S2E2 - Cosmetic Surgery: “It has always been political”

Audra and Elisa dive into a very recent method of institutionalized oppression in Ireland, the complicity between the state and the Catholic Church, and how changing the law is never the end of the story.  This episode pairs best with learning the hard truths about our history and listening to the song “Irish Eyes” by Rose Betts on repeat. Book Recommendation  Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan  Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “About the Magdalene Laundries,” Justice for Magdalenes Research “Challenging Bad Nuns: Ireland's Magdalen Laundries,” Susannah Riordan, The Irish Review, JSTOR “Cillian Murphy's Small Things Like These: The Chilling True Story of the Magdalene Laundries,” Elizabeth Gregory, The Standard “The Forgotten Maggies Official Documentary,” Steven O’Riordan, Youtube “A Former Magdalene Laundry Resident Speaks Out,” Karen Coleman, Youtube “How Ireland Turned ‘Fallen Women’ Into Slaves,” Erin Blakemore, History Channel “Irish Government Acknowledges Role in Magdalene Laundries; Offers No Apology or Reparations,” Human Rights Program, Harvard Law School  Magdalene Laundries, CBS, Youtube “Magdalene Survivors Insist State Not Fulfilling Terms of Compensation Scheme,” Patsy McGarry, The Irish Times “Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee to Establish the Facts of State Involvement with the Magdalene Laundries,” Department of Justice “‘A Stain on Ireland’s Conscience’: Identification to Begin of 796 Bodies Buried at Children’s Home,” Rory Carroll, The Guardian “Through the Reproductive Lens: Labour and Struggle at the Intersection of Culture and Economy,” Kylie Jarrett, Digital Objects, Digital Subjects: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Capitalism, Labour and Politics in the Age of Big Data, JSTOR “Vatican Misled UN Committee on Compensation to Magdalene Women,” Paddy Agnew, The Irish Times “What Ireland’s History with Abortion Might Teach Us About a Post-Roe America,” Gretchen E. Ely, PBS News “A Woman Died: Abortion and the Politics of Birth in Ireland,” Ronit Lentin, Feminist Review, JSTOR

Elisa and Audra take a magnifying glass to four current pieces of media. In doing so, they dig into the nuances of cultural appropriation, learn about those who clean up after trauma, question our obsession with policing female celebrities, and celebrate rising divorce rates. This episode pairs best with a drink from your favorite Taiwanese boba store and eating as much MSG as you can find. Clarifications Audra incorrectly classified the Dragon who agreed to invest in Bobba as a white woman. The Dragon is actually an Indian Canadian woman named Manjit Minhas, and she has since pulled her investment. Keep the conversation going Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources Dragon’s Den Bobba Pitch The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in Death, Decay & Disaster, Sarah Krasnostein Anne Hathaway Interview Single Lady, Ali Wong, Netflix Soogia addressing Bobba's alcohol "innovation," TikTok

Audra and Elisa angrily address exorbitant ticket prices, the Live Nation & Ticketmaster monopoly, the power of fandom, and the importance of cultural activities. This episode pairs best with traveling abroad to see a show and not letting corporations appeal to your lesser impulses. Book Recommendation  Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil & Gillian McCain Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “Both Sides Claim Consumer at Core of Ticket-Sales Bill,” Madeleine List, The Providence Journal “Consumers File Live Nation, Ticketmaster Class Action Following DOJ Lawsuit,” Abraham Jewett, Top Class Actions  “The Depth of Live Nation’s Dominance: A Data Analysis of the Corporate Capture Behind Top Concert Venues Worldwide,” Krista Brown, American Economic Liberties Project “Event Ticket Sales: Market Characteristics and Consumer Protection Issues,” GAO Highlights “Fan to Fan,” Ticketmaster “Hidden Concert Ticket Fees Officially Banned in New York,” Chris Eggertsen, Billboard “The Issues: How Ticket Owners’ Rights & the Resale Market are Being Restricted,” Project Ticket Rights  “Justice Department Sues Live Nation-Ticketmaster for Monopolizing Markets Across the Live Concert Industry,” Office of Public Affairs: U.S. Department of Justice “Live Nation Admits to Helping Artists Scalp Their Own Tickets to Make More Money,” Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox “Maggie Rogers Is Selling Tickets for Her Tour at the Box Office: ‘We’re Going Old School,’” Glenn Rowley, Billboard “Oasis Tickets: What Is Dynamic Pricing and Why Is It Used for Live Music?” Rob Davies, The Guardian “The Price of Pop Fandom,” Marc Hogan, Jill Mapes, and Marina Kozak, Pitchfork “The Real Reason It Costs So Much to Go to a Concert,” Whizy Kim, Vox “Secondary Ticketers Lobby Up,” Caitlin Oprysko, Politico “Taylor Swift’s Biggest Scalper for the Eras Tour: Her Fans,” Dave Brooks, Billboard “Ten Additional US States Join DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit Looking to Break Up Live  Nation and Ticketmaster,” Daniel Tencer, Music Business Worldwide “Opinion: Ticketmaster’s Prices are Absurd,” Elizabeth Alexander, The Concordian  “Ticketmaster to Refund Some Fees After The Cure’s Robert Smith Says He Was 'Sickened' by Prices,” Minyvonne Burke, NBC News “Ticketmaster Says ‘Verified Fan’ Registration Doesn’t Measure Fandom. Some Fans Think It Should,” Daysia Tolentino, NBC News “Why Are Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tickets So Much Cheaper in Europe?” Dave Brooks, Billboard

