Big Reputations

In this episode we discuss former prosecutor, Marcia Clark. We address some of the cases she covered and the stigmas she faced as a female lawyer in the 1990s. We spend some time covering the way that the media treated her during high profile cases, in particular during the OJ Simpson trial in which she served as the head of the prosecution. Then we talk about the realities of being a female lawye...

In This Episode we discuss the incomparable Marsha P. Johnson, a self-identified drag queen, LGBT activist, and New York City icon. We cover her involvement with the Stonewall uprisings and the origins of Pride as well as her involvement in drag troupes and her time spent as a sex worker. Then we dig into her activism including the formation of STAR, her involvement in ACT UP, and her AIDS advocac...

In This Episode we discuss the one and only Norma Jeane Mortenson, aka Marilyn Monroe. We dive into some of the struggles she encountered while trying to establish her career and the battles she had to fight with the media, the film industry, and more. Then we cover the realities behind her experiences including her on and off screen personas, her health and well-being, and her relationships with...

In this week's episode we talk about breastfeeding: why some women do it, why others do not, and what factors play into their decisions. Since neither of us have children, we decided we wanted to hear from some experts for this episode: moms. So we asked our listeners to write in and tell us about themselves and their experiences with feeding their children. We share a little about the history beh...

In this episode, we discuss Alma “Abuela” Madrigal, matriarch of the Madrigal family and antagonist of the 2021 Disney film, Encanto. After a brief background on the film, its creators, the history behind it, and the character herself, we explore the different characters' relationships with Abuela. We then consider audience perspectives on the character including some who consider her a villain or...

In this week's episode we discuss actress Jane Fonda, her life, her career, and her activism. We look at her early experiences including her marriages and the activism she engaged in during the Vietnam war. As part of this we consider how the media treated what was likely an honest mistake. Next we reevaluate the labels she was given throughout her life and see what more was happening behind the s...

In this episode we discuss the one and only Anita Hill, her family life, her schooling, and how she came to work in law. Then we dig into how she came to testify during the nomination of future Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas and what the media and congressional leaders said about her. After that we consider why Hill spoke up in the first place, others who had gone through similar things wit...

In this episode, we look at Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, a US congresswoman from New York’s 14th district, and the youngest woman elected to congress. We talk about her life prior to her political career, the reactions to her congressional win, and her approach to political leadership. Then we move beyond her big reputation and take a look at the her many accomplishments as a congresswoman. And final...

This week we discuss Women’s History Month. We dig into the history on the topic, including when it started, who started it, and what changes have taken place over the last several decades. Then we discuss the role the media plays in how we understand, honor, and celebrate the month. But we also touch on the performative nature of the media in terms of Women’s History Month celebrations. We then e...

In This Episode we discuss our first Disney villain: Ursula, the sea witch from The Little Mermaid. We summarize the film for anyone not familiar  and then we discuss her background and how she came to be ostracized by the rest of the sea creatures and merfolk. We analyze Ursula’s design (and the general design of Disney villains) and how that played into audience perceptions of her. And finally,...

In today's episode, we discuss Mary Mallon (not Malone, although we do mispronounce it for the first 15 minutes or so - we promise Kim corrects us part way through!), an Irish-born American cook who is commonly referred to as Typhoid Mary. She earned this nickname because it is believed that she spread typhoid fever to dozens of people throughout NYC. We then talk about the public perception of Ma...

In this week's episode, we discuss Pamela Anderson, a Canadian-American actress and model. She is known for her numerous appearances in Playboy magazine and for her work on television series such as Home Improvement, VIP, and most notably, Baywatch. We look at how she was portrayed in the media, particularly after the non-consensual distribution of her sex tape with her then husband Tommy Lee. The...

In this episode we discuss American singer and actress Whitney Houston, who is probably most well known for musical hits such as "I Will Always Love You" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" as well as her role in the 1992 film The Bodyguard. We discuss her rise to fame, her struggles with addiction, and the general perception that different audiences had of her throughout her career. We then explore...

