All About Eve

We start season 3 off with a bang by talking about everyone's favourite vaccine superhero, Dolly Parton. From the smoky mountains of Tennessee, Dolly set her sights on improving her lot in life from a young age. She knew she had talent,  looks that she could use to her advantage, and a bedrock of confidence and ingenuity that has defined her career. Listen in to hear some classic Dolly pearls of wisdom that we can all get behind.
In timely and meticulously-planned fashion, we have an Olympics special told through the story of Wilma Rudolph. Described as the greatest athlete of all time, Wilma was the first American woman to win 3 medals in the same Olympics (100m sprint, 200m sprint and 400m relay team). After retiring as the fastest woman in the world, Wilma was one of the first celebrities to use her fame for good as an outspoken civil rights activist, and was the catalyst for desegregating her hometown in Tennessee. Listen in to also hear the story of why the Olympics was invented - spoiler alert: it was to show off how manly all the men were. 

*NB - Anna gets pretty excited about the Olympics in this episode, but despite the obvious thrill of seeing awesome humans do awesome thing, there has been a major amount of fuckery in the games in general, but especially these Olympic Games 2020 (e.g. swimming caps for Black athletes being rejected; women being fined for not wearing underwear in handball; trans and cis women getting banned from competing due to having features deemed to be advantages despite Michael Phelps producing only half the amount of lactic acid as his competitors but this never being flagged as a problem even though it's the same thing.....the list goes on). So, all this to say - the Olympic Committee is not cool, but sometimes the Olympics is really cool. Find more info below:

-https://www.npr.org/sections/tokyo-olympics-live-updates/2021/07/28/1021503989/women-runners-testosterone-olympics?t=1628366896763 

-https://www.sportingnews.com/us/athletics/news/olympic-swim-cap-ban-2021-swimmers/3526wghlsb8v1ajeilz08cx41

-https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/handball/57890430

-https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/we-celebrated-michael-phelpss-genetic-differences-why-punish-caster-semenya-for-hers/2019/05/02/93d08c8c-6c2b-11e9-be3a-33217240a539_story.html
 

Our Christmas 2020 episode is here at last, and aptly, is pretty dark but jampacked with fascinating historical events. Anna tells us about Michelle Bachelet, the first woman to hold office as President of Chile. If that's not impressive enough, then she is also a paediatrician, was held as a political prisoner by the brutal Pinochet regime in Chile, and is currently the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights. All in all, she is a force to be reckoned with, and you'll be annoyed you didn't know about her sooner. Julia tells us about Cheng I Sao, the most successful pirate the world has ever known. Cheng I Sao was born into a confucian society in the 1700s with very limited options, but worked her way up to control the largest fleet of pirates in the South China Sea. She was a strategic genius who also implemented crazy notions such as "Let's stop killing other pirates and work together as a team maybe?". This is an episode not to be missed. 

We were so excited to speak to Briony Williams, who was a national favourite during her time on Bake Off in 2018. Briony kindly spoke to us in June this year, and boy, did we cover some topics. We discussed representation of people with disabilities on TV, Briony's time in the Bake Off tent, what Briony thinks of the new presenter combo and much more (if you've ever wondered what Noel Fielding smells like, it's a must listen...). Briony spoke about the BLM movement and the toppling of the Colston statue in Bristol this year, and the anti-racist actions she's taken in light of recent events. Briony also told us the life story of one of her favourite women, Princess Campbell, who was the first Black ward sister in Bristol. Briony was a wonderful guest, and there's a hell of a lot to enjoy in this episode.

Please bear in mind we recorded this in June, so any Covid-19 related talk is not reflective of the current situation. And go and follow Briony at these places:
Instagram: @brionymaybakes
Twitter:  @brionymaybakes

Back in May, Julia and Anna spoke to Elle Stanger a.k.a StripperWriter. Elle is a writer and sex educator (for Huffington Post, Men's Health and more), a stripper, podcaster, porn creator and lobbyist for workers' rights in her home state of Oregon, USA. Elle is an expert on all things sex and sex work, and regaled Anna and Julia with some fascinating stories including the ridiculous things strippers get asked, the argument for decriminalising sex work instead of legalising it, how to parent in a sex-positive way, and many more.

