Inspiring Podcasts Led by Women

Recommended listening to help through challenging times.

by Rigby Celeste

Late August last year I was dumped by a 22 year-old boy I thought was the love of my life. I suddenly had a ton of alone time, and I dedicated most of it to overthinking every conversation we ever had.

I tried to watch TV, listen to music, read a book, anything, but all that content inevitably walked back to the topic of romance. The word “love” was enough to make me dry heave. It took me about two months but I ended up finding two solid pieces of media that were so focused it drowned out my thoughts without romanticising anything.

The first was the HBO series “Succession”, which I highly recommend. The second was podcasts.

The sound of people’s voices are noisy enough that it takes my attention away from myself, and they’re often so niche that no one brings up anything to do with love. I drowned myself in podcasts about pop culture, makeup, movies, and social justice.

I wanted to share the magic of podcasts with you and curated this list of shows hosted by women in honor of Women's Month. Hopefully, the sound of these ladies’ voices will drown out any overthinking you’ve been doing after midterm season.

“You Down?”

I discovered “You Down?” this month in search of strong podcasts, expecting to listen to an episode or two then move on. I’ve since dropped my favorite series in favor of my four new best friends, the self-described “Obama’s Other Daughters”: Ashley Holstons, Shakira Janai, Yazmin Monet Watkins, and Maame-Yaa Aforo. Every episode the girls drop a topic and dig in with fresh and relatable takes.

They have covered topics from roommates to cults to colorism. But their range is not what makes the show work; it’s their chemistry. Each time you listen you are drawn in to a set of funny and self-assured women that make you feel like part of the crew. I find myself chiming in with the hosts like, “I know right?”.

Any episode will brighten the mood when you’re alone and without demanding too much attention, so it’s great to pop on while cooking or cleaning. Do yourself a favor and give them a listen this spring cleaning season!

“Polyester”

“Polyester” is a London-based publication that aims “to bridge the gap of URL cyberfeminism with the IRL world.” The zine itself is subscription based, but their podcast is entirely free and entirely wonderful.

The two hosts, Ione Gamble and Olivia Graham, get together and chat up feminist issues and solutions every other week in “The Sleepover Club.”

In the weeks between, they invite successful women to talk about one thing she’s obsessed with that has nothing to do with her work. Each conversation always hits on something I’ve felt but couldn’t articulate. I always walk away with something new, and I often feel like a better activist after hearing their perspective.

Plus, their accents are super fun! I’ve “defo” picked up British and Australian phrases from the hosts. Give it a listen and support a small publication!

“The Bechdel Cast”

“The Bechdel Cast” is technically a feminist film podcast, but I consider it the epitome of a comedy podcast. Hosts Caitlyn Durante and Jamie Loftus examine popular films from an intersectional feminist lens. They use the Bechdel test as a jumping off point for a discussion about the socio-political implications of your favorite films.

Both women are talented comedians with a clean and kind sense of humor that always hits. The premise sounds intellectually heavy, but their sense of humor makes every conversation engaging and inviting. If you’re into movies at all you have to give it a chance!

BONUS POD ALERT! Not into films, but big into social justice? Check out Jamie Loftus’ 10-episode deep dive on Vladimir Nabikov’s “Lolita.” Simply titled “Lolita Podcast,” Loftus examines the novel for its underlying social content and how all following adaptations totally got it wrong. This podcast is much heavier and explores issues of sexual abuse, so trigger warning for content.

“What'sHerName”

“What’sHerName” is another new podcast I found, but it excites the deepest part of me. Each episode, Dr. Katie Nelson and Olivia Meikle tell the stories of fantastic women in history that have been overlooked until now. And, yes, you read that right, doctor!

This is not at all a casual podcast like the other four. Each episode is a well-produced retelling of real stories about spectacular women, complete with sound effects and background music. Both hosts bring in relevant sources and guests to celebrate each woman’s history. Best of all, the podcast is deeply calming. I consider it a sort of lyrical, informative ASMR.

Listening to it makes me feel like I’m engaging in something from PBS when I was a kid. Big Mister Roger vibes. With midterms nearing their close, relax your spirit and expand your knowledge with “What’sHerName!”

“Glowing Up”

Are you into makeup? Britney Spears? Sugar-free gummy bears? Do you consider “hot girl shit” eating tinned fish and ordering oat-milk lattes?

Meet Esther Povitsky and Caroline Goldfarb, two best friend food & beauty gurus. Originally a beauty podcast between two Hollywood friends, this podcast encourages you to indulge in your teenage dream life.

Their episodes have been running since around 2018, but they had a big hiatus until lockdown. Since then, their content has had a glow up of their own. This year, they’re talking a lot about food and the glitziest forms of self-care.

“Glowing Up” is like an Eat, Buy, Gab of the book “Eat, Pray, Love.” Check it out, ‘cause sometimes it's good to indulge in your inner hot girl.

BONUS POD ALERT! Both hosts have their own podcasts. Caroline deep dives into Jeremy Renner’s strangely-discontinued app, Jeremy Renner Official, in “The Renner Files.” Esther has a self-led podcast, “Esther Club,” where she discusses her favorite foods in lists of five-ish and mental health pro-tips to fight sadness in lockdown.