Where feminism meets fringe. Host Cristen Conger dissects the myths, messes, and media shaping modern womanhood—and un-womanhood. From bisexual imposter syndrome to tall girl therapy, gun culture to birth control backlash, she mentions it all—backed by deep research, sharp interviews, and just enough unseriousness to demystify the uncanny valley of 21st-century patriarchy without doomspiraling. Gender. Power. Culture. Context. Unladylike.
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Unladylike Media Podcasts
Ever wonder why women get caught up in conspiracies, how anti-vax attracts moms, or where tradwives came from? Host Cristen Conger (Unladylike) untangles the wildest webs of conspiracy theories spun by and about women—from the lady fascists who spread Illuminati conspiracies a century ago to Beyoncé Illuminati rumors today. With expert guests and unexpected angles, each episode unravels the cultural currents that fuel these gendered narratives, connecting the dots between memes, misogyny and ...
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Paranormal Women, pt 3: From Blue Beam to Blood Libel
36:23
36:23
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What did last year's drone mystery have to do with an antisemitic myth that won't die? Medievalist and conspiracy scholar Elise Wang connects the dots between the West’s 900-year-old conspiracy theory playbook and the UFO psyops flooding TikTok today. She and Cristen also unravel the Battle of Los Angeles, hypersexual alien abduction tropes, and ho…
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Paranormal Women, pt 2: The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill
45:00
45:00
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Before alien abduction became pop culture cliché, there was Betty and Barney Hill. Why did this couple's 1961 roadtrip define the abduction narrative for generations, and what did their biracial marriage have to do with it - or not? Historian Matt Bowman retraces the Hills' journey from the liberal mainstream to UFO microstardom, and Cristen has qu…
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Paranormal Women, pt 1: From Saucers to Starseeds
38:48
38:48
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UFOs aren't a basement boys' club anymore. From Pentagon disclosures to TikTok starseeds and alien romance novels, belief in extraterrestrials is getting spiritual, feminine-coded, and algorithmically viral. Science journalist Sarah Scoles traces the gendered evolution of UFO culture and conspiracies—from Cold War-era military men to the cosmic gir…
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Gender War Games Pt. 4: White Womanhood Activated with Material Girls
45:08
45:08
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When womanhood is reduced to a capitalist identity, who gets erased—and who gets empowered to do the erasing? In the final episode of Gender War Games, host Cristen Conger joins Material Girls co-hosts Hannah McGregor and Marcelle Kosman to unpack how white womanhood is activated—politically, culturally, algorithmically—to reinforce systems of powe…
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Gender War Games Pt. 3: Say It Til It's True with Amanda Montell
34:09
34:09
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When misinformation becomes a vibe, who gets caught in the crosshairs? In part 3 of Gender War Games, host Cristen Conger and linguist Amanda Montell (Sounds Like a Cult, Magical Overthinkers) decodes the cognitive glitches, language games, and algorithmic dynamics fueling today’s gender panic. From the illusory truth effect and magical thinking to…
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Gender War Games Pt. 2: The New Purity Culture with Cadence Dubus
30:55
30:55
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Is wellness the new purity culture? In part 2 of Gender War Games, host Cristen Conger and Cadence Dubus (@brooklynstrength), founder of Brooklyn Strength Virtual Fitness and Wellness Studio, breaks down how body control, aesthetic discipline, and "clean" femininity are being sold as self-care—while reinforcing the same old patriarchal power struct…
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Gender War Games Pt. 1: Womanosphere Rising with Diabolical Lies
44:46
44:46
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Is feminism dead—or just shadowbanned? In part 1 of the Gender War Games miniseries, host Cristen Conger and Diabolical Lies co-hosts Caro Claire Burke and Katie Gatti Tassin dissect how feminism got hyper-commodified, beauty became capitalism's favorite control tactic, and reactionary gender politics took center stage. From antifeminist burnout to…
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Issa Rae on Friendships That Need to Go, from IMO
1:00:39
1:00:39
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Sharing a new show from our friends at Higher Ground, hosted by Michelle Obama. On IMO, Michelle and her big brother Craig Robinson bring their candid perspectives to the everyday questions shaping our lives, relationships and the world around us. Each week, they’re joined by a guest to tackle real questions from real folks just like you offering p…
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Why Are Women So Scared of Sex Trafficking?
