A Special Place in Hell

The New York Times has been tiptoeing up to the gender youth story. Does that mean the subject will soon be safe to talk about in polite company? The ladies discuss a recent Times article about the effects of school policies that compel teachers to hide kids’ new gender identities from parents. In the interests of balance, they also talk about an article in The Federalist (which Sarah reads religiously despite being an atheist) bout how government overreach and agenda-driven advocacy caused a troubled teenage girl to be removed from her home and placed in child protective custody, where she was eventually sex trafficked and violently assaulted. Mercifully, Meghan eventually lightens the mood by describing a recent conversation with her doctor, who appears to be woefully misinformed about certain things despite being a doctor and therefore super smart. (Meghan also wrote about this on her Substack this week.)

Speaking of doctors: In the bonus content available to paying subscribers only, the girls/women discuss an advice column letter from a neurosurgeon in her late 30s who wants to find a husband and start a family now. Did she get the right advice? It doesn’t matter, since Sarah is here to give her the final word. (Sarah also thinks Meghan reads The New York Times too much and needs to #DoBetter.) They also respond to reader comments about their last episode, which seems like a long time ago because it was. They will #DoBetter!

Links:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/22/us/gender-identity-students-parents.html

https://thefederalist.com/2023/01/19/virginia-teen-sex-trafficked-twice-after-school-hides-gender-identity-from-her-parents/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

Is Sarah too-light skinned, or not light-skinned enough? What sort of impact will this have on A Special Place’s imminent move to video? Unrelatedly, how does one pronounce the Brothers Karamazov? Or the name of its author, for that matter? Plus, Sarah hears the pronunciation of Solzhenitsyn for the first and it’s like a blind person who can suddenly see.

Speaking of great authors, in this episode, the girls/women discuss Lex Fridman’s reading list (because everyone else already has, and they are committed to leading from behind). After trashing critiquing the Lady Patriot Betsy Ross and Trailblazing Black Scientist George Washington Carver, Sarah discusses her discoveries about male scholarships. (Spoiler: Don’t bother, gentlemen.) They then move on to Meghan’s new Substack post about why she thinks she can afford to talk about gender, while others run for the hills at the mere mention. In the BONUS CONTENT for paying subscribers only, the girls minimize sexual assault (“It was a different time!!”), and come out of the closet as fans of Cuties, the infamous groomer drama that is really an art film because it’s not only French but directed by a WOC.

Lex’s Reading List

Sarah’s post on scholarships for men:

Meghan’s post on talking about trans stuff:

BONUS: #TheeToo : Teen Stars of Romeo and Juliet File Lawsuit

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Is Christmas the Master Holiday? Or is it the Joe Rogan of holidays? Have young men OD’d on video games? Are so many words actually that harmful, or is it just Stanford? Plus: More Penelope Trunk backbiting.

In this episode, the girls/women discuss their holiday plans, which are very unexciting. Was Sarah a trans-child, or was she just neglected? Has Meghan always hated babies? Should Sarah (who has large cheeks) gift her fat to Meghan (who needs padding), thus bonding them forever in the vain pursuit of beauty? And how wrong was Penelope Trunk anyway? They then discuss the Harmful Words List from Stanford University, feeling very superior all the while. They insist on reserving their right as AMERICANS to call anyone a spaz, or r*tard — or maybe even a grandfather.

In the BONUS content for paying subscribers: Some dusty old man Sarah has never heard of comes out as a Nazi. Meghan is overjoyed to have another sane voice around. They then move onto a general discussion about COVID vaccines, which inevitably becomes a conversation about menstruation. Plus: An announcement!!!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

In this episode, Sarah and Meghan welcome business coach, blogger and all-around opinion-ista, Penelope Trunk.

Should women get plastic surgery? Are video games the key to a future as a business tycoon? Can women run businesses anyway??

Penelope is a professional career coach, so she tells Sarah and Meghan what they are doing wrong (spoiler: almost everything) and why they will never make it in this business (or perhaps, any other). She also administers some tests to determine whether they’re autistic.

In the bonus portion for subscribers only, Meghan and Sarah talk about Penelope behind her back. Did they learn a lot? Yes! Should Sarah hire Penelope as a coach? Only if you become a paid subscriber so she afford it!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

This week, Meghan and Sarah revisit their conversation from the previous episode about hormonal birth control. Is Sarah an anti-birth control zealot secretly advocating for legislation to ban all contraception? Is Meghan too forgiving of men who hate condoms?

They then move onto late breaking Twitter news (now known as “old news”). As they recorded, Matt Taibbi’s bombshell thread about political bias and content suppression at Twitter was unspooling in real time. Can they make sense of it? (Mostly.) Do they care? (Yes!) After that, Meghan talks about the recent article in Semafor about the novelist Junot Diaz, whose life and career were upended after sexual misconduct allegations that, as it turns out., appear far less serious than previously reported. Finally, they discuss someone who deserves his disgrace, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, and wonder how he could have fooled so many, so well.

