Pairings

017: Please Like Me

At last! Amile and Phoebe discuss Lena Dunham's hotly anticipated memoir, Famesick. They remember the cultural phenomenon that was Girls, reflecting on why its messy protagonists felt so jarring in a world of bandage dresses, millennial ambition & carefully curated femininity. As the conversation unfolds, they revisit the backlash directed at Lena from the moment she entered public life. Together, they unpack the harsh realities of fame, the impact of body image and the constant expectation of productivity. They also consider the appeal of the "cool guy" and society's tendency to deem certain women as off-putting. Or worse, merely "fine". This episode pairs well with: * Famesick by Lena Dunham * Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann * Frances Ha (2012), dir. Noah Baumbach * Lucky (song, 2000) by Britney Spears * An Hervé Léger bandage dress you couldn't afford in 2012 * Deciding to retire your people pleasing tendencies * An espresso martini made with an extra shot of espresso ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

016: Killer Instinct

Amile and Phoebe discover one of the most provocative protagonists they've encountered in Imani Thompson’s debut, Honey. After a seemingly ordinary bee sting becomes a life-or-death trolley problem, they unpack Ysra's relationship with revenge and the men who cross her. From childhood memories of learning about "bases" to the everyday realities of misogyny and misogynoir, they explore the limits of male allyship. In Ysra, they encounter a woman who is equal parts principled, unhinged, and charming: someone determined to distance herself from what she percieves as the weaknesses of femininity, whilst imagining herself as a quasi-heroine of a deeply patriarchial world. If you're in need of a summer read, look no further. This episode pairs well with: * Honey by Imani Thompson * Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates * Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case (Netflix), 2023 * Gone Girl (2014), dir. David Fincher * Keeping a spreadsheet of all the people who hurt you * Stealing your protégés work whilst having an affair with her * Counting a Pimm's as 1 of your 5 a day Happy listening, A&P ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

015: The Cost of Silence

Beginning with the biblical story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, Amile & Phoebe trace the ways in which women’s choices have long been shaped by patriarchal forces. Phoebe reflects on her experience of growing up culturally Catholic in Ireland. She shares personal insights from her time volunteering with the Repeal the Eighth campaign and the stories that shaped public understanding of abortion access. They also turn to America, drawing parallels between Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and Liberty University’s Godparent Home. Through the character of Bill Furlong in Clare Keegan’s Small Things Like These, they discuss what it means to act morally within systems built upon silence. Can small acts of courage ever truly be enough? This episode pairs well with: * Small Things Like These by Clare Keegan * The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood * The Quiet Girl (Irish title: An Cailín Ciúin), 2022 * Liberty Lost (Audible Original podcast) * Remembering Savita Halappanavar * Lighting a candle for someone you never met Happy listening, A&P ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

014: Men Written By Women

Turning to Kennedy Ryan’s Reel, Amile & Phoebe discuss romantasy & the male romantic leads who populate these worlds. Alongside the fantasy of emotionally intelligent billionaires and artistically gfted providers, they discuss the blackness of Reel & the importance of specificity and lived experience in storytelling. Through Neevah’s health battles and Dessi Blue's adventures, they delight in the ways in which the characters are written with texture, vulnerability, and interiority. They ask whether the fantasy of the “perfect man” is really about romance at all or whether it’s simply about being seen. This episode pairs well with: * Reel by Kennedy Ryan * Score by Kennedy Ryan * The 40 Days of Dating [https://fortydaysofdating.com/] Social Experiment * Men wearing slutty little reading glasses non-ironically * A lychee martini with a single rose petal floating on top Happy listening, A&P ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

013: Love Made Me Do It

Set between Martha’s Vineyard and New York’s Upper East Side, Strangers by Belle Burden initially feels worlds away. But as Amile & Phoebe unpack its themes of marriage, compromise, and reinvention…familiar pressures emerge. Alongside the practical realities of divorce and prenups, they interrogate the public response to Belle’s story, and the tendency to dismiss certain experiences. They discuss the pursuit of becoming “wifey” & whether it's ever worth losing yourself for love. This episode pairs well with: * Strangers by Belle Burden * BEEF, Season 2 (2026, Netflix) * Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing? Chanté Joseph, British Vogue. * Knowing Klay Thompson because of Megan Thee Stallion * Looking in the mirror and saying, “Stand up, girl!” * A glass of Provençal rosé, grown the same year you got married. Happy listening, A&P ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.