The C-Word

Chyna was an iconic wrestler, body builder, and later adult entertainment actress. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss gender dynamics in the WWE, Chyna’s early years, and her rise to fame as one of the first women wrestlers who could physically rival men. This episode was first published on 11/29/2019.

Isabella Blow was a magazine editor, style icon, and muse, known for discovering fashion greats like Alexander McQueen and Stella Tenant. She was legendary for her outlandish outfits, her dirty sense of humor, and her habit of stripping at parties. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss musedom, eccentricity and aging, and fashion in the early 2000s.  This episode was first published on 11/...

Lena, Alissa, and special guest, Quentin Tarantino, discuss fandom, fame, badly-behaved women characters, and the corrosive effects of Hollywood sexism. Quentin also shares film recommendations, and gives his take on past C-Word episode subjects.  This episode was first published on 10/28/2021.

The episode turns the lens on the latter half of Marie Antoinette’s life, including the rumors, bad decisions, and mounting pressure that culminated in her eventual beheading. Lena and Alissa also examine her evolution as a contemporary cultural icon, and criticize the meme-ified sad girl version of Marie Antoinette that is often popularized today.  This episode was first published on 10/14/2...

Lena and Alissa discuss Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France before the French revolution and cultural symbol of royal excess. In this episode: Marie Antoinette’s marriage as an adolescent, her iconic pouf hairstyle, and the series of events that would make her France’s public enemy No. 1.  This episode was first published on 09/30/2021.

Vanessa Marquez was an actress best known for her role as Nurse Wendy on ER. Later, she would appear on the reality television show Intervention, which showcased her shopping addiction and agoraphobia. During #metoo, she spoke out about sexual harassment on set. Lena and Alissa discuss how past trauma impacts health, Vanessa’s prolific online posts, and police brutality.  This episode was fir...

In Part 2, Lena and Alissa unpack the years leading up to Amy Winehouse’s death in 2011. They discuss rehab, bad boyfriends, and the 27 club. This episode was first published on 08/05/2021.

Recognized for her singular voice and iconic beehive, Amy Winehouse became a near-instant music legend as well as a tabloid mainstay in the 2000s. On the 10th anniversary of her death, Lena and Alissa discuss the singer-songwriter’s precocious talent, her rebellious teen years, and the start to a bad romance that would fuel her later work as well as her addictions.  This episode was first publishe...

Nancy Spungen was a groupie and major figure of the 1970’s punk rock scene. Her tumultuous relationship with Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols became so infamous that “Sid and Nancy” has become a moniker for bad romances. Their relationship was characterized by drug abuse, violence, and codependence, and ended with Nancy’s murder in their shared hotel room. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss th...

In part two of Frances Farmer’s story, Lena and Alissa examine Frances’ later years out of the spotlight, her battles with addiction, and the posthumous repackaging of her legacy.  This episode was first published on 06/24/2021.

Although Frances Farmer was a star of Hollywood’s “Golden Era” and an intellectual powerhouse in her own right, her achievements have been overshadowed by myths surrounding her public struggles with mental health. Her periods in psychiatric hospitals and involuntary confinement have entered pop culture lore, immortalized by everyone from Jessica Lange to Kurt Cobain. In the first of two parts, Len...

Before Bai Ling was labeled a “wacktress” by the tabloids, she was a prolific actress best known in the U.S. for her role in the cult classic, The Crow. Her wacky behavior and soundbites about living on the moon made her a frequent character of the early 2000s press. In this episode, Lena and Alissa unpack Bai’s childhood in Mao Zedong’s China, her ascent as an American star, her iconic stint on C...

Family Lore is a weekly narrative podcast that celebrates and investigates ancestral mystique. Each episode begins with a guest sharing a fascinating family legend, followed by a historical deep-dive to uncover the truth and meaning behind the tale. Available now: link.pscrb.fm/f0281/FLFD

In Part 2, Lena and Alissa resume their discussion about 90s porn star Savannah. Although she became a mainstream name, Savannah developed a bad reputation within the adult entertainment industry. In this episode, they chronicle her relationships with rockstars, her attempts at a comeback, and her struggles with addiction and debt. Lena and Alissa also discuss the dissolution of her personal ident...

Savannah was the most famous porn performer of the 90s — she ushered in a totally new era of celebrity for other adult film stars. At her peak she made six-figures and was a tabloid mainstay. But behind the scenes, she gained a reputation for bad on-set behavior as her drug addiction spiraled out of control. In the first episode of a two-part series, Lena and Alissa examine Savannah’s origins as S...

Sulli was a major K-pop star, singer, and actress, known as “the Kim Kardashian of South Korea.” Her pivot away from her initial “baby girl” persona in the K-pop girl group, f(x), resulted in tremendous backlash and online harassment. Controversies ranged from her dating life to her clothing choices to her feminist beliefs. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss K-pop training schools, fan entit...

If you’ve been on this journey with us, you know that Alissa and Lena are obsessed with sharp, witty, decisive women. Today, we’re stepping out of the archives to introduce you to a woman who is helping us look at ourselves and answer big questions with a refreshing amount of grit and zero judgment. Meet Suzy Welch. Suzy is a three-time New York Times bestselling author and the NYU professor behin...

Although Sondra Locke’s work as an actress & director garnered critical praise and an Academy Award nomination, she was perhaps best known for her 13-year romantic relationship with Clint Eastwood. The highly publicized court battle that followed their relationship forever linked her name with his and fueled endless gossip. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss the etymology of “Daddy,” the...

Gia Carangi, considered by many to be the world’s first supermodel, was once so renowned she was known simply as GIA. Her stunning rise from a troubled Philadelphia childhood to the top of the New York fashion scene preceded an equally dramatic downfall, marked by heroin addiction and wild on-set behavior. She died in 1986 of AIDS-related complications. In this episode, Lena and Alissa follow the...

Lena and Alissa welcome the new year with an iconic early 20th-century party girl: La Marchesa Luisa Casati. They delve into Luisa’s obsession with the occult, her high-profile artistic and romantic relationships, and her singular desire to become a “living work of art,” all the while investigating the double-edged sword of our society’s fascination with eccentric women. This episode was first pub...

​In Part 2, Lena and Alissa resume their discussion on Brittany Murphy. By the late 2000s, Brittany’s career was stagnant and rumors about her erratic behavior and her sketchy new marriage were widespread. Tragically, her life was cut short in December 2009. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss the harmful effect of gossip blind items, celebrity paranoia, and the public’s fixation on conspirac...

The Brittany Murphy of the 90s won our affection with her talent, iconic laugh, and breakout role as goofy but lovable Tai in ​Clueless​. But the Brittany Murphy of the 2000s weathered tabloid speculation about her appearance and high-profile relationships, a dwindling supply of roles, and an addiction to prescription pills. In part 1, we grapple with the first half of Brittany’s life. Lena and Al...

Lena and Alissa discuss a different kind of c-word subject: Yolanda Saldívar. She became known for robbing the world of beloved Tejano music star Selena. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss Saldívar's criminal history, how obsessive fandom is related to public interest, and whether the term “c-word” is applicable in Yolanda’s case.  This episode was first published on 11/19/2020.

In part 2, Lena and Alissa discuss the latter half of Anna Nicole’s life. By 2002, she had become one of the first E! reality television celebrities with ​The Anna Nicole Show​. Early gossip websites like TMZ and Perez Hilton covered her weight gain, messy public appearances, and a debacle over the paternity of her second child. In this episode, we discuss Anna Nicole’s addiction, her eccentric en...

Model and reality TV superstar Anna Nicole Smith assumed several roles in America’s public consciousness. In the 90s she was branded as as a sex symbol and “the next Marilyn Monroe” and in the 2000s we turned her into a punch line. We loved and then ridiculed her platinum blonde hair, massive boobs, Texas accent, and “loopy” manner. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss Anna Nicole Smith’s orig...