Best Feminist Killjoys Podcasts (2024)

1
Academic Assholes Redux 1:01:18

2h ago1:01:18

1:01:18

The OG academic aunties are back! On the season 5 premiere, we have Dr. Nisha Nath and Dr. Mariam Georgis, who appeared on the very first episode of the pod, to talk about what how the world of academic assholes have changed since we started Academic Aunties. We talk new types of assholes we've discovered, including the "stealth asshole", whether w…

1
Student Encampments for Palestine 43:00

23d ago43:00

43:00

This is normally a time when we’re readying ourselves for the term, often with optimism, energy, and hope for what the new year will bring. But I know I speak for many when I say that this year feels different. This Fall marks almost a year of relentless conflict in Gaza. And rather than a restful summer, students and community members have been ac…

1
Feminist Killjoy Book Club 1:03:38

6M ago1:03:38

1:03:38

On the Season 4 finale, we revisit Sara Ahmed's new book, The Feminist Killjoy Handbook: The Radical Potential of Getting in the Way, with our very own feminist killjoy book club! We're joined by Rita Dhamoon, Tka Pinnock, and our very own producer, Nisha Nath. We talk about why the book resonates so much in this present moment, and why being a fem…

1
We didn't need the university, it needed us 39:12

6M ago39:12

39:12

We've talked a lot this season about the accelerating attacks on academic freedom, including the campaigns of repression against expressions of Palestine solidarity. Student groups, faculty and staff are increasingly surveilled, policed and targeted with spurious charges of antisemitism if they dare to voice support for Palestine. We often focus on…

1
Suing for Silence with Mandi Gray 34:44

7M ago34:44

34:44

A few days ago, we recognized International Women’s Day. Every year we shine a spotlight on the continuing realities of gender-based discrimination and gender-based violence worldwide. So on this episode, we are so glad to have Dr. Mandi Gray. She has just released a new book “Suing for Silence: Sexual Violence and Defamation Law,” which unpacks th…

1
There Can Only Be One 43:05

7M ago43:05

43:05

Without community, a I wouldn’t have lasted through grad school and the years since. For me, in grad school, a special community that I was with were the group of critical Filipinx scholars who I’ve since grown with over the years. We called ourselves the “Kritikal Kolektibo,” and we were grad students and junior faculty at the University of Toront…

1
Fighting Feelings with Gulzar Charania 40:48

7M ago40:48

40:48

We’re in conversation with Dr. Gulzar Charania about her incredible new book “Fighting Feelings: Lessons in Gendered Racism and Queer Life.” Fighting Feelings is about Black and racialized women, answering the question: “how and in what directions do we learn to think, act, and live in relation to racism”? The book touches on so many things that we…

1
One Foot In, One Foot Out 32:38

8M ago32:38

32:38

For many in academia, there is always a certain ambivalence about being here. And historically, institutions have been pretty ambivalent about our presence here too. Academia has traditionally never been a place for those who are Black, Indigenous, women of colour. For many scholars, a pragmatic approach is to have one foot in, and one foot out, of…

1
How to Make 2024 Easier 48:02

8M ago48:02

48:02

We're just a couple of weeks into 2024 and we are tired. After a restful break, we are back to the intense pressures of teaching, advising, and dealing with administrative tasks, plus all of the care and domestic responsibilities that many women have to also take on. Host, Ethel Tungohan, wanted strategies to manage, so she decided to talk to good …

1
Are we allowed to rest? 34:29

9M ago34:29

34:29

As the year comes to a close, many of us are feeling unsettled. After the rush of marking, teaching, and activism, are we allowed to rest during this holiday season? In this episode, Dr. Ethel Tungohan and Dr. Nisha Nath close out 2023 talking about why rest is political, and how community care is even more essential these days. Related Links "In…

1
Striving for Systemic Safety 34:53

10M ago34:53

34:53

We recently passed the 34th anniversary of the École Polytechnique anti-feminist shootings. The sad thing is that this horrendous crime isn't a thing of the past. From a stabbing attack on a Gender Issues course at the University of Waterloo in June, to the mass shooting at the University of Nevada, violence against academics is a serious concern. …

1
The Violence We Face 41:42

10M ago41:42

41:42

In this episode of Academic Aunties, host Dr. Ethel Tungohan talks to Dr. Rebecca Major about the realities of gendered, racialized violence in academia. Dr. Major reflects on her own personal experiences with threats and harassment as an Indigenous scholar, which escalated to involve doxing and cyber harassment. She provides insightful strategies …

