Phoebe Maltz Bovy And Kat Rosenfield Podcasts

Kat and Phoebe discuss body counts, TV nudity, and what you can do with a falafel in the shower. Links: Phoebe on body count discourse: "The question we must ask young women is this: who told you it was acceptable to have a high body count?" https://twitter.com/Sargon_of_Akkad/status/1698099127467336124 The Clerks scene: The falafel incident: https…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit femchaospod.substack.com Kat and Phoebe discuss an alleged denial of service at a Manhattan bar, NYC Mayor Eric Adams' most recent horny-on-main incident, and romantic approaches for all genders. Kat and Phoebe's recent work: Unraveling the Secrets of the Barbieverse Here come the female…

Kat and Phoebe discuss a young man's existential crisis over being rudely awakened by his girlfriend, the cultural significance of the Barbie movie, the hot pink aesthetic known as "Barbiecore", and the $5 million log cabin for a man and his dog. Links: The regretful Redditor: https://www.reddit.com/r/sex/comments/151hlva/my_gf_woke_me_up_with_a_bl…

Kat and Phoebe discuss plotting a murder with ChatGPT and the latest in academic diversity dramas. Links: With End of Affirmative Action, a Push for a New Tool: Adversity Scores Phoebe on the state of academic affairs: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-waterloo-attack-is-part-of-a-broader-trend-of-hatred-for-academia/ https://thec…

Kat and Phoebe are joined by friend and favorite Leigh Stein to discuss bad advice, self-cancelled books, and the accessories of the middle-aged. Links: Roxane Gay's less-than-sound advice: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/18/business/roxane-gay-lgbtq-work.html Leigh on the bad precedent: https://unherd.com/thepost/elizabeth-gilberts-self-cancellati…

Kat and Phoebe share stories about mushrooms (not that kind), and mushrooms (yes, that kind.) Then: an allegedly scandalous review of Brandon Taylor's new novel, and the ensuing literary brouhaha. Links: The infamous review! https://slate.com/culture/2023/05/late-americans-brandon-taylor-twitter-novel-review.html Brandon Taylor in the NYT: https://…

With early access for premium subscribers! Kat and Phoebe discuss a New Yorker article about a party for the post-cancelled and the extremely normal responses to it from fellow journalists. This Party Is Cancelled: https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/the-party-is-cancelled Readers having a normal one: https://twitter.com/jeffiha…

With early access for premium subscribers! Kat and Phoebe discuss the death of a man on the New York City subway, and the discourse that ensued. Links: Freddie deBoer on fear: Jamelle Bouie on some key facts: https://twitter.com/jbouie/status/1655725142809387008 Elizabeth Spiers defends the honor of the subway: https://twitter.com/espiers/status/16…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the pros and cons of the downstairs loo, the rise and fall of the momfluencer, and whether society will ever flush itself of the ritual privilege check. Links: Caitlin Moran’s toiletless existence: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/64d060fe-d204-11ed-b1cd-5223fe349502 Phoebe on momfluencers: https://unherd.com/2023/04/momflu…

Kat and Phoebe discuss a recent series of branding controversies, how protoinfluencer Julia Allison walked so Dylan Mulvaney could run, and whether we can get a toilet sponsorship for Phoebe's yard raccoon. Links: Dylan Mulvaney on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dylanmulvaney Dylan Mulvaney's tampon content: Caroline McCarthy on Mulvaney's brand r…

Kat and Phoebe discuss divisions of labor, poet finances, and the zombie discourse about reaction GIFs that makes us want to peel our faces off. LINKS: Anne Helen Petersen and the ongoing gospel of "men suck" Maggie Smith (the poet, not the Dame) on viral poetry and divorce Kat requests a cease-and-desist on digital blackface op-eds Phoebe on husba…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the controversies we didn't mean to start, the Jewish tradwife philosopher polycules we shall not be participating in, and the fancy NYT real estate section stools we can't afford to sample. LINKS: Wait, is that price per stool? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/07/realestate/georgetown-home-renovation.html Kara Kennedy intervi…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the greatest genderfluid fashion heist of our time. Then: the bowdlerization of Roald Dahl, the controversial banning (or is it?) of pornography (or IS it?!) from school libraries, and the illustrated dildo heard round the world. LINKS: Asyakhamsin brings the receipts: Sam Brinton, they/them, deputy assistant secretary of Spe…

