More Than A Muse

Today on the Podcast, Stauney, and Sadie discuss three major television shows: Friends, Gilmore Girls, and New Girl, all created, written (and even mostly produced) by women! We talk about the writers and creators behind each show, how they each changed the face (and future) of television, the wins and downfalls of them all, how they do on the Bechdel test, and much, much more! Episodes like this...

Today on the Podcast, Sadie introduces us to Fanny Mendelssohn, an 18th-century composer, and pianist. Although Fanny is often overshadowed by her brother who was able to pursue music, Fanny was able to rise above the gender constraints of the time and become a recognized prodigy and composer. We talk about her wealthy family and her early life as a prodigy. We also discuss her slow-burning career...

Today on the Podcast, Stauney and Sadie talk about Betty White and her century-long career and legacy of laughter. Although Betty White has frequently been brought up or appeared, it's easy with her almost 90 years of fame to forget about the early days, relationships, and the career that molded her into the hilarious woman we all adore. We talk about her radio career, her army service, her three...

Today on the Podcast, Stauney introduces us to Sofonisba Anguilsola, one of the earliest recorded female artists we know of. At the height of the Italian Renaissance, she studied under some of the best-known artists of her time and created a path in the field of painting that allowed many female painters to step further out into the professional artistic field than would have ever been possible be...

In this month's bonus episode, we got to chat with Amanda Frisby Johnson, a professional actress, and singer about her career, what musical theatre professional life is like, singing the Phantom of Opera at Abravanel Hall and so much more! It's the perfect peek into the dramatic world of theatre and tied in nicely with this month's book "Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical...

This week, Sadie introduces us to Ruth Wakefield, the inventor of the famous chocolate chip cookie! Wakefield inventor her classic cookie while experimenting in her kitchen at Tollhouse Inn, which she owned and operated with her husband. Not only would it go on to be an American classic, but it also would inspire the invention of chocolate chips themselves. We talk about her famous meals, cookbook...

Move over, Santa Claus! Discover the enchanting world of Christmas-leading ladies from across the globe in this festive episode. Join Stauney and Sadie as they delve into the legends of 10 magical women, including Santa Lucia and Mrs. Santa Claus, from various countries. Uncover the centuries-old scare tactics parents used to ensure good behavior, explore the rich traditions that have shaped our h...

In this episode, Stauney and Sadie dive deep into the discussion behind the iconography of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, and Mary Magdalene, the first woman to see the resurrected Chris, and how they've been depicted in artwork throughout time. They discuss the different symbolism used in religious art, the two women and their reputations (and how different features were used to define each in...

This week, Stauney brings us the extraordinary story of Karen Carpenter, renowned as one of the most exceptional contralto vocalists in history. While her tragic death and struggles with an eating disorder often overshadow her legacy, there's a wealth of untold tales about this gifted musician. Stauney and Sadie delve into her formative years, the inception of the Carpenters, her remarkable drummi...

LET'S GO GIRLS. This week Stauney and Sadie are talking about all things country music and how women have a hard time in that entire genre. They discuss country music radio reigning supreme, how record labels and listening numbers factor into the scene in ways that they don't with other genres, the CMA's complete overlook of women, objectification of women throughout the entire genre, and how they...

This week Sadie introduces us to the famed Paris singer, Edith Piaf. Most well-known for her famous song "La Vie En Rose," she was a stunning Paris songbird who came from a very tragic past and yet made her mark as one of France's most beloved singers. We talk about her childhood in a brothel, her struggles with motherhood, street performing, her first big performances, and the songs that made her...

This week, we are talking all about literal queens. We are discussing six prominent female political leaders and the role they have played in pop culture even leading up to today. Society has a habit of changing powerful women into objects of adoration or scorn, and these women, Cleopatra, Theodora, Mary I, Esther, Catherine the Great, and Marie Antoinette are no exception.  We briefly discuss the...

This week, Stauney introduces us to the Inuit artist, Kenojuak Ashevak. Although there is little information on her life, it wasn't without struggles. Stauney and Sadie discuss how growing up in a tribe that has long been plagued by colonization, along with the struggles of disease and death, forged her artistic career in fire, and how she came out as the most influential Inuit artist, and a conte...