This time of year is very busy, so instead of bringing you a new episode with a brand new topic, we figured we’d give you a little something to (hopefully) make you laugh! It’s like our little holiday present to you all. We hope you find it as funny as we do, or that it at least makes you chuckle once or twice!  We've got a great line up of women and topics to cover in 2022, and we can't wait to s...

In this episode we discuss the concept of Revenge Porn. We go over some of the history of Revenge Porn from pre-internet days to today. Then we speak a little bit about victim blaming and where the blame should actually lie when it comes to revenge porn and other non-consensual sharing of explicit content. Finally we talk about the overall impact of revenge porn on women and the damages it can cau...

In this week's episode we discuss a second fictional character. This time we talk about Ms. Lydia Bennett from Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. We provide a brief summary of the book and author, then discuss how Lydia is represented in the novel (and certain film adaptations). We also investigate how she was perceived by her sisters, her parents, and society at large. Then we talk about so...

This week we discuss the one and only Yoko Ono, a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist in her own right. We talk about how she was perceived by Beatles fans, the media, and those around her. Then we address rumors about her relationship with John Lennon and, more importantly, her art. But of course, as always, we also talk about the truth beneath those rumors. Finally...

In this episode we discuss Anne Boleyn, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, the second wife of King Henry 8th and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. We talk about her early life, how she became queen, and what her experiences were during that time. We discuss some of the rumors about her and how they relate to the realities we know about and understand today. And finally we discuss the impact she has ha...

In this week's episode, we go across the pod (and then come right back!) to discuss Meghan Markle, an American member of the British royal family and a former actress. And as we discover, she is also much more. We talk about her treatment from the media, the royal family, and more. Join us as we share a little about Markle beyond the tabloids and rumors and discuss where Markle is today and what s...

In this week's episode, we talk about what women wear and why they wear it, including how we’ve been judged for what we wear and how (and why) we’ve judged others. This is followed by what the media has been saying about women and clothing on a number of topics, including size, age, and more. Then we dip into some of the societal reasons behind these issues (cough, cough: the patriarchy and capita...

In this episode, we’re doing something different. We’re going to talk about a fictional character: Regina Geroge from Mean Girls. We’re going to discuss her “mean-girl” facade and how other characters perceived her based on the image she portrayed and how she openly (or not so openly) treated them. And then we’re going to talk about some of the reasons she might have acted that way. Dig a little b...

In this episode of Big Reputations, we talk about famed English singer and songwriter, Amy Winehouse. We discuss the things the media said about her and share a little bit about the Amy that existed beyond the tabloids. We wrap up by chatting about her legacy, ten years after her death.   Follow the podcast: Twitter: @BigRepPod Instagram: @BigReputationsPod ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hos...

Welcome to Big Reputations! Ever judge a person and it turns out you didn't have the whole story? Ever learn there was a lot more to a person's story than you first realized? Join us, Kimberly and Rebecca, as we separate the little lies from the Big Reputations! In this episode, we will be discussing Cyntoia Brown, a now 33 year old woman, who was arrested for murder when she was only a 16 year ol...

Welcome to Big Reputations! Ever judge a person and it turns out you didn't have the whole story? Ever learn there was a lot more to a person's story than you first realized? Join us, Kimberly and Rebecca, as we separate the little lies from the Big Reputations! In this episode we cover the one name that came up time and again when we explained the premise to our podcast: Monica Lewinsky. Join us...

Welcome to Big Reputations! Ever judge a person and it turns out you didn't have the whole story? Ever learn there was a lot more to a person's story than you first realized? Join us, Kimberly and Rebecca, as we separate the little lies from the Big Reputations!   Follow the podcast: Twitter: @BigRepPod Instagram: @BigReputationsPod   Hosts: Kimberly Fludd and Rebecca Salois Logo Design: Samantha...