1
Academic Freedom and Palestine 51:44

11M ago51:44

51:44

As the staggering death toll in Palestine rises, we talk about the censuring of Palestine solidarity discourse and the weaponization of anti-racism and equity, diversity, and inclusion language to silence and attack activists and scholars calling for peace. Joining Ethel is Dr. Rachel Brown, an activist with Jewish Voice for Peace, and Dr. David Mc…

1
What We Need To Know About Gaza 42:34

11M ago42:34

42:34

The last few weeks have been devastating. Like many of you, I have been feeling this sense of immobilization, of helplessness, as we witnessed Hamas’s attack in Israel that killed 1,400 civilians and the Israeli state’s bombing of Gaza that, as of the time of taping in late October 2023, have killed over 8000 Palestinians, as reported by the Associ…

1
The Feminist Killjoy Handbook with Sara Ahmed 55:42

12M ago55:42

55:42

Sara Ahmed, author, scholar, and one of our feminist heroes joins us to talk about her new book, The Feminist Killjoy Handbook! Sara's work both as a scholar in the academy working on queer phenomenology, on post coloniality, and on emotions, as well as her work after she left the academy has been an inspiration. Her work, Living a Feminist Life, h…

1
How's Your September Going? 39:03

1y ago39:03

39:03

We are back to school! So why do we feel so exhausted? On the season 4 premiere Ethel and Nisha listen to some academic aunties audio diaries about how September is going so far. We talk about why there are so many deadlines at this busy time of the year and what we can do to help make things more manageable. Thanks for listening! Get more informat…

1
The Global Scholar 40:29

1y ago40:29

40:29

Season 3 finale! We conclude our series on academia in the UK and in Europe with Dr. Kidjie Saguin, an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam. In our chat we talk about his experiences moving from the Philippines, to Singapore, to the US and to the Netherlands across his academic journey and we explore other ways of…

1
Hostile Environment 38:39

1y ago38:39

38:39

Since the end of April, the University and College Union in the UK has been on a marking strike to demand fair pay and working conditions that have deteriorated significantly. This week, we talk to Dr. Lucy Mayblin a Political Sociologist at the University of Sheffield, about what has been happening in UK academia, including how universities are tr…

1
#NameTheTranslator 30:33

1y ago30:33

30:33

Yilin Wang is an award winning writer, poet, editor, and translator based in Vancouver, and recently has been passionately working on translating the works of 19th century feminist poet, Qiu Jin. So it came as a bit of a shock when she found out that the British Museum--that big national institution, holder of stolen artifacts, and symbol of Britis…

1
Precarity in British Higher Education 44:53

1y ago44:53

44:53

Back from a fellowship in the UK, Dr. Ethel Tungohan talks to Dr. Eve Hayes De Kalaf about about cultures of backlash, processes of casualization, structured austerity, and the normalization of cruelty in academia in the UK post-Brexit. And once you're done listening, check out Dr. Eve Hayes De Kalaf's new book "Legal Identity, Race and Belonging i…

1
We Regret To Inform You... 33:19

1+ y ago33:19

33:19

"We regret to inform you..." Five words that academics read a lot. But no matter how many times you see it, it still hurts. On this episode, Dr. Ethel Tungohan is joined by Academic Aunties producer, Dr. Nisha Nath to talk about grant rejections, the feelings of sadness and disappointment that accompany rejection, and why often these things have no…

1
The Yale Aunties 38:41

1+ y ago38:41

38:41

After hearing about Bobbi Wilson, a budding 9 year old scientist who was a victim of anti-Black racism, Dr. Ijeoma Opara, a scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, was determined to make sure that her memories of science would not be of her horrible experience. So she mobilized her network of "Yale Aunties" to make sure that Bobbi knew that …

1
Academic Citizenship 40:14

1+ y ago40:14

40:14

For many academics, especially those from global north and western institutions, we take our institutional and national identities for granted. But the reality is that the passports we hold and the institutions we're a part of shapes how we experience academia. This includes the hurdles that many experience to get visas, and the experiences that pe…

1
Relationships and Academia 39:41

1+ y ago39:41

39:41

As we close out February, we're going to be talking about relationships and academia, specifically with our life partners. One thing we've observed is just how challenging it can be for academics and for their partners who have to contend with the limited job opportunities the academic job market provides. What are the negotiations that partners ma…

1
#MoreThanWork 43:12

1+ y ago43:12

43:12

Academia has a way to make us feel ashamed if we're not thinking about the work 24/7. In this episode we talk to Dr. Genevieve Fuji Johnson and Dr. Harshita Yalamarty about how we are #MoreThanWork, and how our passions, like boxing, or surfing, or Dungeons and Dragons are more than just hobbies. We also hear from our listeners about what they are …

