The Week In Patriarchy

Some people (not us) might say they’re the *same thing!*This week, Hannah and Aphra answer the very perplexing question of why women just aren’t having enough babies, Labour’s grim idea to spy on Disabled people’s bank accounts (!) and the NHS consultation that drew the enthusiasm of many of our listeners. Digressions include eight minutes on haircuts and everyone forgetting about the US ELECTION....

Hannah and Aphra question the shades of gray in Sue Grey’s departure from government, the distressing escalation in the Middle East, a school’s verrrrry questionable new policy on period pain, and of course, the assumption that childless women must always be kept humble. Digressions include a descent into filth and Aphra slightly losing the plot  The transcript of this episode can be found on...

Hannah and Aphra step into Harrod’s gilded halls and checkered past, question whether Karma has hit the Labour Party now they are in Government and might be looking Guilty as Sin over their receiving clothes, glasses, football box tickets and yes, Taylor Swift tickets, and round up with some positive news (for once!). Most importantly, Aphra impressed Producer Alex and everyone needs to know about...

Hannah and Aphra stick their heads under the bonnets of some ‘sheCANics’ to decide if it puts the ‘ick’ in mechanic or not, discuss the current PR challenges facing the government, cover the Gisèle Pelicot case and of course, relive that glorious Harris-Trump debate. Digressions include Scottish camping and advice on how to win therapy.  Content warning - this episode discusses sexual violenc...

Part two of our epic return for the new season! Hannah and Aphra analyse BBC and Daily Mail headlines to explore just how influential they can be, dive into whether or not violence against women and girls is taken seriously in this country, and question whether Parliament should have been recalled to deal with the far-right riots.  Content warning - this episode contains references to racism,...

We’re back! Two months off and we predictably came back swinging a little too hard, so this is a two-parter. We go over all the wild things that happened in the US and the UK during our break, as well as update you all on some fun changes we’re making to the pod. This is part one of two.  The transcript of this episode can be found on our Substack page: https://theweekinpatriarchypod.substack...

We’re back! After a little time off, Hannah and Aphra (and their incredible producers) have come back for season two, starting on August 22nd. Expect more chaos, more fun, more unpredictable singing, and of course - more hot takes on the news, politics and pop culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In their final episode before a month-long break, Hannah and Aphra delve into the Trump trial outcome - and why it’s apparently been harder for Melania than it has Donald - Starmer’s tinfoil spine, the return of Farage, absolutely heartbreaking scenes from Gaza, Mexico’s new leader, and a potential cancer breakthrough that could change the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Digressions incl...

Not much happened this week! Just that little thing called the general election, called sooner than everyone (including most Tories) expected. Hannah and Aphra take you through what you need to know, as well as discussing the infected blood scandal, the ICC issuing arrest warrants over the Gaza genocide, the status of wheelchair services in the UK and the UK’s first bionic MP. Digressions include...

Hannah and Aphra get into the weeds of a truly disturbing report on the failures of maternity healthcare, as well as a grim update on the government’s war on disabled people. Plus, more Royal shenanigans featuring gilded castles, colonial swords and blood everywhere (but the hands). It’s not all bad though - they also cover the recent vote on whether MPs arrested on suspicion of violent or sexual...

My my my it’s a busy week for the patriarchy. Hannah and Aphra discuss icky defections from Tory to Labour, Eurovision, Palestine and pinkwashing, a controversial breakthrough in gene therapy and an update (a nice one!) to a previous story covered on the pod. Digressions include Aphra forgetting how to speak English and Hannah’s Gay Abandon. The transcript of this episode can be found on our Subst...

A cheerless week for the pod as Aphra and Hannah discuss men behaving badly: Rishi Sunak continues his attack on the welfare state, Maggie T style, the government voted through an evil - and illegal - immigration plan and Tory MP Mark Menzies has allegedly…erm…faked a kidnapping? Oh yeah, and Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction was overturned in New York, in a shock appeals court verdict. Digressio...

In this bonus round - and possibly the most dystopian episode yet - Hannah paints a picture of what a post-election America could look like by taking Aphra through Donald Trump’s Agenda 47, Project 2025 and WTF 69. Don’t know what those are? You’ll have to listen to find out. Digressions include hayfever hell, our thoughts on Scoop, and Aphra’s pure rage at fathers who period-shame their daughters...

This week is a heavier one. Hannah and Aphra cover the Garrick club’s exclusion of women from their hallowed (read - prehistoric) halls, a truly horrendous week of ableism, and the latest developments in AI and weaponry being used in Gaza that should have us all concerned. Digressions include a truly unmissable rant from Hannah and our favourite feminist, Benedict Cumberbatch.  Content warnin...

It’s a bonus episode! Hannah and Aphra dive into a listener-requested topic: the rise of tradwifism and why, at its core, it’s a fantasy born from the horrors of late stage capitalism. The team also explores the boom in family content and whether a consent-based approach needs to emerge from content creators who use their children to make money. Digressions include Jackie Coogan, paper towels, and...

Oh my god we ventured down the Royal Family rabbit hole, and guess what we found? Racism! This week, Hannah and Aphra cover the weird expectations the tabloids are placing on Meghan, the disgusting treatment of Diane Abbott - one of our longest serving MPs - and Olivia Rodrigo standing up for reproduction rights for a hot minute. Digressions include the Pope’s sexy white puffer coat and an unhealt...

It’s a TABLOID SPECIAL! Aphra and Hannah dive into the mystifying hellscape of the Sun, the Daily Mail and more, analysing how tabloids prime us to hate or dehumanise the people they write about, and why they’re so obsessed with how old women are. Plus! Aphra forces Hannah to cross enemy lines and write her own Daily Mail headline. Digressions include accidental shagging and the hottest new celebr...

In this episode, Hannah and Aphra try not to explode in anger as they discuss Alabama's alarming new rulings around embryos, an anti-abortion society that's been formed at the University of Manchester and the latest on Shamima Begum’s case - as well as a rare piece of good government news. Digressions include a hungover Aphra and Schrodinger’s GP. Content warning: this episode touches on many sens...

In this episode, Hannah and Aphra talk about the rise in no-fault evictions and the ways this impacts women, Labour backpedaling so hard that they’re going round in circles, and Liz can’t-outlast-a-lettuce Truss insisting that everyone is a secret Tory. Digressions include the ugliest effing dress you’ve ever seen and Aphra’s attempt at sabotage. The transcript of this episode can be found on our...

In this episode, Hannah and Aphra talk about the fact that the gen z boys seem to hate the gen z girls, the weird obsession this government has with private schools and the glass cliff phenomenon. Digressions include a shared love of The Last Dinner Party and lusting over Hot Priest. Content warning - this episode contains references to sexual violence and suicidal ideation. If you or anyone you k...

In this first episode, Hannah and Aphra grudgingly talk about Barbie - and the boring headlines around it. They also inadvertently call for state-sponsored Doc Martens and discuss the American presidential race to the bottom. The transcript of this episode can be found on our Substack page: theweekinpatriarchypod.substack.com/ Follow us on Substack or Instagram (@theweekinpatriarchypod) to be the...