Audra and Elisa interrogate the modern phenomenon of gender (or more accurately, sex) reveal parties, the troubling consumerism surrounding them, and how we can make rituals more meaningful. This episode pairs best with celebrating birth instead of perceived gender and accepting you have no business making at-home explosives.  Image and Video Time Stamps 11:25 Original Gender Reveal Cake 15:30 2017 Arizona Fire 18:20 Northern California Fire (from 0:30-0:40) 24:30 Alligator Gender Reveal  Book Recommendation  Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters   Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “Alligator 'Gender Reveal Party' Causes Controversy,” BBC “Couple Sentenced in Plea Deal for Sparking Deadly El Dorado Fire in Gender Reveal Mishap,” ABC7 “The Deadly History of Gender Reveal Parties,” Huck Mag “Grandmother Killed by Inadvertently Made 'Pipe Bomb' at Gender-Reveal Party: Sheriff,” Bill Hutchinson, ABC News High Gloss and Sauce, Facebook “Officials Release Video from Gender Reveal Party that Ignited a 47,000-acre Wildfire,” Andrea Diaz, CNN “The Origin and Evolution of Gender Reveal Parties,” Hannie Petra, Mpasho “The Thin Blue Line: The History of the Pregnancy Test,” National Institute of Health  “Wildfires, Alligators and Jelly: The Brief, Chaotic History of the Gender Reveal Party,” Zahra Manji, Prospect “Woman Who Popularized Gender-Reveal Parties Says Her Views On Gender Have Changed”, Lulu Garcia-Navarro, NPR

Audra and Elisa go through the history of hair removal, the gendered discrepancies in our attitudes towards body hair, and how race and class play into the stylistic norms of the time. This episode pairs best with being picky about the causes you support, and with having whatever hair routine you damn well please. Image and Video Time Stamps  31:29 Anti Suffragette Cartoon  Book Recommendation  Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton  Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected]  Follow us!  Sources  “Body Hair,” Wikipedia “Hair Removal Products Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product (Creams, Ready to use Wax Strips, Electronic Devices, and Razors), Gender (Men and Women), End User (Dermatology Clinics and Beauty Clinics), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2032,” Fortune Business Insights “History and Misconceptions About Women’s Body Hair,” Rachael Arsenault, Medium “In Brief: What is the Structure of Hair and How Does it Grow?” National Library of Medicine “It’s Just Hair,” Shivali Vorga, New York Times “Julia Roberts Remembers That “Scandalous” Underarm Hair Moment,” Georgia Day, Vogue Plucked: A History of Hair Removal, Rebecca M. Herzig Sugaring NYC “What’s Better? Sugaring vs. Waxing,” The Stripe “What’s the Difference Between Sugaring and Waxing?” Heathline “Why We Still Have Body Hair,” Charles Q. Choi, NBC News

Audra and Elisa discuss the new movie It Ends with Us, the messy press surrounding the film, and how hard it is to write a story about DV. This episode pairs best with getting introspective about the ways we all contribute to a victim-blaming mindset. Image and Video Time Stamps 17:50 KJ Miller on TikTok 48:50 Nicole Rafiee Video “chronically online girl explains It Ends with Us movie drama” 1:09:05 “The Backlash Against America’s Most Popular Novelist Is Way Less Satisfying Than I’d Hoped” Chels Upton DV Resources National Domestic Violence Hotline: “Internet usage can be monitored and is impossible to erase completely. If you’re concerned your internet usage might be monitored, call 800.799.SAFE (7233)”

Audra and Elisa are joined by special guest @businesscasualty on TikTok to chat about ridiculous contradictions in the corporate workplace. From lack of nuance in harassment trainings to opaque rhetoric in salary negotiations, we laugh about the ways companies can be oh so performative when it comes to caring for their employees. This episode pairs best with a big exhale and solidarity with your fellow employees. Book Recommendation Private Equity by Carrie Sun Check out Business Casualty @businesscasualty on TikTok @_businesscasualty on Instagram Keep the conversation going Email us at [email protected] Follow us!

