where women had  unbridled sexual agency... right before the church steam rolled in & f***ed it right up. We're talking about The Hays Code, & how it effected how you & I view "morality" today.

Sorry not sorry for more french history... Grab the champagne & let me introduce you to one of the most beautiful women that ever lived - the 1950s Parisian  showgirl, cabaret star, quintessential sex kitten & most importantly, historical trans rights pioneer - Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy.  

Did someone say hometown smut?! This episode explores one  Australia's dirty little secrets - its very first red light district called "Little Lon" right in the heart of Melbourne.  Sisterhood, independence,  political corruption & a f**k tonne of absinthe and oysters became the backdrop for one of Australia's most notorious bad ass women to prosper - Madame Brussels.

What do 18th century Inuits, a smut distributor, the mayor of NYC & Monica Lewinski all have in common? They have all played a part in why you (yes you, you pervert) are obsessed with that thooong tha thong thong thong... (please tell me you sang that like Sisqo?!) Join Velma as we delve into the history, politics, and censorship of a teeny, tiny, itty, bitty, little piece of fabric... 

Queen. Whore. Goddess. Nymphomaniac. Murderer - This week we delve into the history, love life, propaganda and legacy of the last Pharaoh, Cleopatra VII. From incest to a $15 million cocktail, to why she was referred to as "the golden mouth" and still revered by all more than 2000 years after her dramatic death.  Definitely grab the popcorn.

BDSM,  gender, queerness, france, surrealism, bodily fluids and auto-fellatio... Just a pinch of what we'll be covering in todays episode of C*ntroversy! Today we talk about often forgotten sensualist and gender-fluid artist Pierre Molinier and their influence on fetish, glamour and drag sensation Violet Chachki.

This week on C*ntroversy Velma dives into the life of a legendary stripteaser who came from humble beginnings and went on to seduce not only the world but also a much loved US president and left a trail of scandal in her wake. It is of course, the "Hollywood Treasure Chest", the buxom bombshell herself... Tempest Storm.

This week on C*ntroversy Velma is joined by a very special guest - fetish model & artist Evana de Lune. Listen to them talk all things feet ... which takes you to some places you probably won't expect (such as the ancient Chinese custom of foot binding) as well as some places you probably will expect (such as  Velma & Evana playing footsies under the table). Enjoy!

Everyone relax! Velma's back! This week on C*ntroversy we get a little kinky as we delve into one of the worlds most scandalous pieces of literature -  Sacher-Masoch's  "Venus In Furs" and explore the role it had in defining contemporary kink practice, language and sexology. Cue leather boots -  *Cracks whip*.

It's our fourth episode! This week Velma talks about the fantastical life of American striptease superstar Lili St Cyr as well as Marilyn Monroe's origin story & we somehow come full circle with The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

Grab a coffee or perhaps something stronger and join Velma & very special guest host: artist, archivist & 60s dream queen Celia Bow for a sexy history lesson & discussion on the golden era of porn! 

This week on Cntroversy we celebrate International Womens Day by looking into the life of jazz age superstar, entertainer, queer icon, war hero & human rights activist Josephine Baker.

Join Velma Vouloir as she discusses a brief history of the  bawdy world of Burlesque. From skin coloured stockings to skimpy g-strings.  From prohibition to hollywood and beyond we teach you all about the world of sexy striptease in America during the 20th century. 

Welcome to Cntroversy! Episode Zero is a brief introduction into the world of salacious and taboo history with Velma Vouloir. Here you'll find out a little bit more about Velma, and what the show is all about as well as contact information and how YOU can be a part of the show.

A bite sized chunk of what you can expect to hear about on Cntroversy: The Podcast. Hosted by professional stripteaser & smut enthusiast Velma Vouloir