45:14
45:14
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Why do sex trafficking myths keep spreading—especially among suburban moms and TikTok girlies? Journalist Caitlin Dewey (Links I Would Gchat You) unravels how viral misinformation, true crime culture and moral panic have turned Target parking lots into imagined danger zones. Caitlin and Cristen compare the realities of trafficking to "ladies, stay …
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The Super Bowl Trafficking Myth I Helped Spread: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 5
26:02
26:02
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Why does the Super Bowl sex trafficking myth persist, despite repeated debunking? In the miniseries finale, Cristen unravels this sex trafficking myth she helped spread. So, why did major sporting events like the Super Bowl, World Cup and Olympics become seen as sex trafficking playgrounds? These red strings criss-cross from Greece to the United Na…
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Gold digger. Ice queen. Punching bag. Why was a 22-year-old Robin Givens villainized when her whirlwind romance with boxer Mike Tyson spiraled into a living nightmare? In this bonus from the Unladies' Room, Susie Banikarim (In Retrospect) tells us the story of how their brief and tabloid-frenzying marriage ended with Robin declared "the most hated …
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Satanic Daycare Panic: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 4
41:30
41:30
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Why were daycare centers the prime targets of the 1980s Satanic Panic, and how did it blow up into America's longest and most expensive criminal trial? Cristen unravels the anti-cult anxieties, paranoid cowboys and "communist" childcare seeded wild conspiracy theories about devil-worshipping predators invading the suburbs. But when law enforcement …
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Why waste a good passport marrying a fellow citizen? Is love strong enough to withstand deportation? Journalist and author Anna Lekas Miller shares what happened when she "proposed marriage fraud" to a Syrian refugee and how borders, visas and passports decide who gets to be together. Her book is Love Across Borders: Passports, Papers, and Romance …
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Anita Bryant, Bathrooms and Backlash: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 3
36:29
36:29
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In the 1970s, America’s moral panic machine found its perfect scapegoat: gay and lesbian teachers. Also bathrooms. Historian Gillian Frank unravels the roots of child trafficking and "groomer" conspiracies back to Red Scare paranoia, civil rights backlash, a conservative women's movement against the Equal Rights Amendment and the pageant queen-turn…
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The Groomer Rumor Mill: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 2
35:02
35:02
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How did human trafficking conspiracy theories give rise to a politicized pedo panic targeting teachers, trans kids and drag queens? Researchers Daniela Peterka-Benton and Bond Benton connect the dots between QAnon's obsession with saving the children, the 2022 revival of anti-LGBTQ "groomer" rhetoric and Disney's recurring role in American culture …
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With the rise of the "perfectly imperfect" veneer ideal, it's the perfect time to revisit how beauty culture got here. (And subscribe to The Review of Beauty by Jessica Defino!) Why are more young women trading in their natural teeth for cosmetic veneers? What does it say about beauty standards, class perceptions and the dental healthcare gap? Writ…
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Sex Traffickers in Parking Lots: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 1
43:49
43:49
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Why are suburban white women so afraid of getting snatched out of parking lots and sex trafficked? Journalist Caitlin Dewey unravels the tangled threads of modern sex trafficking panic, the impact of QAnon, and the role of influencers and media in laundering misinformation as "safety" advice for women and moms. Caitlin and Cristen also highlight ho…
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Good men aren't hard to find. What's "good" is where it gets complicated. Sociologist Emily Carian returns to the pod to share what she learned interviewing male feminists and men's rights activists for her new book Good Guys, Bad Guys: The Perils of Men's Gender Activism. Highlights include: privilege renegotiation, women's roles in cishet men's p…
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Martha Stewart, Guru Jagat and a 'Grey's Anatomy' Fraudster (TEASER)
3:21
3:21
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**UNLADIES' ROOM PATREON TEASER** It's a good thing, this bonus episode. Unladies, we're talking about a trio docs out that I'm calling the Venn Diagram of Peak White-Womaning and Girlbossery (really rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?): Martha on Netflix, Breath of Fire on Max and Anatomy of Lies on Peacock. I planned to watch none and ended up bing…
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Ever heard of emotional literacy? In this mini episode (a breadcrumb? red thread?), climate misinformation expert and content creator Abbie Richards explains what it is, why it pairs so well with conspiracy theories, and how we all stand to benefit from more of it. Because if debunking won’t stop the misinformation crisis, maybe it's time to start …
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They're trending, unfortunately. Sociologist Emily Carian explains what the men's rights movement is, who it attracts and why. Cristen also talks to Emily about the mental and scientific challenges of interviewing anti-feminist men for her research. This episode originally aired in November 2022. Follow Unladylike Instagram and TikTok Join the Unla…
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Cristen has a big update about the future of Unladylike and why now's the time to make bittersweet changes. Plus, What Is the Most Unladylike Thing About You: The Supercut!!! Remember - the Unladies' Room Patreon stays open! That where I'll be recapping election results on Saturday's bonus episode. . . . Listen to Conspiracy, She Wrote Follow Unlad…
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In the late summer of 1834, a torch-wielding mob burned down a Boston convent for reasons that sound a lot like . . . Pizzagate. Fueled by rumors of kidnappings, papal paranoia and phony exposés, conspiracy theories about nuns in their convents spiraled out of control in 19th-century America. Cristen unravels why that happened and how it set the st…
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What Does Mexico's First Female President Mean for Feminists?
