This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit femchaospod.substack.com Kat and Phoebe discuss the memory-holing of Kat's entire early career oeuvre, Phoebe's theory of eternal youth, and the culture critics who want every show to be an after-school special. LINKS: A reflection from Kat: The MTV News Archive Is Gone—and That's OK -Ph…

Kat and Phoebe do a post-mortem on the recent presidential debate. Links: Biden his time: Phoebe Maltz Bovy on watching the sorry state of U.S. politics from north of the border America Doesn’t Need Momala Harris | The Free Press This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fe…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit femchaospod.substack.com Kat and Phoebe discuss a kink-shaming incident in the Cyclades, a wife-seeking incident on Twitter, and a line of clothing that repels the sun, the men, or both. LINKS: -Who needs mail-order brides when there are truck-stop sweeties? https://x.com/shagbark_hick/s…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit femchaospod.substack.com Kat and Phoebe discuss a traumatic tree takedown in Kat's neighborhood, a whisper network for women of a certain age, and a sundress that caused a civil war amongs online trad types. (Pictured: not the sundress, but a $10 doppelganger spotted in a local Charlotte…

Phoebe apologizes for the print version of her bisexuals article appearing during Pride month, while Kat unpacks the controversy surrounding a certain judge's wife's flag-flying proclivities. Then: divorce! Does it make you hotter, or does it just make you sad? Links: When your wife is fond of flying flags: Inside the Clash That Prompted the Alitos…

Kat and Phoebe discuss a Catholic kicker's commencement-speech controversy, two literary autopsies of the Great Awokening, and whether communion wafers taste like flesh. LINKS: Harrison Butker is Catholic. So What? | The Free Press The speech in full : Bubba: A Cancel-Culture Casualty – but Not in a Town Without Pity | RealClearInvestigations Nelli…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit femchaospod.substack.com Kat and Phoebe discuss a scandal in the pageant world, the disappearance of dick appreciation discourse, the relative dangers of men as versus bears, and the dating app that apologized for suggesting that people might want to use it to, uh, date. LINKS: Kat on th…

Kat delivers a traffic report from Norwalk, Conn., where a petroleum truck recently went boom. Then: Kat and Phoebe discuss the new sexy tennis movie Challengers, the undescended proverbial testicles of protesters, and the never-ending curse of being Harper's letter signatories. Links: The fireball that shut down the interstate! Kat at Unherd: Can …

Kat and Phoebe discuss a very horny theater critic, an uncommonly hot historian, and Uri Berliner's critique of NPR from inside the house. LINKS: Lea Ypi: "Advice for scholars: next time you lecture on Kant and revolutions at “Downing” Cambridge, make sure your hair is neatly tied and that you’re not blonde. Or else your research impact will be on …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit femchaospod.substack.com Kat and Phoebe discuss the mass bisexuality of Gen Z and the BookForum takedown of Lauren Oyler. LINKS: Kat on the bi boom: Gen Z-ers Are Identifying as Bisexual En Masse. Why? - Air Mail Phoebe on straight women: Straightness Studies | Who Do We Think We Are? | …

Kat and Phoebe discuss sexually adventurous podcasting, unwanted heirloom dining sets, the phenomenon of "divorce rings," the latest viral Cut essay about age gap relationships, and what to do when your foyer is too narrow to hold your collection of body parts in jars. LINKS: Kat and Phoebe on BARpod Twitter: Won’t someone think of the boomers’ fur…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit femchaospod.substack.com Kat and Phoebe discuss the moral quandary of missing royalty. Links: Kate announces her cancer diagnosis: https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1771235267837321694 Everyone should be ashamed over Princess Kate but me | Ben Sixsmith | The Critic Magazine Opin…