Elle also tells us about Carol Leigh, a foremother of the Sex Workers' Rights movement in America who has lived some pretty crazy stories of her own, and has been advocating for Sex Workers for over 40 years. If you don't know much about Sex Workers, the law and their rights then this is the episode for you.

Please bear in mind we recorded this in May, so any Covid-19 related talk is not reflective of the current situation. And go and follow Elle at all these places:
Instagram: @stripperwriter
                          @unzippedpdx (Elle's podcast)
Twitter:        @ElleStanger

Podcast: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/unzipped-pdx-two-strippers-and-a-sex-therapist

In this interview episode we were lucky enough to speak to Liza Bilal and Tiffany Lyare - two of the founding members of the All Black Lives Matter Bristol group - who organised the momentous protest seen in the city of Bristol on 7th June 2020. The march made history when the statue of a 17th century slavetrader was pulled down by protestors and dumped into the harbour. Tiffany and Liza spoke to us about what it took to organise the march, the impact it had and where we go from here. They spoke to us about their experiences as young, Black women in Bristol and also told us the stories of their favourite femmes: Olive Morris and Crissle West.

Find Tiffany and Liza on Instagram @allblacklivesbris and be sure to sign up for their 'How to be an ally' online event on 18th August. There are many places to donate to show your support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which is one of the most helpful things allies can do. Below are some places that Julia and Anna have been donating to, please contribute if you can:

Black Minds Matter UK - an organisation aiming to provide Black individuals and families with free professional mental health services across the UK: https://oxfordshire.enthuse.com/cf/black-minds-matter-uk
Black Lives Matter UK: https://bit.ly/3jOKpl6
RIP Belly Mujinga: https://bit.ly/2P57cu
Runnymede Trust:  The UK's leading race equality think tank.
https://www.justgiving.com/runnymede-trust

Petitions:

• Justice for Breonna Taylor: https://bit.ly/2P3yNwh
• Stop the School to Prison Pipeline: Free Grace from Incarceration: http://chng.it/gzs2z9Cpnf
• STOP THE SALE & GIFT US BACK our Rastafari Culture Centre http://chng.it/FLzbggqrTY
• Justice for Elijah McClain: http://chng.it/nMYjFJdTst 
• Reopen LaVena Johnson's case! http://chng.it/tR72jnsdP8
• Teach British children about the realities of British Imperialism and Colonialism: http://chng.it/t2GZrzPpwL

Other ways to engage:

• The Runnymede report, "Bristol: a city divided?": https://bit.ly/330BYNo

In our first remotely recorded episode, Julia introduces us to Isadora Duncan, a woman who changed modern dance and was not short on self-belief. Born in San Francisco in 1877, Isadora was adored by European audiences for her unique style, despite ending each performance by ranting about how shit ballet was for half an hour. Anna tells us about Ivy Benson, the most popular British musician of World War 2 you've never heard of. Ivy mostly recruited working-class Northern teenagers for her brass band, which caused quite the scandal when they toured Europe making their own money and doing as they pleased. Audiences loved them and they were even appointed as the BBC house band, which - spoiler alert - enraged the male musicians who usually secured that gig...

Film fans listen up - we were lucky enough to interview Hollywood costume designer Salvador Pérez Jr., President of the Costume Designers Guild and costume designer on The Mindy Project, Never Have I Ever, The Pitch Perfect Trilogy, Four Weddings and a Funeral and many, many more. We had a wonderful chat about how Salvador has been supported by incredible women throughout his entire career and how he loves working with women such as Mindy Kaling, Elizabeth Banks, Charlize Theron and many others. As president of an industry that is 85% women, Salvador sheds some light on the gender politics at play here and how his guild is fighting for pay equity. A must-listen for Mindy Kaling fans and those who are loving Never Have I Ever on Netflix to get the creative thought process behind the beautiful designs that grace our screens.

