Stuff Mom Never Told You

In recent years, tattoos have become a common part of breast cancer recovery. Beginning with a brief refresher on the history of women and ink, Cristen and Caroline discuss the different ways tattoos are providing new and empowering choices for women who've undergone mastectomies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

The clitoris has been one of the most misunderstood and maligned female features in medical history. Cristen and Caroline uncover the incredible geography of clitoral complex and why it took so long for doctors to figure it out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What exactly is a sociopath, and why are women with antisocial personality disorder so rare? Cristen and Caroline confront the clinical realities of sociopathy and why it's become pop culture's favorite character flaw. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stereotypes about Latinas' bodies and behaviors abound, and perhaps none are more pop culturally persistent than that of the "spicy" Latina. Cristen and Caroline, trace the history behind this on-screen trope that's endured from Carmen Miranda to Sofia Vergara. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do women care so much about their eyelashes? From science and ancient history to to a mascare inventor named Rimmel, Cristen and Caroline get deep about these not-so-superficial hairs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black hair contains an entire history of ethnic pride, discrimination and assimilation. Lori L. Tharp, author of "Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America," talks to Cristen about black hair from the tragic to the triumphant and why more black women today are celebrating the beauty of their natural hair. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See...

How do girls' relationships with their fathers influence who they grow up to become? Cristen and Caroline unpack the psychology of "daddy issues" and the unique dynamics of father-daughter bonding. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do boys' relationships with their mothers influence who they grow up to become? Cristen and Caroline unpack the psychology of "mama's boys" and the unique dynamics of mother-son bonding. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What "perfect" teeth look like depends on where in the world you are. In this episode, Cristen and Caroline shed light on the intersections between beauty, social status and teeth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the "grandmother hypothesis," humans have grandmas, nanas and bubbies to thank for their longer lifespans. In this episode, Cristen and Caroline reveal the compelling science and evolution behind these important maternal figures. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is late night television resistant to women hosts and writers? Cristen and Caroline explore the past and present of late night TV to answer a question critics and viewers alike have been asking increasingly in recent years: where are the women? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since ancient times, women have been advised to cover up in order to protect their dignity. More recently, a so-called "modesty movement" has gotten underway, and Cristen and Caroline undress how the "modest is hottest" message ultimately strips agency from women and men alike. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

As cosplay has become more popular outside of Japan in recent years, it has raised fascinating questions about gender, sexuality and authenticity in fandom and the fictional realms cosplay strives to mirror. Just in time for con season, Cristen and Caroline share how there's far more to cosplay than dressing up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudi...

Curly-haired women often feel like they're living in a flat-ironed, staight-haired world. Cristen and Caroline untangle the science of curly hair and get to the root of the cultural stereotypes regarding ringlets. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women are far likelier to suffer from insomnia than men, but why? Cristen and Caroline put the science to rest on the biological and psychological female factors that lead to sleepless nights. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do women have larger buttocks than men, and why are they considered attractive? From Hottentot Venus to Instagram's Butt Selfie Queen, Cristen and Caroline get to the bottom of our longstanding cultural fascination with women's big butts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do middle children really get the short end of the familial stick? Cristen and Caroline explore the psychological history of middle children, the influence of birth order and the cultural biases against the in-between siblings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did Greek fraternities become a part of college life? Cristen and Caroline investigate the history of fraternities and how problems hazing, drinking and sexual assault threaten their future existence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the scientific function of best friendship? Cristen and Caroline put besties and bromances under the microscope to discover the pros and cons of how these influential relationships shape our lives. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women who travel alone have long raised suspicious eyebrows for bucking convention in order to see the world. Cristen and Caroline take a trip from the 19th-century Golden Age of Travel to today to find out why women travel solo and whether their independent itineraries are really a safety risk. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

The earliest seafaring women had to disguise themselves as men just to be allowed aboard ships. In this aquatic installment of their series on exploration, Cristen and Caroline chart the incredible adventures of women on the high seas past and present. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cristen and Caroline visit the Stuff Mom Never Told You listener mail bag to answer questions about asexual dating, modesty, the "hot convict" meme and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Of all the places on the globe, Antarctica has been the hardest for women to reach, barred even from South Pole-bound ships. Cristen and Caroline bundle up for an adventure with the persistent women who fought their way to explore the icy continent. Antarctica-bound ships, women have had to fight their way to explore the icy continent. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastn...

During the Golden Age of Exploration, discovering unknown lands was something that typically required a lot of money -- and being a man. Cristen and Caroline highlight the women who dared to defy convention, explore and change the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exploration has long be considered a manly pursuit, but a new generation of women explorers and adventures are changing that. Cristen and Caroline survey the women's rich and exciting history of exploration and how they've fought for the right the investigate the natural world -- even in petticoats and corsets. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio...