The Waves: Gender, Relationships, Feminism

On this week’s episode of The Waves, historian and original Waves host, Marcia Chatelain is joined by sociologist Danielle Lindemann to talk all things reality TV. They discuss Danielle’s new book, True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us and why we don’t take reality television as seriously as we should. Later in the show they talk about why women are more successful at monetizing their reality...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re reflecting on the impact of Bitch Media, which started as a zine in the 90s, and grew into a print publication and website . Slate staff writer Heather Schwedel is joined by Bitch co-founder Andi Zeisler to talk about the history of Bitch. Then, they explore why feminist media is struggling, despite maybe being more necessary than ever.  In Slate Plus: Is...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we start with a conversation with upcoming Slow Burn: Roe v Wade host, Susan Matthews and Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth about the implications of the recently leaked Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe.  In the main show, we shift focus to gender violence as the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial continues. Cheyna sits down with Dr. Nicole Bedera about what...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior writer, Christina Cauterucci and Slate science editor Shannon Palus, talk pineapples on sticks. Christina’s new piece, “ What’s Eating Edible Arrangements ” on the changes at Edible Arrangements sparked a conversation about gender roles that likely led to the success of the company that now goes by Edible. Then they unpack the company’s pivot to CB...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by freelance science writer Eleanor Cummins to talk about the possible resurgence of Ecofeminism. Eleanor recently published “ Is Ecofeminism Due for a Comeback ?” in The New Republic . They discuss how the term came to be “passe,” what places are embracing the concept of combining feminism and the environment (and trying t...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus is joined by science journalist, Rachel E. Gross to talk all about female anatomy. They discuss Rachel’s new book, Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage and how much science has to learn when it comes to diagnosing female maladies. Then they get into ovaries and all the misconceptions about these “egg baskets.” In Slate Plus, is...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate staff writers Rebecca Onion and Lili Loofbourow are talking about the prepper community. Is it all toxic masculinity? Is there already a space for women in the community, or do they have to carve their own space? They dig into Lili’s piece on the schism in the prepper reddit community and explore the gender dynamics of a culture that ranges from coupon cl...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, the co-host of Slate’s internet culture podcast ICYMI , Rachelle Hampton sits down with Slate associate editor and romance author, Marissa Martinelli to talk about romance novels and, of course, the television show Bridgerton . In the first half, they dig into the longstanding race and gender politics at play within the romance writing community and gatekeeping...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re saddling up and taking the reins to talk Westerns. Film critic and host of the podcast Watch With Jen , Jen Johans is joined by Washington Post TV critic and host of the All About Almodóvar & All About Campion podcasts, Inkoo Kang . First they dive into the history of the genre: What makes something a Western, and how the genre has challenged stereoty...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about getting paid. Slate Money co-host Emily Peck is joined by Phoebe Gavin , a career coach and executive director of talent and development for Vox.com. In the first part of the show they unpack Emily’s New York Times article , “What Do You Think You Should Be Paid” and the trap of that question. In the second half, Phoebe gives her advice on how to...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking about infertility treatments–and what happens when they don’t work. The Waves producer Cheyna Roth shares her personal struggles and talks about going through IVF with Slate’s Dear Prudence columnist, Jenée Desmond Harris . They talk about what they wished they had known before starting IVF, how to be a good friend of someone experiencing infertil...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking Texas. Slate community manager Evan Urquhart and author and co-host of Slate’s Outward podcast Jules Gill-Peterson dig into the Texas governor’s directive to treat gender-affirming health care for transgender youth as child abuse. In the first half of the show, they explore what’s going on in Texas and the harm it’s already causing. Later they tal...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus is joined by freelance beauty reporter, and author of The Unpublishable , Jessica DeFino to talk about why you probably don’t need all the lotions and potions in your cupboards. They start out by discussing Jessica’s recent Slate piece, “ Why Your Skin Doesn’t Need Skin Care ” and why other outlets turned the piece down. They t...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior writer and host of the Outward podcast Christina Cauterucci is joined by Slate senior writer Seth Stevenson to talk about Sarah Palin and her recent trial against the New York Times. In the first half of the show, they unpack what happened at Palin’s trial and dig into why Palin’s clothes are a major part of her personality. Later on, Seth and Chri...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, co-host of Slate’s podcast, Working, June Thomas is joined by Amira Rose Davis , history professor and co-host of the feminist sports podcast Burn It All Down . They dig into the “bog standard” sexism we keep seeing in the Games, the lack of diversity in the Winter Games (despite the International Olympic Committee constantly saying the Games are more diverse t...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate culture writer LIli Loofbourow is joined by Nichole Perkins , pop culture writer, author, and co-host of This Is Good for You . They talk about the history of the romantic comedy—and what makes it such an enjoyable, but sometimes insidious, genre. Then they unpack the return of the rom-com, why bromantic comedies are sometimes good for you, and shout to t...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate podcast producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author Danielle Friedman. Friedman’s new book Let’s Get Physical explores the history of women’s exercise, and how some old attitudes still linger. They talk about the double bind women have faced when it comes to exercising, the “uterus myth,” and where we’re at with anti-fatness and inclusivity in exercise.   In...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci looks back to the first Women’s March that took place on Jan. 21, 2017. She talks to New York Magazine’s Rebecca Traister about what the march accomplished for progressive organizing and the role protests can have going forward. Then she sits down with Angela Peoples, an activist and organizer who went to the march with...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus is joined by author Emily Willingham . Emily’s new book The Tailored Brain: Feeling Better and Thinking Smarter is all about how our brains work and whether gender plays a role in brain enhancement. They talk about how to be more empathetic and the ways empathy can boost your brain , the importance of using a feminist lens in b...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate managing producer Asha Saluja and Slate senior editor Shannon Palus discuss women and aging on television. Through two seemingly unrelated shows—HBO Max’s And Just Like That and Showtime’s Yellowjackets —they dig into how these shows portray their protagonists for better and worse, and what makes the relationships between women compelling in both shows.  ...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, former hosts Christina Cauterucci , Nichole Perkins and Marcia Chatelain return for a special reunion. They haven't been on the microphones together since the pandemic started, and they have a lot to discuss. They cover the nighttime doula Twitter fight, thoughts on the generational battles that are raging, how race plays a role in nostalgia, and the horrors of...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s a very special reunion episode. Original hosts of The Waves, June Thomas, Noreen Malone, and Hanna Rosin gather together to catch up on everything that’s happened since their last episode in July 2019. They talk about topics they wish they could have covered, how the workforce has changed for women, bits of culture they’ve loved over the last couple of yea...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, senior managing producer of Slate podcasts June Thomas is joined by Slate senior writer Seth Stevenson to talk about the ongoing trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, which Seth has been covering since it started at the end of November. Maxwell is accused of helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse minors by recruiting and grooming underage girls. First, Seth and June catc...

Slate's history podcast One Year and will introduce you to people and ideas that changed American history, one year at a time. The new season of One Year covers 1995, a year when homegrown terrorists attacked Oklahoma City, America went online, and the Macarena took over nightclubs. In 1995, an enormous scandal rocked the burgeoning field of reproductive medicine. In this episode, guest host Chris...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate’s news director Susan Matthews interviews the Nation’ s abortion-access correspondent, Amy Littlefield about her reporting for her recent New York Times piece, “ Where the Pro-Choice Movement Went Wrong .” They start by talking about how America got to the precipice of overturning Roe v. Wade , and whether reproductive rights advocates are prepared for th...