More Than A Muse

You may think you know what Hula is, but you might want to rethink your concept of it. From its origins as a spiritual practice for Hawaiian culture, the Hula has been used by tourism to exploit and promote a "Hula girl" image that is in real life not accurate at all. We talk about the history of this dance as an art form and cultural tradition and discuss the exploration and misperceptions of the...

This week, Stauney brings us up to speed on Marion Mahony Griffin, one of the first female licensed architects in the whole world, and a major pioneer of the prairie school architectural style. She also carried a lifelong grudge against the famous Frank Lloyd Wright after working with him closely for over 15 years. Not only did he steal some of her drawings without attributing her, but he also dis...

This week, Stauney talks about Beatrice Wood, otherwise known as the "Mama of Dada" due to her influential role in the early Dada art movement in New York. Although she grew up in a wealthy affluent household, she ran away to become a painter and actress against her family's wishes, mingling with the early avant-garde artists of New York Society before joining the theoreticism movement and landing...

This week, Sadie presents a remarkable journey through the vibrant world of British pop art with the pioneering Pauline Boty, the sole female artist and founder of the movement. In a time when the art world was predominantly male-dominated, Boty fearlessly embraced her femininity and sexuality, emerging as an emblem of 1970s feminism. Stauney and Sadie delve into Boty's formative years, where she...

This week, we are giving an overview of the movement of feminist art and its power for modern protest. We discuss what feminist art is, the beginning of its movement in the 60s and 70s, and then we discuss some different works of art that made major headway in the feminist art movement and how it continues today. Episodes to check out after this one: A Brief History of Western Feminism , Vanessa B...

It's our monthly bonus episode and this month, we're talking about the book "When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today" by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong. This book focuses on the stories of four women who pioneered soap operas, talk shows, family sitcoms, and television variety shows. Irna Phillips was a single mother who took her...

This week, we're talking about a MAJOR history conspiracy theory surrounding the gender of the most famous playwright of all time. Although it's a major debate, often shrouded in polarizing opinions, the true identity of the Bard is still one of significant mystery with lots of ideas on whether or not the man we know as William from Stratford-Upon-Avon could actually have been the author behind th...

This week, Sadie is diving into the creator of a 1985 song that unexpectedly hit the top 5 of the charts this summer 37 years after its release. That's right, it's time to talk about Kate Bush, the experimental British rock artist with a cult-like following despite many years of being hidden from the public eye. We get to discuss how streaming is changing the modern music scene for new AND old mus...

This week, we get a chance to dive into a personal project. Sadie, aka Dasie, has been working on her debut EP for the past year and after its release, we're talking all about it! The story that's told throughout the 6 tracks, the design graphics Stauney got to help out with, some fun moments that come with writing an EP about past relationships, and much more! Episodes to check out after this one...

This week, Stauney introduces Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Long ignored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and most of contemporary rock culture, Tharpe was one of the fundamental starts to the entire Rock & Roll music movement and one of the main influences for its lasting legacy. We discuss her beginnings as a childhood guitar and musical prodigy in her pentecostal gospel music group, her touring...

This week, Sadie is bringing us to speed on the famed Italian director Lina Wertmüller. Wertmüller is known for many things, with careers as a puppeteer, actress, stage manager, and writer, but becoming most well known for her Italian Art House films were critically acclaimed, earning her the title of the first female director to be nominated for an Oscar and an Academy Award. She also is quite fa...

It's part two, and once again we're breaking down the iconic and groundbreaking life of Beyoncé, a woman with so many accomplishments, record-breaking moments, and a legacy that is sure to continue beyond what we've covered. Today we're talking about the release of her 4th album up to her part in The Lion King, her relationships, controversy with music credits, and much more! Episodes like this o...

Back for another Living Legends episode, we're breaking down the iconic and groundbreaking life of Beyoncé, a woman with so many accomplishments, record-breaking moments, and a legacy that is worthy of a part one and two. Today we're talking all about her early childhood, Destiny's Child, and the successful start of her career up to the release of her Sasha Fierce album.  Episodes like this one:...