Audra and Elisa “deliver” a history of midwifery in the U.S., how and why midwives have been pushed to the margins of reproductive medicine, and the incredible impact they have on women’s health. This episode pairs best with reproductive justice, passing on generational knowledge, and joining a coven. Image and Video Time Stamps Jen Hamilton TikTok Account 5:58 Book Recommendation  Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation by Silvia Federici Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “Abortion Is Central to the History of Reproductive Health Care in America,” Planned Parenthood America Has the Highest Maternal Mortality RateAmong Developed Nations–and It’s on the Rise. Here’s Why We Are Facing a Pregnancy Health Crisis,” Asima Ahmad, Fortune “The Benefits of Midwives,” American Pregnancy Association “A Brief History of Midwifery in America,” Center for Women’s Health, Oregon Health & Science University Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation by Silvia Federici “Cesarean Section Rates Continue to Rise, Amid Growing Inequalities in Access,” World Health Organization “The Flexner Report – 100 Years Later,” National Library of Medicine  “Full Practice Authority,” American College of Nurse-Midwives In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still On Trial by Mona Chollet  “Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Midwifery Education and Care,” Maternal Health Unit, World Health Organization  “Per Capita Health Expenditure in Selected Countries in 2022,” Statistica  “The Racist History of Abortion and Midwifery Bans,” Michele Goodwin, ACLU “Top 15 Countries by GDP in 2024,” Global Peo Services  “U.S. Maternal Deaths More Than Doubled Over 20 Years. Here’s Who Fared the Worst,” PBS News Hour “What Explains the United States’ Dismal Maternal Mortality Rates?” Wilson Center “Where Are The Midwives?” Evelyn Mangold, The Regulatory Review Witches, Midwives, and Nurses by Barbara Ehrenreich, Deirdre English

