More Than A Muse

This week, we're taking it back to the 2000s and the internet phenomenon that swept through pop culture: the "not like other girls" trope. One of the most famous examples of this was Paramore's hit song "Misery Business," which both was popularized and criticized for its portrayal of women. We delve into the trope, analyzing its origins and impact on pop culture, and then focus on the development...

This week on the podcast, Stauney introduces us to Mary Jewett Pritchard. Pritchard was a Samoan textile designer and cultural advocate and was instrumental in the preservation and promotion of the traditional Samoan art of Siapo, which involves creating decorative textiles using bark cloth. She learned the techniques of Siapo from the women of her community and went on to create an exporting busi...

The rivalry between Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons is legendary in the world of Hollywood gossip. For over two decades, these two powerful women vied for control of the movie industry's rumor mill, using their respective columns to shape public opinion about the biggest stars of the day. Hopper, known for her trademark hats and biting wit, was a conservative firebrand who championed patriotic ca...

Disney's iconic princess movies have captured the hearts of audiences around the world, but behind the magic are the real women who inspired the characters and the actresses who gave them voices. Each Disney princess has a unique story to tell, but many of them are based on classic fairytales and legends passed down through generations. In this episode, we delve into the real-life women who inspir...

This week, Sadie tells us all about the inventor of the mini-skirt (and so much more!) popularized in the 1960s during the first "cool Britannica" era, also known as the 'swinging 60's' or the 'British invasion.' Quant's designs were accessible and liberating and reflected the changing attitudes towards gender and fashion of the era. Her influence on fashion and culture continues to be felt today,...

This week on the podcast, Stauney and Sadie are discussing one of the most famous girl groups of all time. In the mid-1990s, a group of five young women from England burst onto the music scene and took the world by storm. They were the Spice Girls, and they quickly became an international sensation. Beyond their catchy tunes and colorful personalities, the Spice Girls represented a new kind of gir...

Stauney takes us through the life of Edmonia Lewis, the trailblazing biracial black and Native American sculptor whose neoclassical masterpieces captivated audiences during her lifetime. Despite facing discrimination and even an unfounded accusation of poisoning her peers during her college years, Lewis fled to Rome and persevered to establish a legendary career. From her fascinating childhood to...

Sadie is introducing us to Rita Moreno today, one of Hollywood's last living golden Hollywood stars and the only Latina star that was able to reach mainstream fame, although she dealt with the pitfalls of being severely typecast. With an impressive body of work spanning over seven decades, Moreno is an icon in the entertainment industry and a trailblazer for women of color in Hollywood. In this ep...

Today we are talking all about the world of cinema, and one of the oldest and biggest award ceremonies surrounding it all... The Academy Awards, nicknamed 'The Oscars' after the little statue they hand out as awards to talented directors, actors, designers, and more. We discuss the history of the awards, their complete lack of diversity, and how they've been called out numerous times for consisten...

This week, Stauney dives into the mysterious story of Vivian Maier, a nanny who took tens of thousands of street photos throughout her life... and never showed anyone else a single picture. She spent her life taking pictures all throughout Chicago and New York, and even went on an international trip and documented the whole thing with her camera and remained unknown until someone bought her film i...

Throughout history, fashion has been an integral part of the feminist movement. From Bloomers and Suffragette colors to Pussyhats, the way individuals have dressed has been a large declaration of their rebellion against society's standards for them. This week, we talk all about the waves of feminism as seen through the clothes of the protesters and the influences that had on society. We also talk...

In February, we delved into "Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop" by Danyel Smith. It was such a beautiful read and really opened our eyes to the amazing contributions black women have made to pop music throughout history. We chat all about it and share our favorite moments with you, but didn't stop there! We also take some time to dish on the Grammys and all the controvers...

Raise your hand if you have ever been like totally accused of sounding like Cher Horowitz?!! Don't worry, us too. In this episode, we tackle the unfair discrimination against women's language patterns, such as up-talk, filler words, and vocal fry. Despite being used equally by men, these features are often stigmatized as unprofessional and unintelligent. However, research shows they can indicate h...

