Podcasts of the week: By women

Posted on Mar 1 2018 - 7:58am by Ethel Mwedziwendira

In honor of the first day of National Women’s Month, the following podcasts are created by women and touch on important and humorous situations regarding experiences that we have all faced as women in society. Let the following podcasts inspire you to be unapologetic and the best version of yourself.

Unladylike

Hosts Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin broaden the scope of feminism with “Unladylike” by giving listeners insight on what happens when women “break the rules.” The two sisters share stories about empowerment and liberation. Both Conger and Ervin investigate life’s hardest topics, like abortion, and capture conversations that are not typically highlighted in other podcasts by women. Hosted by former hosts of “Stuff Mom Never Told You,” “Unladylike” takes the same approach to exploring topics that are out of the norm. Their recent episode “How to be a Boss Witch” takes on the “spiritual industrial complex” of Instagram and how controversial the makeup industry on Instagram is to women, giving an interesting opinion on how social media “models” are similar to big-name stars like the Kardashians. I’m all for women empowerment, and with “Unladylike,” you expect anything from serious to funny.

 

Why Won’t You Date Me?

Nicole Byer is smart, single and filled with sass, and the whole premise of the show is her trying to figure out why she’s single and undateable. The introduction of the podcast uses just the amount of theatrics to get you hooked, and though the episodes can be hard to handle at times, she talks about things that anybody who has ever been on a traumatic date or is single can relate to. She delves into why dating as a comedian is challenging because, according to Byer, there is a fine line between separating comedy from who you are as a person and your career. From talking about bad Tinder experiences to hookups, the show has compelling conversations about dating’s biggest challenges.

 

Small Doses with Amanda Seales

“Small Doses with Amanda Seales” is about people who can’t handle the truth. Seales covers the most pivotal topics concerning society, such as police brutality, racism and rape culture. Each episode is comprised of a theme and segments breaking down situations that we all face, and she provides her own wit and intellect. In her first episode, titled “Side Effects of Insecurity,” she addresses insecurities and the difference between arrogance and confidence. She further explains how insecurities sometimes don’t come from within us but from outside of us. Seales also talks about how she’s dealt with these delicate situations in her Q&A portion of the podcast, and the fact that she’s a comedian makes the advice even more enjoyable.

 

Women Of The Hour

There are those podcasts that reveal too much information and will give you secondhand embarrassment within seconds, but “Women Of The Hour” does just the opposite. Hosted by actress Lena Dunham and produced by BuzzFeed, “Women Of The Hour” features conversations with women centered around friendships, love and dating deal-breakers. Dunham created the podcast three years ago to celebrate women who are inspiring to her. The show is organic, and in all honesty, Dunham doesn’t care about your opinion and isn’t apologetic about the topics she discusses in the episodes. She’s shared stories on her experiences, body positivity and how she never got much attention from guys. The podcast is anthem for women all over the world, and Dunham reflects on her own life and what it’s like to be a woman.