1
Perspectives of an International Scholar 30:01

1+ y ago30:01

30:01

In this episode, we talk about another dimension surrounding this taboo of talking about money, and that is the experiences of international students and international scholars, particularly those from countries in what is known as being part of the global south for which western countries impose onerous visa requirements to talk about this. Joinin…

1
Becoming The Writer You Already Are 37:16

1+ y ago37:16

37:16

With a new year comes new resolutions, and for many, these resolutions inevitably involve writing. There are so many books about how to be a better writer, but none quite like this one. Becoming the Writer You Already Are is a new book by Michelle R. Boyd, who you may know from her Inkwell academic writing retreats.This book actually grapples with …

1
Harry and Meghan 29:29

2y ago29:29

29:29

A special holiday bonus episode for you! Harry and Meghan on Netflix is THE documentary event of this year. And of course we binged it and and of course we needed to talk about it. Joining us on this episode is Dr. Safia Aidid, an Assistant Professor of History and African Studies at the University of Toronto. Thanks for listening! Get more informa…

1
Wrapping up 2022 35:13

2y ago35:13

35:13

2022 is about to come to an end, and with that comes a period of reflection for many of us. How is 2022 for you? How did it compare to 2021 or heaven forbid, to 2020? What lessons from 2022 will you bring with you to 2023? In today's episode of Academic Aunties, we will wrap up the year and talk about the highlights and some of the challenges that…

1
Talking About Money 30:03

2y ago30:03

30:03

Academics would rather talk about their sex lives than talk about their salaries. So in today's episode, we talk to Dr. Rebecca Major about one of the biggest taboos in academia: money. We talk about how hard it is for many first-gen academics to make ends meet, and the bougie norms of academia that make it difficult for them to talk about these st…

1
How do I look? 41:21

2y ago41:21

41:21

How we appear, our dress, our hair, our style, how we carry ourselves are all things that we as marginalized academics are being judged against. Do we look the part of the academic? Do we want to? To talk about this we welcome Dr. Nadia Brown, a Professor of Government and the Director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Georgetown Univers…

1
Battling Toxic Productivity 37:24

2y ago37:24

37:24

Good things happen but you just can't enjoy it, and maybe you feel even more anxious. This is a common feeling and is something that this week's guest, Dr. Ayendy Bonifacio (@AyendyBonifacio) wrote about in a insightful, personal article in Slate. We talk about toxic productivity, celebration as a practice, and how the unique experience of being a …

1
The Not So Secret Lives of Academic Pets 47:04

2y ago47:04

47:04

Many academics have pets. For me, most of my academic life from my postdoc until very recently involved my beloved cat, a long haired Maine Coon named Cornelius, who was my sidekick, my best friend, my confidante. We said goodbye to him on October 4, 2022. So for this episode, I want to honour Cornelius by talking about academic pets with Academic …

1
Conference Audio Diaries 54:05

2y ago54:05

54:05

We're on the road at the American Political Science Association conference! Producer extraordinaire, Dr. Nisha Nath joins the podcast to discuss Dr. Ethel Tungohan's audio diaries taken at this incredibly large academic conference. Along the way, they challenge norms, discuss the value of curating your conference and finding community, and provide …

1
The Long Road Home with Debra Thompson 46:15

2y ago46:15

46:15

Dr. Debra Thompson (@debthompsonphd), talks about her poignant, profound and powerful book, The Long Road Home: On Blackness and Belonging, about her journey back home. She weaves together insights on the politics of race and racialization and Black identity while discussing family history, growing up in Oshawa, and her experiences, in academic spa…

1
#AskAnAcademicAuntie: How to Sabbatical 21:09

2y ago21:09

21:09

On this bonus episode, it's host's prerogative: What do you do on a sabbatical? Dr. Genevieve Fuji-Johnson (@JohnsonFuji) and Dr. Paola Ardiles (@Paola_A_Ardiles) drop a little wisdom to help Ethel make the most of her year. Related Links An Unusual Academic Thanks for listening! Get more information, support the show, and read all the transcripts …

1
Back to School 34:11

2y ago34:11

34:11

Back to school is usually a fun time because it signals new beginnings. But this year it feels different. Confusing and maybe a bit frightening. After two years of the pandemic, there's this sense of forced normalcy even though the pandemic is certainly not yet over. And what about the extra labour we've had to undertake over the past few years? Ki…

1
The Real Deal with Job Search Committees 41:32

2y ago41:32

41:32

In theory, applying for academic jobs seems fairly straightforward. You see the job ad, you put together your application package, you send your application in, and whoever is the most qualified gets the job. In practice, the reality is a lot more complicated. So in this episode, we show you how the sausage is made. Joining us is Dr. Sharry Aiken (…

