Ladies, We Need To Talk

Millennial pop culture has a lot to answer for. From Britney Spears' sexy schoolgirl outfit to an underage Kate Moss on the cover of Vogue and Paris Hilton in pube-skimming velvet tracksuits, the message was clear — being hot, sexy and desirable meant #girlpower. So how did we all buy into the lie that self-objectification is empowerment? Pulitzer Prize–nominated journalist Sophie Gilbert says the Spice Girls, Demi Moore, Britney Spears and the Kardashians all had a role to play in how we feel about ourselves as women. Sophie chats to Yumi Stynes about how pop culture turned a generation of women against themselves and what we can do about it. What to listen to next:  Emotional labour with Rose Hackman  Clare and Jessie Stephens on twinning, pregnancy and envy  Has Ozempic killed body inclusivity?  Are our boys ok? Fighting online misogyny with Kate Scott  You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.   What to read next:    Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgery  How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood   What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like  The dark side of being a perfectionist   This episode will answer questions like:  What were the messages being sent about womanhood in the 1990s and 2000s?  How did the Spice Girls rise to popularity?  What did the term ‘girl power’ mean?  How did pop culture impact body image and fashion?  What did pop culture teach us about women’s sexuality?  What is pop culture today teaching us about womanhood?  This episode contains references to sexuality, pop culture, music, performance, girl, woman, gender, gender roles, Britney Spears, Kate Moss, Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, the Spice Girls, Pamela Anderson, body image, thinness, beauty, capitalism, entertainment industry. 

What’s it like to switch teams mid-season? Nicola was married to a man for 25 years before she fell in love with a woman. Jennifer and Marija were in their 40s when everything they knew about their sexuality changed.   Yumi Stynes chats to later-in-life lesbians to hear what they’ve learned from swapping sides. She also gets the low-down on sexuality research across the life span, and why so many women are coming out in their second act.  What to listen to next:  How swapping a husband for a wife made this economist better off  Where's my village? Esther Perel on how to build community  Will we ever have a cure for endometriosis?  Hacking online dating with Prof. Jennie Young  You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.   What to read next:    Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgery  How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood   What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like  The dark side of being a perfectionist   This episode will answer questions like:  What’s it like to fall in love with a woman in middle age?  Are some women straight and then turn gay?  How common is bisexuality?  How fluid is sexuality?  What does it feel like to have sex with a woman for the first time?  This episode contains references to sexuality, family, mother, parenting relationships, lesbian, gay, straight, sex, orgasm, religion. 

MasterChef’s Julie Goodwin has a bubbly exterior but underneath are demons she’s fought for decades.   The celebrity cook opens up to Yumi Stynes about the anxiety and depression she’s kept hidden for so long, and how it almost undid her.  Julie’s path to recovery wasn’t straight, but she learnt how to manage what she calls the ‘monster under the bed’ and change her life for the better.   If you need someone to talk to, call:  Lifeline on 13 11 14   Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467   Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36   Headspace on 1800 650 890   What to listen to next:  Mental health: Overcoming depression  Love ya guts! What to eat to feel your best  Body image and babies with Turia Pitt and Sophie Walker  You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.   What to read next:    Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgery  How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood   What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like  The dark side of being a perfectionist   This episode will answer questions like:  What does anxiety feel like?  What does depression feel like?  How can childhood experiences impact mental health?  How did Julie Goodwin recover from a mental breakdown?  What can I do to improve my mental health?  What is it like to stay in a psychiatric hospital?  How can I cultivate joy?  How can mental health impact relationships?  This episode contains references to anxiety, depression, alcohol, addiction, exercise, health, mental health, psychology, MasterChef Australia. 

If you've ever been with a guy who thinks jackhammering is a virtue or who can't tell your clitoris from your clavicle, this episode is for you! (Pssst share it with a bloke you know). Yumi Stynes chats to comedian and expert dater Nikki Britton about what makes for good sex. Plus, sex therapist Aleks Trkulja, from The Pleasure Centre, gives tips on how to take on feedback in the bedroom. This episode will answer questions like:  What do women want in sex?  How are women and men’s sexual desires different?  What can I do to increase arousal?  What are common turn offs?  What are the fundamental elements of good sex?  What to listen to next: Is everyone having better sex than me?  The new way to date  Will we ever have a cure for endometriosis?  Shedding the shame of herpes  You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.   What to read next: Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgery  How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood   What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like  The dark side of being a perfectionist   This episode contains references to sex, gender, men, women, clitoris, mental load, marriage, sex life, therapy, masturbation.

Dr Corrine Low says heterosexual relationships are costing women financially. And she’s got the life experience and the data to back it up.   When Corrine was married to a man and a new mum, she was the main breadwinner, shouldering the domestic load...and she was FED UP.   Corrine’s research has found that even though we’re doing more paid work than ever, women still do most of the unpaid labour at home and it’s hurting our back pocket (and our feelings).   Dr Low talks to Yumi Stynes about practical ways for women to have more equal relationships, share the mental load and connect our romantic and financial decisions.  This episode will answer questions like:  What is domestic labour?  Do women do more work at home than men?  How can we create more equal families?  How does work gender inequality impact relationships?  What is mum burn out?  What can you do to distribute the mental load fairly?  What to listen to next:   Emotional labour with Rose Hackman  Turia Pitt is a selfish woman  Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it  Has Ozempic killed body inclusivity?  You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.   What to read next:    Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgery  How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood   What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like  The dark side of being a perfectionist   This episode contains references to gender roles, family, relationship, men, mental load, domestic labour, utility, having it all, children, parenting, child care, work life balance, mental health.