Straight to the Comments

Straight to the Comments

Details

Ever notice how comment sections reveal more than the headlines? Lisa Williams and Sarah Illingworth dive into the internet's most revealing threads, from the biggest celebrity scandals to niche online subcultures, exploring what our online reactions say about the culture we are living in right now. Each episode, they decode the psychological motivations and deeper media narratives of online comment culture, all with a good dose of 90s nostalgia and Gen X British humour. Shortlisted for Best Arts & Culture Podcast by the Independent Podcast Awards and an International Women's Podcast Award.

Recent Episodes

NOV 14, 2025
Why Meghan Gets More Hate than Prince Andrew | Part 2
The second part of our Royal Special. Yesterday we broke down the patterns in the coverage and comments. But today we ask why Meghan Markle remains the lightning rod for public fury, even when the former Prince Andrew is in absolute disgrace? From the “Duchess of Pork”, to “Princess Pushy” and “Waity Katie” - the media loves a Royal nickname, but what does it say about what we expect from the Royal women? Join us as we breakdown why we love a royal scandal, question whether princesses are just supposed to look pretty and shut up, and explore whether Disney is to blame. In today’s episode, we also investigate how this latest scandal has reignited the debate about what purpose the British Monarchy plays in a post-Queen 21st Century. Questions or Comments you’d like us to cover?We love answering your questions and analysing the stories you’ve found. Send them to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2tcpodcast Enjoyed the show?Leave us a 5-star review on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others discover the podcast. References: Pod Save The King Podcast: Episode - The Prince Andrew Distraction: the unwanted gift that keeps giving. Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York (2025). By Andrew Lownie Carlsmith, K. M., Darley, J. M., & Robinson, P. H. (2002). Why do we punish? Deterrence and just deserts as motives for punishment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Article on Electric Literature.com - Cliff Huxtable Stole My Heart, Bill Cosby Broke It. By V.V. Ganeshananthan Article on The Conversation - A problematic history of obsessing over royal women’s looks, from Camilla to the ‘ugly’ Elizabeth of Austria. Bustle Article - The Complicated, Empowering, Messy History Behind Our Obsession With Princesses. By Lucia Peters Ms Magazine Article - Megxit and The Death of Fairytale Romance. By Laurie Essig BBC Article - The strange world of the Royal Family. By Hephzibah Anderson Al Jazeera Article - Taxpayer ripoff or bargain? The cost of the British royal family. By John Power The New Statesman Article - Abolish the monarchy. It’s more than Prince Andrew - the whole House of Windsor is rotten to the core. By Will Lloyd Article on Debunking Myths About Fairytales.com - Myth: Fairy Tales Are Narratives About Passive Heroines. By Anne E. Duggan Babak Ganjei on Instagram Megan Markle podcast interview on The Jamie Kern Lima Show
44 MIN
OCT 30, 2025
Drive Me Crazy: Frances Farmer, Britney Spears & the Legacy of the “Hysterical Woman”
Frances Farmer and Britney Spears. Two women, decades apart, who found out exactly what happens when you're famous, female, and having a breakdown in public. Today, from Victorian asylums to Instagram comments, we're talking about how easy it is to brand a woman "hysterical" or "crazy". And what are the consequences? We explore the treatment of women once labelled difficult - from lobotomies, to hysterectomies and conservatorships and ask: have we really moved on from the days when the mentally ill were seen as entertainment? Questions or Comments you’d like us to cover?We love answering your questions and analysing the stories you’ve found. Send them to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2tcpodcast Enjoyed the show?Leave us a 5-star review on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others discover the podcast. -------------- Clips used in this episode: Lobotomy scene from film - Frances (1982) Much Interview with Kurt Cobain (1993) Britney Spears - Oops I did it again References: Kenneth Anger - Hotel Babylon (1972) William Arnold - Shadowland (1982) You Must Remember This Podcast: Episode 4 - (The printing of) the Legend of Frances Farmer. Episode 5 - The Lives, Deaths and Afterlives of Judy Garland. Janet Frame - An Angel at my Table (1984) The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears (2021) New Yorker article: Britney Spears Conservatorship Nightmare by Ronan Farrow & Jia Tolentino Crime Analyst Podcast: Episode 29 - Who Framed Britney Spears? With Dr Jessica Taylor. Dr Jessica Taylor - Sexy But Psycho: Uncovering the Psychiatric Labelling of Women and Girls Kevin Federline - You Thought You Knew (2025) Britney Spears - The Woman in Me (2023) Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me documentary (2022) Dr Jessica Taylor Talks About Stuff Podcast: Ep 2 - Medical and Social Model of Mental Health Part 2
46 MIN