It's time for another bonus book episode! This month we read "The Science of Women in Horror" by Meg Hafdahl & Kelly Florence, the co-hosts of the Horror Rewind Podcast. This book is a great overview of a bunch of horror films and the impact they make on feminism and cinema within the horror genre. We discuss a few of the horror film tropes the book outlines including The Mother, The Final Gir...

This week we dive into one of the most hated and most controversial, and yet also some of the top best-selling and most lucrative series of books and movies We're talking all about Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series! We aren't die-hard fans, but did Twilight deserve all the hate it got in the mid-200's? We talk all about the books, the inspiration, the controversy, and most importantly the cultural...

This week Stauney introduces us to an strange pairing, a woman and the ghost she claimed was using her to write poetry and novels. Before this incident, Pearl Lenore Curran lived a very normal and ordinary life, with dreams to work in music and be a singer. However, after an "encounter" with an ouija board, she soon begins to claim that she is communicating directly with a ghost named Patience Wor...

We're One!!! We are officially ONE YEAR OLD as of tomorrow and to celebrate we did a whole episode quizzing each other and ourselves on all of our past episodes. From Artemesia Gentileschi to Shirley Jackson, let's see how well we know all of the artists we've talked about, and reminisce on all of the topics and people we've talked about in this past year! Want to check out some of our favorite bo...

This week Sadie introduces us to an author with a class of works perfect for October. Shirley Jackson is well known for her work of fiction "The Haunting of Hill House" recently made into a Netflix adaptation, along with her best-selling story "The Lottery" gaining lots of attention for its controversial publication. However, long before that, her spooky class of works gained her a reputation of b...

It's time for another bonus book episode! This month we read "Women Artists: The Linda Nochlin Reader" by Linda Nochlin, Edited by Maura Reily. To help us digest and discuss this collection of essays by Linda Nochlin, we are joined by Hall W. Rockefeller, founder of Less than Half and art historian. We talk about Linda Nochlin's impact, her commentary on the art world, and the different ways in wh...

This week we got to dive into a very underrepresented area of the arts and its influence on political protest. Throughout history, dance has been used as a tool for political power and protest, even though it's also been laced with controversy and sometimes outlawed in countries and communities (even today). We talk about a myriad of cultures and societies that have been influenced by this politic...

Today on the Podcast, Stauney introduces us to Josephine Baker. Often referred to as "The Black Venus" or "The Black Pearl" she was a Paris showgirl with a shocking routine that took the world by storm (often joined on stage by her pet cheetah Chiquita). She also was an accomplished actress (the first black woman to star in a major motion picture), a singer, and a American Civil Rights activist, s...

This week, we're doing a full pop culture (specifically pop music) episode, diving right into a Guardian article "Billie, Lorde, Lizzo: has being a female pop star in 2021 become unbearable?"  and talking all about recent talk and trends in the music industry, where we think it's headed and controversy that has risen up against the music labels, or the pop stars they represent. We also talk about...

For this month's bonus book episode, we briefly go over the book expounding on the Riot Grrrl movement, "Girls to the Front" by Sara Marcus, and the impact it made on us this month before we are joined by two wonderful guests! We had the absolute pleasure of talking to the co-founders of Grrrl Music, Kelsey, and Ashley. With an organization named after the iconic punk riot grrrl music movement, it...

This week we're talking about the jazz instrumentalist, Lillian Hardin Armstrong. Often referred to as the "First Lady of Jazz," she was mostly known for her connection to her husband, the famous Louie Armstrong. However, with a very impactful career and jazz presence long before Louie, she is worthy of the deep dive this episode provides. We also dive a little into the potential conspiracy surrou...

TW: We are discussing mental health, mental disorders, unfair medical practices that basically qualify as torture, and other topics that are more adult and serious. We also briefly mention suicide and eating disorders. We don't focus too much on them but they will be mentioned, so if you don't want to listen, we completely understand! This week we're talking about the comparison between Camille Cl...