Kat and Phoebe discuss breast aesthetics, 90s nostalgia, and whether we're all taking too many drugs. Links: Are We Sunsetting Ass and Entering a Golden Age of Boobs? Sydney Sweeney has brought boobs back - The Spectator World Katherine Dee: “I think benzos and SSRIs are overprescribed for the same reason antibiotics and birth control are. Pharmace…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit femchaospod.substack.com Kat and Phoebe talk about the sandwich anecdote that melted the internet, how they got jobs in journalism, and the one-way feud between two memoirists. Links: The origins of Sandwichgate: I Was a Heretic at The New York Times - The Atlantic Phoebe on sandwich dis…

Kat and Phoebe discuss a fun philosophical question about desire, a fine literary essay about not getting divorced, and the sacred gossip machine known as the whisper network. Is it better to desire or be desired? Many journalists, etc weigh in: The Desire Question｜Dirt Emily Gould decompensates, turns decompensation into literature. Should I Leave…

Kat tells a story about accidentally installing a public toilet in her home, while Phoebe uncovers a conspiracy within the New York Times real estate section. Then: Taylor Swift! Is she old? Fat? Mineral? Vegetable? We may never know. Links: Nobody will ever know what you’re doing behind this door (just as long as you draw the curtain first)… The l…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit femchaospod.substack.com Kat and Phoebe discuss the cringiest response to Barbie's semi-snub at the Oscars, one lady's viral tweetstorm about the scourge of Zionists in the literary world, and the multifarious polyamorous discourse du jour. Links: We've had Kenough of this sort of thing:…

Kat and Phoebe discuss the big gay intrigue over Taylor Swift, the contemporary contours of Mean Girl World, and the missing Jews of Only Murders in the Building. Links: Kat talks awards season and royal drama on Piers Morgan: Oscars may experience a ‘vibe shift’ with actors avoiding politics and virtue-signalling | Sky News Australia The Gaylor Ma…

Kat and Phoebe discuss a provocative underwear ad, a post-wall woman, and the stolen valor of a new book about fatphobia. Links: Mr. Underpants https://twitter.com/CalvinKlein/status/1742901431185584252 Soooo… what is that building back there? Does anyone know? Phoebe on Mr. Underpants Senior: Kat's review of Kate Manne’s Unshrinking (and why is Ma…

In an extra-long, very special episode, Kat and Phoebe finish out the year with a retrospective on the death (or was it?) of journalism, a discussion of Soup Discourse, and a debate on the foolishness (or is it?) of tradwives. Links: James Bennett's essay: When the New York Times lost its way Phoebe on the death of swashbuckling: Kat on tradwives…:…

Kat and Phoebe unsheath their wooden swords to discuss an all-hemp house featured in the NYT's "Living Small" column, and the latest galaxy-brained takes about sexual violence in Gaza. Links: Their Cape Cod Home Isn’t Small, but Its Carbon Footprint Is Accounts of Sexual Violence by Hamas Are Aired Amid Criticism of U.N. - The New York Times Phoebe…

Kat and Phoebe battle a glitchy recording platform to talk about the reporting process behind Kat's latest Airmail article, why people are firing bullets at Jewish buildings, and what the Israel/Palestine discourse has to do with Taylor Swift. Links: Kat: The Israel-Hamas Conflict Causes a Rift Among Young Progressives - Air Mail A school shooting …

Kat and Phoebe, notorious signatories of the Harper's letter on free speech, discuss tasty hats, terrible ballet flats, strange bedfellows in the queer activism community, and why the New York Times hired a Hitler fanboy for its coverage in Gaza. Links: The hat-eater (when will the free speech crowd say something oh wait they have): https://twitter…

Kat and Phoebe discuss war discourse and reality dating shows, which are, of course, basically the same thing. Links: Leigh Stein on personal brands facing difficult times: Phoebe on wishy-washy war commentary: https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/it-is-actually-fine-to-care-when-jews-are-killed-phoebe-maltz-bovy-on-tepid-responses-to-terror/ Kat on war …

Kat and Phoebe grope for answers to this week’s big philosophical questions: what is the best Broadway show at which to get to third base? Do the Russell Brand allegations represent a new frontier in age gap discourse? If you say Jann Wenner’s name three times, will he show up and harass your dinner party guests with unsolicited opinions about who …

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…