1
Say No to Precarious Employment 38:16

2y ago38:16

38:16

On this bonus episode of Academic Aunties, we hear from Dr. Vannina Sztainbok, who after working at her department on year-to-year contracts for seven (!) years straight, was let go...right before she would be eligible for permanent employment. Her story is the story of a lot of academics. Say NO to precarious employment in academia by signing the …

1
#AskAnAcademicAuntie: Responding to Reviewers 15:19

2+ y ago15:19

15:19

How do you respond to peer reviews for journal articles? Do you respond to every single reviewer comment? How do you respond to this strategically? On this #AskAnAcademicAuntie we have Dr. Heather Millar (@hlmillar) and Dr. Carmen Ho (@carmenjho_) dispensing a little auntie wisdom. Thanks for listening! Get more information, support the show, and r…

1
Bridgerton: Race, Casting, and Historical Fantasy 52:04

2+ y ago52:04

52:04

As part of our ongoing series on Bridgerton, Eliza and Jonelle take a deep dive into how Bridgerton portrays (and glosses over) racial and/or cultural difference. Your hosts tread lightly into the difference between American and British representation; color conscious and color blind casting; and why it's weird that anyone thinks people of color di…

1
The Ultimate Academic Auntie 45:51

2+ y ago45:51

45:51

Get your elbows up. On this episode, our season 2 finale, we talk to the ultimate academic auntie, Dr. Joyce Green, an emeritus Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of Regina. Over her three decades in the discipline she has spoken out, lifted us up, and been an inspiration for those of use who want to change academia. …

1
Turning Red 39:25

2+ y ago39:25

39:25

We talk about Turning Red, the newest Pixar film, directed by Toronto filmmaker Domee Shi, about a thirteen year old Chinese Canadian girl, Meilin Lee, who finds out that when she gets emotional, she turns into a big, red panda. Meilin also has to navigate life as a middle schooler and all that this entails, which includes learning how to manage he…

1
Bridgerton (2020-Present) 52:55

2+ y ago52:55

52:55

Spoilers abound, dear listeners ... Eliza and Jonelle (finally) tackle Regency juggernaut Bridgerton (2020-Present). Herein your heroines discuss race and speculative history for the British Empire; the perils of #GirlBoss feminism; and a truly shocking encounter with a bee ... don't tell the mamas ... Support the show…

1
Conferences 44:44

2+ y ago44:44

44:44

Conference season is almost upon us! And man oh man, do we have a lot to say about academic conferences. Conferences are a crucial part of academics’ professional trajectories. In theory, these are the spaces where we’re supposed to present our work, engage with scholars in our field to make potential contacts for collaborations, and to find out ne…

1
Emma (2020) 51:49

2+ y ago51:49

51:49

Our Regency Romance series continues as Eliza is joined by special guest Kelsey Fast to discuss Emma (2020), including the relative hotness of Mr. Knightley; the particular perspective of our middle-aged authoress; and why Austen endures. Support the showBy RomCom Killjoys

1
#AskAnAcademicAuntie: Productivity Tips 18:54

2+ y ago18:54

18:54

On this #AskAnAcademicAuntie, Dr. Alison Smith (@AliSmith_UdeM), Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto Mississauga, tells us about some of her tips and hacks to stay afloat amidst our competing responsibilities. Have a question? Tweet us at @AcademicAuntie, or send us an e-mail at podcast@academicaunties.com.…

1
Pride and Prejudice (1995/2005) 56:09

2+ y ago56:09

56:09

Aaaaaaand we're back -- and with a new format! Kicking off our mini-serious on Regency romance is a Pride and Prejudice (1995/2005) double-header. Within we discuss the cinematic language of mise-en-scene; romantic leads post-masculinity; and the proto-feminism of Jane Austen. Support the showBy RomCom Killjoys

1
When Yasmeen Met Abbie: Collaborations and Friendships in the Academy 46:43

2+ y ago46:43

46:43

When we think about academic relationships, we often think of romantic partnerships between two academics. We might also think about the power relationships between, say, a supervisor and a student, or a dean and a professor. But we often don’t think about our research collaborations as an important kind of relationship. That’s surprising because r…

1
Encanto 37:33

2+ y ago37:33

37:33

We're talking about Encanto, the newest Disney animated film, featuring songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, about a magical family living in the mountains of Colombia. Why are we talking about a kids movie on a podcast about academia? Well, first, because we loved the film. Second, our aunties, Natasha Sofia Martinez (@natysofia_) and Dr. Mariam Georgis (…

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