Audra and Elisa look into the NFL’s history of hiding data about the dangers of CTE — which no amount of Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce coverage can erase. This episode pairs best with listening to neurologists and playing non-contact sports. Image and Video Time Stamps Non-contact Injury Rate Higher on Artificial Turf (26:15) Guardian Caps (51:45) Book Recommendation Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete by William C. Rhoden Keep the conversation going Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “The 2023 Racial and Gender Report Card,” Adrien Bouchet, TIDES: The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport “9 NBA Players Who Played In The League The Longest,” Roberth Perez, The Sportster “Average Playing Career Length in the National Football League,” Christina Gough, Statistica Behind the Shield: The Power & Politics of the NFL, Dir. Jeremy Earp, Tubi “The Changing Face of America’s Favorite Sport,” David Sheinin, Emily Giambalvo, The Washington Post “Commanders' Magic Johnson: 'It's Been Hard' for Black People to Become NFL Owners,” Jack Murray, Bleacher Report “Concussion Protocols: Where We Stand Now,” JC Tretter, NFLPA “Examining Race Trends in the NFL: Diversity, but Not Inclusion,” The Football Players Health Study, Harvard University “Figure 1 - Uploaded by David Wyndham Lawrence,” ResearchGate%2C%20and%20linebackers%20(21.48%20per) “The History of Black Quarterbacks in the NFL (2023 Update),” Chase Stuart, Football Perspective “How Many NFL Teams Are Owned by African-Americans?,” Nick Goodling, Sportskeeda “How Teddy Roosevelt and The Thirst for Empire Made Football America’s Sport,” Dave Zirin, The Real News Network “How the NFL is Working to Prevent Concussions and Protect Players,” Lindsey Theis, Scripps News “Injury Data Since 2015,” NFL Player Health & Safety “Inside the NFL Turf Debate: Injuries, Safety Measures, Problems,” ESPN League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis, Frontline “List of Professional Sports Leagues by Revenue,” Wikipedia “Masculine Women, Feminine Men," Queer Music Heritage “NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee’s Concussion Diagnosis and Management Protocol,” NFL “NFL Field Surface Intel: Grass vs. Turf, Owners, Problems,” ESPN “NFL Players Union Renews Call for Grass Fields After Aaron Rodgers’ Injury,” Teresa M. Walker, The Associated Press “NFL Reaches ‘Major Milestone’ With Record 9 Minority Head Coaches in Place for the 2024 Season,” Steve Reed, The Associated Press “NFL Record 14 Black QBs to Start in Week 1, Boosted by Rookies Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson,” Jonathan Jones, CBS “NFL Reports Lobbying Spending Increase Ahead of Super Bowl LVII,” Joanne Haner, Open Secrets: Following the Money in Politics “NFL Says Regular-Season Concussions Increased 18% in 2022,” Kevin Seifert, ESPN “NFLPA's Howell Says 92% of Players Want Grass Fields Over Turf,” Paul Gutierrez, ESPN “No Sport for Old Players. A Longitudinal Study of Aging Effects on Match Performance in Elite Soccer,” Ezequiel Rey, Miguel Lorenzo-Martínez, ScienceDirect “Only Natural Grass Can Level The NFL’s Playing Field,” JC Tretter, NFLPA “The Paradox of Integration: Racial Composition of NFL Positions from 1960 to 2020,” Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde et al., American Sociologist Association “Researchers Find CTE in 345 of 376 Former NFL Players Studied,” Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine “Share of Players in the NFL in 2023, by Ethnicity,” Christina Gough, Statistica “Study: Head Impacts, Not Concussions, Drive Football-Related CTE Risk,” Rodney Young, Axel Turcios, Scripps News “Super Bowl LVIII Is Most-Watched Telecast in History,” Football Operations “What Did Your Favorite League Spend on Federal Lobbying in 2019?” Emma Baccellieri, Sports Illustrated “What Happened to Damar Hamlin? Here's What We Know About the Buffalo Bills Player's Cardiac Arrest,” Allison Elyse Gualtieri, CBS News “Which NFL Stadiums Have Artificial Turf and Which Have Grass? Everything You Need to Know,” The Athletic

Audra and Elisa attempt to unpack why true crime content is so pervasive, why women are the biggest consumers, the missing white woman syndrome, and what our desires say about us. This episode pairs best with falling asleep to ASMR instead of the news.  Book Recommendation  Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession, Rachel Munroe Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “The 25 Best True Crime Books of All Time,” A. Mana Nava & Rebecca Oliver Kaplan, The Mary Sue  “100 Most-Watched TV Series of 2022-23: This Season’s Winners and Losers,” Michael Schneider, Variety “Black Women More Likely to Go Missing But Receive Less News Coverage Than Missing White Women: Data,” Jessica Larche, 3WTKR “Gender, Socially Desirable Responding and The Fear of Crime: Are Women Really More Anxious about Crime?” Robbie M. Sutton, Stephen Farrall, The British Journal of Criminology, JSTOR “A Former Manson Family Member Is Free, After Her Parole Was Reversed 5 Times, Bill Chappell, NPR Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders, Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry, 1974 “Missing White Woman Syndrome: The Media Bias Towards Missing People of Color,” Consider This, NPR “Parole Hearings,” Charles Manson “Racial Bias Affects Media Coverage of Missing People. A New Tool Illustrates How,” Jonathan Franklin, NPR Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession, Rachel Munroe, 2019 “These Women Use True Crime Podcasts to Lull Themselves to Sleep—Experts Explain Why It Works,” Aditi Shrikant, Renee Onque, CNBC “The Top 50 Podcasts in The U.S. Q3 2023 from Edison Podcast Metrics,” Edison Research “True Crime Podcasts Are Popular in The U.S., Particularly Among Women and Those With Less Formal Education,” Sarah Nasser & Christopher St. Aubin, Pew Research Center “The Unholy Idol of Narrative: A Conversation with Alice Bolin,” Meredith Doench, The Adroit Journal “‘To Succeed in Becoming Criminal Without Crime’: The Algorithm of True Crime Texts,” Megan Sweeney, symplokē, JSTOR “True Crime: The Origins of Modern Sensationalism,” Joy Wiltenburg, The American Historical Review, JSTOR “What One Researcher Discovered About America’s True Crime Obsession,” Sarah Watts, Forbes  “When Men Murder Women,” Violence Policy Center “Why We Love – and Need to Leave Behind – Dead Girl Stories,” Kristen Martin, Literary Hub