Title: Genital Aesthetics Abstract Why are so many people uncomfortable with their own genitals? Where have all the foreskins gone? Why is labiaplasty one of the fastest growing plastic surgery procedures in the US? Ultimately, American culture is largely based around images of sexual normalcy. Aesthetically-based genital modification, especially circumcision and labiaplasty, represent the extremes… Read more Genital Aesthetics
Abstract Please note: this podcast includes strong language, including slurs. Listener discretion is advised. In this podcast, we discuss representations of gay men in the media and how straight women react to and embody the identities of gay men. The reason that there exists such a term as “fag hag” is that the phenomenon of… Read more Gals, Gays, and Geeks: The Relationship Between Gay Men and Straight Women
Abstract We would like to study the difference in media coverage and cultural understanding of women serial killers. As case studies, we will focus on the United States serial killer Aileen Wuornos, and Phoolan Devi, India’s “Bandit Queen.” We are not equating these cases, but believe the media coverage surrounding both of them constructs specific… Read more Women Serial Killers by Indira, Emma, and Martha
Abstract This podcast examines the construction of American sex education in the 1980s in the midst of the feminist sex wars, investigating how sex education in schools privileged some and marginalized others through three distinct structures: the government alongside the laws and policies implemented, the educational system, and dominant cultural norms of the 1980’s. We… Read more Schooled in Sex
Abstract We all have some conception of prison and the people behind bars, but what about trans prisoners? Trans people in prison are among the most verbally and sexually abused people in our prison system today. How did they get to this point? We begin by looking at the history of unfair targeting of trans… Read more Transgender Prisoners: Criminalization, Healthcare, and the Carceral State
Abstract Although many people think polyamorous intentional communities involve non-stop orgies full of queer, feminist radicals, these communities are not always as revolutionary or deviant as people assume. In this podcast, we discuss two intentional communities within the first (1850s-1900) and second waves (1960s-1990s) of the polyamory movement as case studies of how polyamorous communities support… Read more Patriarchy in Polyamory
For our long podcast, we looked at the history of love letters by addressing several subtopics. We used these subtopics to demonstrate why love letters are an important part of history. First, we talked about how letters are a unique source because they detailed intimacy that was not publically seen. We analyzed excerpts from love… Read more Yours, Forever: The History of Love Letters