23:33
23:33
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How did Nobel Prize-winning scientist Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo become Mexico's first female and first Jewish President? Cristen maps her path into politics, the baggage she brings from her predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (aka AMLO) and what–if any–difference Mexican feminists think this Presidenta will make. . . . This episode's sponsor is W…
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The Feminine Draw of Contemporary Conspiracy (Culture Study with Anne Helen Petersen)
1:10:26
1:10:26
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What’s the difference between a conspiracy theory and gossip? When does joking around about Kate Middleton’s abduction turn into something much darker? Are women actually more susceptible to contemporary conspiracy theories — or are we just finally paying attention to it? Cristen joined Anne Helen Petersen on Culture Study Podcast to unpack all of …
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Prepare to burn your old bras and buy a new salad spinner! Custom bra maker, fitter and A Bra That Fits calculator creator Sarah McElvey blows Cristen's mind with everything you never knew you needed to know about bra sizing, bust measuring and what fit actually feels like. Shopping tips and your new favorite laundry hack included. This episode's s…
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From cuckoo claims she’s secretly a man to attacks questioning her Blackness, Kamala Harris conspiracy theories are one of the most predictable features of the 2024 election, it turns out. Disinformation researcher Nina Jankowicz unravels the three main disinfo narratives that have targeted Kamala for years and what they sound like today, and Crist…
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Big Breasts: Blessed in the Chest or Burdened by Boobs?
26:11
26:11
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26:11
Why do big breasts get so little support when it comes to bra shopping, clothes shopping, healthcare and wellness? Inspired by The New York Times trend piece on "The Power of a Smaller Breast," Cristen revisits past conversations with two listeners who got breast reductions and share why they made the decision to get that weight off their chest and…
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What can an obscure conspiracy theory involving Michelle Obama, Joan Rivers and the deep state tell us about the gender panicked rise of reactionary politics? Enter “transvestigation”—a brain-rot conspiracy genre trafficking in wonky eyes, bad photoshops and a gender-inclusive Illuminati. Digital researcher Lexi Webster unravels the nonsense and wh…
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It's a Halloween treat from the Unladies Room Patreon! Cristen gets to the bottom of the lady-poisoner trope, where it came from and how true it really is. Highlights include Lucrezia Borgia, prunes stewed in rat poison, Agatha Christie's pre-murder mystery career, misogynist criminal science and one fatal cheesecake. For more ad-free bonus episode…
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Free Britney started as fan sleuthing, which ultimately helped end Britney Spears’ conservatorship, sparked a pop cultural reckoning and galvanized a disability rights movement. Podcaster and comic Tess Barker (Pop Mystery Pod) unravels that journey of pursuing the truth about Britney–and its thornier consequences–while digital sociologist Naomi Sm…
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How much is too much of an age gap in relationships, and do sexist double standards apply? Cristen answers a 31-year-old listener who feels self-conscious about dating a 25-year-old guy. Plus, we take a glance at "new MILF cinema," aka why Nicole Kidman is currently starring in everything. Follow Unladylike on Instagram and TikTok Join the Unladies…
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