This week, Sadie introduces us to Florence Price, an accomplished Black classical composer who persevered despite facing discrimination and limited opportunities in the early 20th century and became the first black woman to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra. We discuss her early talent and affinity for classical music, her prestigious and accomplished education, and the hidden symphon...

This week we delve into the rich history of women's pictures and explore the evolution of romantic comedies or "chick flicks". From their glory days when they ruled the box office with huge celebrity names to the "dry spell" that they went through in recent years. We'll examine the various factors that led to the decline of the rom-com genre and the cultural shift that left these films relegated t...

This week, Stauney introduces us to Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley. Born into slavery and working as early as age four, Elizabeth dealt with the injustices of physical and sexual abuse, feeling the full brunt of the rampant racism in early U.S. History. However, Elizabeth would rise far above her birth to go on to buy her and her son's freedom, start a dressmaking business and employ 20 other women, and...

This week, we're talking about the early origins of a community experimental theatre group called "The Provincetown Players" that produced some of America's best theatrical works and thrived in the Greenwich Village of New York City. They also were extremely progressive by bringing women playwrights, directors, and actresses to the forefront of the theater scene, with many of them winning Pulitzer...

This week, Sadie introduces us to "The Mother of Modern Dance," Isadora Duncan. Known for her free-flowing dancing and choreography that began the modern and contemporary dance movement, she was truly an incredible pioneer in the evolution of dance and movement. She traveled across Europe and the Soviet Union dancing to great acclaim, taught a group of students, and raised and adopted many childre...

We all heard the drama of 'Don't Worry, Darling' with rumors of spitting on co-stars, affairs with the director, phone calls about "Miss Flo" and much more leaking their way into the press for an entire year. But what about the  plot  of this movie (that's a  real  movie)? The story of a man setting his wife in an idealistic 50-style "traditional" home against her knowledge is not a new one. Its c...

This week, Stauney introduces us to the personal portrait artist of Marie Antoinette, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. Vigée Le Brun was an early French painter known for her close associations with the famous aristocracy of Paris, and later - most of the European royals. We talk about her early tutelage under her father, her rise to fame and career at the early age of 14, her tastemaking "It girl" status...

Reading is trendy again! Since the Harry Potter and Twilight craze, we haven't seen the internet as obsessed with books as they have been in the past two years with the rise of #booktok, a subset of TikTok focused on book recommendations, authors, booksellers and anything else of the literary sense. From the publishing and printed book industry to believed to have been completely dying out, to now...

Presents and the patriarchy? Misogyny under the mistletoe? Santa and... sexism? Today we're talking about Christmas and the unfair division of holiday labor that happens during this season of merriment. In "traditional households" most of the holiday chores, decorating, Christmas cards, present shopping, gift wrapping, treats and dinners, and hosting, all tend to fall to one individual: the woman....

Another monthly bonus book episode and this one is NOT to be missed with the cutest Christmas romance that filled Stauney and Sadie with absolute yuletide glee. "Faking Christmas" by Cindy Steel is a highly rated and self-published adorable new release this year that details a cute Christmas romance and we adored it. We discuss our love for the book, our Romance Novel episode that is criminally un...

Although she was one of the first recipients of the Triple Crown, the first actress ever to win a Tony and Oscar for the same role, and one of the most awarded Broadway actresses of all time, Shirley Booth is largely forgotten and often only remembered for her role on a sitcom. This week, Sadie reminds us of this award-winning actress whose life was not an easy one, being estranged early from her...

Every year in December, you can expect to hear the same classic Christmas songs that cue you into the beginning of the holiday season. Whether it's the 13 opening notes of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" or the melodic melodies of Christmas classics like "Silent Night" or "White Christmas", it seems that the same songs have been around... well forever. Today we dive into the LONG...