Kat and Phoebe are joined by Leigh Stein to discuss why TikTok is the next big thing for books, why high-falutin’ literary folk are so loathe to join the platform, and why her essay about this made everybody Mad Online. Links: Leigh's essay at Lithub: https://lithub.com/booktok-is-good-actually-on-the-undersung-joys-of-a-vast-and-multifarious-platf…

Kat and Phoebe discuss a viral incident of racism-or-is-it on the long prairie road to Canada, the socialist darling who was cancelled for flouting the Covidian Collective, and the blondes of TikTok who may be having more fun but who are not having the last word on blondness in the pages of the New York Times. Links: “Old Racist Karen” is not a son…

Fellas, is it gay to go maskless? Kat and Phoebe discuss recent coverage of the few, the proud, the covid faithful. Also, Kat has a generous offer for those who preorder her new book! Links: Libs of TikTok (via) finds someone saying you can be gay but not queer if you don’t mask. Forever Covid: Mx. And Mx. nix leaving the house. https://www.nytimes…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the kissing of cheeks, the petting of pets, the cancellation of Junot Diaz, and the intolerable slander of Seinfeld by a New Yorker essayist. LINKS: Ben Smith on Junot Diaz, notorious cheek-kisser: https://www.semafor.com/article/11/27/2022/junot-diaz-in-limbo Kat's tweets on l’affaire bisou: Saïd Sayrafiezadeh on finding “Se…

[singing] I am the very model of a modern Demisexual My sexual proclivities are purely hypothetical I’m here to say it loud and proud, my internet confessional I’ve never touched a boob, which makes me very intersectional! LINKS: Kat offends Twitter's demisexuals: https://unherd.com/2022/11/demisexuals-are-scared-of-sex/ Phoebe watches 1990s YouTub…

It’s El Dia de los Edgelords on Feminine Chaos! Kat and Phoebe discuss the mom who will not be apologizing for committing a Halloween war crime, the provenance of a crudely drawn picture of a wiener, and the Elon Musk Twitter takeover that will soon relegate our blue checks to the dustbin of history. Links: Phoebe on Twitter’s Musk Era: https://www…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the woman who committed literal violence by discussing her happy marriage on Twitter, the self-congratulatory feminists of “Gutsy”, and the girlfriend who stayed home to heat (but not eat) her boyfriend’s soup. Links: Daisey aka lilplantmami, sharing how #blessed her existence is: The privilege. The privilege! Stay at home gi…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the professor who was fired for making organic chemistry too hard, and the Guggenheim curator who was fired for making an enemy of the wrong art monster. Links: At NYU, Students Were Failing Organic Chemistry. Whose Fault Was It? - The New York Times Phoebe on Team Brats A prior, relevant Feminine Chaos: The Guggenheim’s Scap…

Kat and Phoebe take on a series of pendulous topics: the “disgusting” appropriation of serial killer culture, Adam Levine’s text messages, and the Canadian shop teacher who gives new meaning to the term “rubber baby buggy bumpers.” Links: Phoebe on the boobs: Opinion: Ontario teacher’s prosthetic bust offers a lesson about body shaming - The Globe …

Special guest Tara Henley joins Kat and Phoebe to discuss leaning in, leaning out, and leaning away from cat ownership for extremely compelling reasons. Links: Helen Andrews essay: Lean Out - The American Mind About Tara's documentaryThe making of '39': field notes from producer Tara Henley | CBC Radio Tara on Substack: A woman needs a man like a f…

A question from the Feminine Chaos AMA launches Kat and Phoebe into a free-associating chat about group chats as commune, men going their own way in the wilderness, “I’m with stupid” merchandise, and the internet newsletters that tell us how to live. Links: Lyz Lenz on the life-sustaining group chat Anne Helen Petersen's manifesto on behaving like …