Julia presents us with the heartbreaking moral dilemna of Henrietta Lacks, the first immortal human. Though she died in 1951, trillions of her cells are still in existence today and being used for medical research for all sorts of conditions. The problem? At no point did she consent to this and died having no idea of her lasting legacy. With the well-documented medical exploitation of Black women and femmes throughout history, this issue is as important now as it ever was. Anna introduces us to Captain Niloofar Rahmani, the first woman from Afghanistan to ever fly a plane. After a childhood displaced by war under the rule of the Taliban, Niloofar leapt at the chance to join the Afghan military. Despite the new found freedom she discovered, she has been targeted by extremists who want to stop her flying. If you're looking for bravery and nerves of steel, look no further.

Anna and Julia have returned to the recording cupboard for Series 2, wine in hand and ready to talk about more incredible women. Anna plays it very uncool when talking about her favourite comedy writer Mindy Kaling, head writer for The Office (US) who also plays the character of Kelly Kapoor. Inspiring stuff for anyone needing some confidence in getting shit done, or just looking to find your new favourite TV programme (Spoiler alert: It's the Mindy Project). Julia lays out the true-ish tale of Julie D'Aubigny, a 17th century French swordswoman-opera singer-nun-actor whose swashbuckling escapades made her a favourite of the French court. An LGBTQ+ icon, Julie was often mistaken for a man as she wore men's clothes and many thought she was "too good at duelling". And that's before we even get to the arson, beating up lecherous men and progressing French Opera for women...

With Series 2 on the horizon, Julia and Anna get together on Valentine's day and share some thoughts...

It's the final episode of series one, and Anna and Julia both celebrate women who had the courage to be themselves.  Anna tells us about Lucy Hicks Anderson, a transwoman who played the game her own way during the California prohibition years. She delighted her community as a socialite and philanthropist by day, and operated a bootleg liquor empire by night. Most importantly, she was the first person to fight for marriage equality in a court of law and to this day is regarded as a LGBTQ+ legend. Julia's personal hero Victoria Wood was an incredible comic talent who fought her way in to the male-dominated stand up comedy scene in the 1980s. Despite feeling like an outsider through her formative years, Victoria knew she was good at acting and writing and worked at it with unbelievable focus. Her self-belief paid off as she is today considered a genius who worked non-stop to become a British comedy icon.

Julia tells us about Alice Guy-Blaché, who was arguably the first film director in history. Though the birth of cinema has been credited to others in the 20th century, Alice was making films 30 years before movies became popular. History has not been kind to her legacy, as she didn't put her name to a lot of her films, allowing random men to take credit for their creation. Quelle surprise. Anna discusses The Great Sandwina, the most famous Strongwoman of the early 1900s who cleverly made celebrity work to her advantage.  She rose to fame because of her good looks and hourglass figure which, unsurprisingly, made her more popular than other strongwomen of her age. She would regularly carry three fully-grown men on one hand and was said to have lifted a 600lb cannon. Brains, brawn and beauty all in one...

Anna kicks us off with Dame Whina Cooper, the activist who fought throughout her life for Maori rights in Aotearoa (New Zealand). An absolute ball-buster, her biggest achievement was organising the Land March in 1975 which saw 5,000 people walk from the top of the North Island down to parliament in Wellington. While she is known as 'Mother of the Nation', her legacy is controversial as not everyone agrees with her actions. Julia enlightens us on the story of Margaret Mead, a cultural anthropologist who seemed to be pretty woke before woke was a thing. In the early 1900s she helped influence Women's rights movements in America and repeatedly pointed out the racism enacted by other anthropologists in her profession. She also took to wearing a cape. Fair enough. 

This episode is all about two women who beat the men at their own game - the game being running an empire and football, respectively. Wu Zetian was the first woman to become Emperor of Imperial China in the 600s, and though her Machiavellian scheming has often been criticised, Julia argues she was only doing what countless men had done before her. Now history is accepting that she used her power to build a more inclusive and prosperous society for all her citizens, while causing multiple scandals and having a harem of young male lovers well into her old age. Anna tells us about Lily Parr, the undoubted star of football in Britain after the First World War.  An LGBTQ+ icon and football legend, Lily had a kick that could break a man's arm. Literally. Listen to find out how the beautiful game was a woman's game from 1918 to 1921, and what exactly happened to change this dynamic forever.