This week, Stauney introduces us to the first Asian-American movie star, the first Asian woman to appear in technicolor, earn a Hollywood walk of fame star, and a million other firsts. As an Asian in a very racist 1950s America, Wong faced a variety of extremely harmful stereotypes and rules that continued to push back against her early dream to be a star. We talk all about the context of her life...

It's our monthly bonus episode and this month, we've read the book "The Women Who Revolutionized Fashion: 250 Years." This may be a short episode, but don't underestimate the importance of this incredible and absolutely beautiful book. It covers over 100 different female fashion designers throughout all time, showing incredible photos and genuine essays all covering how women invented and revoluti...

It's the first Monday in May, which means tonight in New York City, the most exclusive and fashionable party of the year is taking place. But why does it happen? Who created it? and Why is it such a big deal? We're diving into the history of the MET Gala, and exploring the influential women who fashioned the MET into the incredible spectacle it is today. From its early start as a simple costume mu...

Today we're talking about a beloved top-grossing comedy film: "9 to 5" which was released in the 1980s. Starring Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, and Lily Tomlin, the movie not only was the film debut of Dolly Parton and introduced her Grammy Award-winning song by the same name but it also was inspired by true events of working women in Boston and Cleveland (primarily) who had started a movement in the '...

Emily Dickinson is a name many of us know, but very few of us can tell you much about it. This week Sadie brings us up to speed on a legendary American poet shrouded in mystery. We discuss her early life with her parents and education, the rumors of a forbidden love affair surrounding her and her best friend and sister-in-law, her cottage-core aesthetic that she was completely dedicated to, the st...

We get to talk all about the Grammys today!! We give a little bit of everything from fashion and performances, Taylor Swift's absence, to our thoughts on the winners (Hooray for Olivia right?) and who would have won the big four if we were in charge. This episode is just a fun little pop culture chat so grab a snack and come join us as we discuss all the fun 2022 moments from this year's biggest m...

Today Stauney talks about Gertrude Käsebier, one of the first women in the United States to become an accomplished commercial photographer, and the first woman to be known for her portrait photography! We talk about her early childhood in the Colorado Gold Rush, her unhappy marriage, her career rise in her late thirties, her controversial opinions, portraits of the Sioux people that toured with Bu...

We're so excited to have Rachael McKee on the podcast as she introduces her Kickstarter project "Messages from Her," a 44-card deck and historical guidebook created to bring inspiration to your daily life while also paying tribute to some of the most world-changing women of the last century! Rachael shares her inspiration for the project, the process of creating the deck and selecting the women, a...

Welcome to More than a Muse University! Today the topic is broad but we love a challenge, so we're giving a brief overview of 3,000 years of western history in one episode! Stauney and Sadie discuss the history and each of the waves of feminism, diving into women's suffrage, marital rights, sexual liberation, the #metoo movement, early feminist writing, art, and music, the things that defined our...

Today Sadie steps us back into the Hollywood Golden Age to discuss their worst-kept secret, the ghost singer Marni Nixon! Known most famously for being the female lead vocalist behind "My Fair Lady," "The King and I," and "West Side Story," she made her mark on the ears of Hollywood audiences while being sworn to secrecy over her involvement, and never being professionally credited. We discuss wha...

This week, Stauney and Sadie are covering everything about the most uncomfortable emotion for women to talk about - anger. We discuss the different ways men and women are raised to talk and behave around anger, the science behind male and female anger, how female anger influences media and art (including tropes of the angry black woman, and spicy Latina), and also how many modern pop stars are fin...

This last week, a museum in Ukraine was set ablaze by Russian invaders. That museum carried over two dozen pieces by one of the most celebrated Ukrainian artists of all time. Today, Stauney introduces us to Maria Prymachenko, a self-taught artist known for her naive style of Ukrainian folk painting. After talking about Ukrainian art styles Prymachenko was surrounded by from birth, Stauney and Sadi...