Kat introduces Phoebe to a DEI training failure so cringe you'll want to d-i-e, and Phoebe unpacks the sociology beef that can only be settled with a dance off. (With special cameo appearances from two barking poodles, one noisy vacuum, one shrieking toddler, and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.) Links: Wellcome's "womp, womp" thread on its diversity f…

Early access for premium subscribers! Kat and Phoebe discuss how many times they've had, you know… *whispers erotically* the coronavirus, and what happens when there are no covid virgins left to deflower. Then: the absolutely bonkers saga of a literary plagiarism scandal, followed by an apology, which was also plagiarized. Links: If You’ve Never Ha…

Early access for premium subscribers! Kat and Phoebe discuss poetry in translation (or, aggressively, NOT), sensitivity readers, and whether we could please stop fighting about the word "women". Isabella Wang's screed against translation (screenshot) Kat in Reason: Sensitivity Readers Are the New Literary Gatekeepers The Bad Tweets from Michael Hob…

Early access for premium subscribers! Kat and Phoebe discuss where babies come from, the fractured pro-choice movement, and how the recent Dobbs decision overturning abortion protections will force many many men, particularly Arnold Schwarzenegger, to carry unwanted pregnancies to term. Links: The fall of feminism led to the fall of Roe - The Spect…

Kat is joined by Amna Khalid for a discussion of the Sonmez-Weigel media meltdown and what it means for free speech. Links: Amna's Substack: Banished by Booksmart Studios The Washington Post Fires Felicia Sonmez Amid Week of Infighting 'I'm Radioactive' Court tosses out reporter's discrimination suit against Washington Post - POLITICO This is a pub…

Kat is joined by Iona Italia for a discussion about sleeping with younger men, why she writes personal essays, and what happens if you have all the right junk in all the wrong places. Links: Iona's substack: Cheri and the Last of Cheri Paperback - Colette Areo Magazine This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers o…

Early access for premium subscribers! Kat is joined by Christie Smythe to talk about serializing memoirs on substack, becoming Twitter's main character, and why she decided to document her romance with The Most Hated Man in America. Christie's substack: Previously on Feminine Chaos: The Journalist Who Fell For the Pharma Bro Is Publishing a Memoir …

Kat is joined by Liz Wolfe for a wide-ranging discussion about Roe v. Wade (and also, roe v. cod milt.) An extended cut of this conversation is available for premium subscribers. Links: The Politico scoop: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473 Liz at Reason: Pro-Life Libertarians Can Cautiously Cheer…

In light of certain events at this year’s Oscars ceremony, Sasha Stone is back to talk about why Will Smith’s ten-year Academy Awards ban isn’t totally a punishment, how the Oscars can come back from the most exciting thing that’s ever happened on its stage, and what it was like to be in the room during the infamous slap. (No exclusive content on t…

Kat is joined by Christina Emba to talk about how some of you, we're not saying who, are doing sex totally wrong. An extended cut of this conversation was previously released on our Substack for premium subscribers. Links: Christine's WaPo essay: Opinion | Why we need a sexual ethic that goes beyond consent - The Washington Post Rethinking Sex: A P…

Production note: This episode was recorded in late February and got delayed in the transition to Substack, but it’s still here in time for the Oscars on March 27. Enjoy! Kat is joined by Oscars journalist Sasha Stone to talk about the convoluted drama of the Academy Awards, the conflict over Hollywood diversity quotas, and how best to serve underre…

Kat is joined by Leigh Stein for a discussion of the vibe shift (whatever that is.) A longer version of this conversation is available for premium subscribers on Substack. Links: * A Vibe Shift Is Coming. Will Any of Us Survive It? * Kat on intimacy: The death of intimacy - UnHerd * Maybe Baby essay: * Coronavirus Sex Guidelines Must Consider Virtu…

Kat is joined by Batya Ungar-Sargon to talk about the Joe Rogan controversy, the Great Moon Hoax, and moving the media needle away from contempt for the working class. Links: Batya's book: Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy Kindle Edition Kat's New Statesman article: The Joe Rogan controversy isn't about truth – it's about control - …