October is Black History Month in the UK, and in this episode Julia & Anna celebrate two incredible Black British women. Julia tells us about Lilian Bader, who was the first Black woman to join the RAF - but bloody 'ell did she have to fight to get there. Anna discusses Mary Seacole, the nurse who, after being rejected to join nursing crews in the Crimean War by the British Army decided to make her own way there.


Links for the episode:

Lilian Bader:
 Amazing YouTube video by Lorena Thompson-Kerr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ipnAtuBFok

Mary Seacole:
The Wonderful Adventures of Mary Seacole in Many Lands 1857
https://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item126795.html

Anna celebrates the shy women among us with the tale of Caroline Herschel, a.k.a the Comet Huntress. In the 1780s, she was appointed the first female professional scientist and astronomer - despite having raging imposter syndrome her whole life. Julia discusses Greta Thunberg, the teenage activist from Sweden, who along with other young women is changing the world. 

Anna tries to do justice to the incredible Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari started a movement to plant trees in her home country of Kenya, empowering women and staring down the government in the process. Julia tells us about the mysterious woman found wandering the streets of Bristol in the 1800s, speaking an unknown language and wearing strange clothing. Her name was later discovered to be Princess Caraboo...

Wangari Maathai Sources:
Documentary: Wangari Muta Maathai (1940 - 2011) (The one Anna mentions): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW5qdeNKfs0&t=776s
Faces of Africa - Wangari Maathai: The Eco-warrior with a smile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOK1I8tIAqo
Film Clip from 'Taking Root: The vision of Wangari Maathai':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzikL5MJWCg
Remembering Wangari Maathai, First African Woman to Win Nobel Prize:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKjFslPNeLU

Julia tells us about Gloria Allred, the civil rights activist and lawyer who has spent a lifetime fighting sexism, from gendered restaurant menus to sexual assault. Anna discusses Arunima Sinha, the first female amputee to climb Everest whose astounding story has to be heard to be believed, and gives new meaning to the word 'perseverance'. Could also be titled "How to climb Everest even when absolutely everything goes wrong for you".

Anna talks about Annie 'Londonderry', a woman who won a bet to become the first woman to cycle around the world in the 1890s. Julia talks about Artemisia Gentileschi, considered one of the most important women to paint in the renaissance period and whose works were often attributed to men. 

Sources for Annie Londonderry:
 https://totalwomenscycling.com/mountain-biking/eastern-unknown-trail-paradise-switzerland

http://mentalfloss.com/article/72276/retrobituaries-annie-londonderry-first-woman-cycle-around-world

https://www.vox.com/2014/7/8/5880931/the-19th-century-health-scare-that-told-women-to-worry-about-bicycle

Sources for Artemisia Gentileschi:
Michael Palin's Quest for Artemisia BBC

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/artemisia-gentileschi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_Gentileschi

https://www.wikiart.org/en/artemisia-gentileschi

Julia talks about Aggie Underwood, a pioneering journalist from 1940s America who was known for firing a gun in the office when things got too quiet. Anna talks about Eartha Kitt, the icon of stage, screen and music who stood up for what was right and changed the game.

Sources for Aggie Underwood:
https://derangedlacrimes.com/?tag=agness-aggie-underwood
The First with the Latest!: Aggie Underwood, the Los Angeles Herald, and the Sordid Crimes of a City - By Joan Renner
https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=PVPN19660303.2.87&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agness_Underwood

Sources for Eartha Kitt:
America's Mistress: Eartha Kitt, Her Life and Times, Book by John L. Williams https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eartha-Kitt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmSWVqpb-N0&t=296s Terry Wogan interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r0dWxy17C8 Terry Wogan Interview Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGYwf7e_cr8&t=49s Interview on compromise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS02GeKuWQ4 Video for "I want to be evil"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0vo7fLzkpU "Old-fashioned Millionaire"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6khQvOlwkcw "Monotonous"