Kat is joined by journalist Christie Smythe to discuss justice reform, trial by media, the Kyle Rittenhouse affair, and a one-year retrospective on the Elle article in which she talked about her relationship with Martin Shkreli. An extended cut of this interview is available on our Patreon. Links: The Journalist and the Pharma Bro Christie at Busin…

Kat is joined by poet and cultural critic Alice Gribbin for a discussion about art, empathy, Succession, and Shakespeare. An extended cut of this interview is available on Patreon. Links: Alice's empathy essay: https://alicegribbin.substack.com/p/the-empathy-racket The bad essay about political literature: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/opinion…

Kat is joined by reporter and author Nancy Rommelman to talk about who's getting paid for the Dave Chappelle controversy, who's getting hurt by Instagram, and who should repent, motherf***er, repent! Links: Chappelle coverage: Netflix made a mess of the Dave Chappelle controversy. It's a crisis of Netflix's own making TV director compares transgend…

Kat is joined by Leigh Stein (novelist, poet) and Penny Lane (documentary filmmaker, kidney sharer) for a discussion about literary drama, organ donation, urban legends, and Bad Art Friends. Links: Who Is the Bad Art Friend? On the Internet, We're Always Famous Where do I start? Penny Lane's website: https://pennylaneismyrealname.com/bio/ Leigh Ste…

Kat is joined by Katherine Dee, a.k.a. Default Friend, for a conversation about Tumblr's discursive power and lesser-known internet subcultures . Katherine's work: Default Wisdom Tumblr U. Satire in the city Katherine Dee (@default_friend) Advertising campaign for American Horror Story illustrating the tumblr-to-TV pipeline: 15 Times "AHS: Cult" Di…

Kat talks with poet and novelist Leigh Stein about the world of contemporary poetry scandals. An extended version of this episode is available for subscribers on Patreon. Links: Jia Tolentino poem archived https://archive.is/Dzrjt Poetry magazine published a child porn convict in its prison issue, but did it deserve the backlash? Poetry Twitter Deb…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the (dis)pleasures of being scolded by sitcoms, evolving norms surrounding office-appropriate hairstyles, and a bizarre controversy surrounding Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Ellie Kemper. A clip from Shrill: BBC Three on Twitter: "Yikes." NYT: Why 'Kim's Convenience' Is 'Quietly Revolutionary' Slate: Ellie Kemper, queen of t…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the scandalous allegations against Philip Roth biographer Blake Bailey and the eternally-creeping concept of "grooming." Links: Slate: Blake Bailey's former eighth grade student on being sexually assaulted by him years later. Also Slate: Blake Bailey's former Lusher students on how their eighth grade teacher groomed them. NOL…

Kat and Phoebe talk about Prince William, pretender to the throne… of sexy baldness, that is. Is Prince William the world's sexiest bald man? Heck, is he sexy at all? And speaking of sexy, Naomi Wolf is kind of a weirdo these days, but does this mean that her 1990s feminist polemic, The Beauty Myth, is no longer good? Finally, we foray briefly into…

Kat and Phoebe discuss Oprah's big wild interview with Meghan and Harry, formerly of the British monarchy, now just a couple of normal dudes... sort of. Also: can the endangered species known as the Basic Straight Girl survive when there is literally one good man available to be mated with? Links: 11 things we learned from Meghan and Harry's interv…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the mother of all privilege disclaimers and the cancellation of Mandalorian actress Gina Carano. Links: Ashley Judd's hospital interview The BBC interview Neglecting Yourself Doesn’t Make You a Better Mother Behind Disney's Firing of 'Mandalorian' Star Gina Carano Gina Carano and Crowd-Sourced McCarthyism See acast.com/privac…

Kat and Phoebe get together on the day of the Capitol coup attempt to talk about the most important political and cultural event of our lifetimes: the Bean Dad Thread. And speaking of cans of beans, how about that cheerleader who said the N-word? Links: The original Bean Dad thread, screencapped: https://twitter.com/ManiacalV/status/134587040508557…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the controversy over a "vitriolic, violent" Twitter thread that resulted in a YA author's cancellation (no, not the worms guy), before answering burning questions from listeners about who's causing all this drama, the impact of young adult fiction shenanigans on the culture at large, and the craziest MeTooing Kat ever witness…