In the bonus edition for paying subscribers: The ladies discuss Kanye West’s new look on Alex Jones’ InfoWars. Ski masks: Hot! Anti-semitism and antipsychotic medication: Not!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

In this episode of A Special Place in Hell, recorded on Thanksgiving eve, Sarah and Meghan discuss their plans, including why it’s taken Sarah awhile to get the hang of this holiday, especially the cranberry sauce and eating at 2pm part. (You can read Meghan’s take on Thanksgiving in her latest Substack essay.) After touching on a few breaking news stories that everyone’s forgotten by now, they turn to the subject of birth control. Sarah read a book about it and Meghan watched a documentary and they each report back on what they learned—or, in Meghan’s case, what annoyed her. This leads to yet another variation on Meghan’s favorite theme; why_____ isn’t as good as it used to. (In this case, documentaries!)

The girls/women discuss whether documentary films are now primarily tools of activism and Sarah cites Blackfish (which Meghan can’t bear to watch) as an example of a documentary that effected real change. Meghan cites the 1990 film Paris Is Burning as an example of a “real documentary,” and this leads to a discussion about drag queens and whether they’re offensive and misogynistic or soothing and perfect for story hour.

In the very special Bonus Content: Sarah and Meghan address a listener’s comment about their conversation with Katie Herzog and the subject of gestational surrogacy. Does everyone have the right to be a parent? Also: are old-fashioned matchmakers better than dating apps?

Book: Sarah Hill’s This is Your Brain on Birth Control

Movie: The Business of Birth Control

The legacy of Paris Is Burning

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

This week, superstar podcaster Katie Herzog visits A Special Place In Hell to talk about what it’s like to dwell in that sordid sphincter of public discourse known as Twitter. Her podcast, Blocked and Reported, which she co-hosts with Jesse Signal, may live in indentured servitude to some of the the worst the Internet has to offer, but Katie herself knows how to live off the land — or at least touch grass. Here, she talks with Sarah and Meghan about how her wife keeps her grounded, how she fears she’ll be working in a grocery store one day and why Blocked and Reported’s recent east coast tour involved being cancelled at Dartmouth College, though not because of student protests (bummer). Katie also shares here views on gestational surrogacy, which she and Sarah recently tweeted about, and announced that she would not accept such a gig for less than $15 million.

In the very special BONUS CONTENT, Katie laments her thwarted #vanlife aspirations and holds forth on Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover. To listen: become a paying subscriber!

Relevant links:

Meghan’s Substack The Unspeakable With Meghan Daum

Sarah’s Substack Hold That Thought

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

This week (or was it last week?) the girls/women monitor the midterm election returns as they re-record the episode (#BecauseStandards). Along the way they discuss the latest object of mass cultural derangement: Elon Musk. Is Musk the new Trump? Is Twitter really any different than it was a few weeks ago? It’s difficult to say, but as it happens Meghan spent several days hanging out with Musk several years ago when she profiled him for Vogue (in 2015; not in 2014 like she kept saying). She describes their interactions (sort of) and recounts having lunch with Musk’s first wife, Justine, as well as the excitement of seeing her name on a designated parking space at the SpaceX headquarters.

The ladies then move onto the fraught topic of crop tops in the office. Did the New York Times cover this issue just to get the attention of podcasters? Does having opinions about appropriate attire amount to policing women’s bodies? Also: should we blame our parents for letting us do dumb things as teenagers (things even dumber than wearing crop tops) that we were hellbent on doing no matter what? Should people who aren't extremely online be eyed with suspicion? Finally, in a rare moment of “get off my lawn,” Sarah complains about too many young people being in charge despite not knowing anything about anything.

In the very special Bonus Content: the girls/women refresh their browsers and check in with the midterm results. Meghan reveals what her Google news suggestions say about her true interests and Sarah reassures her that not caring about political horse races is not a character flaw. Upon discovering that a 25-year-old has been elected to Congress in Florida, both ladies declare civilization officially over. At least for the evening.

Meghan’s Vogue Magazine profile of Elon Musk

NY Times article on crop tops in the office.

Sarahs’s Substack page, Hold That Thought

Meghan’s Substack page, The Unspeakable With Meghan Daum

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

In this edition of the podcast, the girls/women kick off the discussion with reports on their respective special events; Sarah’s Rights and Religions Forum conference in Washington, DC and Meghan’s latest Unspeakeasy retreat in New York. Lamenting their ongoing habit of saying “I’m a liberal, but . . .” before talking about anything that might be construed as right wing, Sarah says the noticed the same tic in a book she’s reading about the unintended consequences of the birth control pill. #NotThatWeDontSupportBirthControl. Speaking of procreation, they move on to the subject of fecund billionaire Elon Musk and his purchase of Twitter. Will the resulting speech violence drive all the right-thinkers to Canada? Will Sarah lean harder into gender tweets? Will Meghan give up her blue check?

Sarah admits she wasted a car salesman’s time by taking a Tesla out on a self-driving spin (unsurprising spoiler: the car can park better than she can). The hostesses then return to the evergreen subject of censorship, citing the resurfaced brouhaha over the forced departure of New York Times opinion editor James Bennet in 2020. Some who joined the pile-on are now apologizing, but is it too little too late? Meanwhile, they wonder if their own intense lack of censorship, especially around certain topics, is potentially an ineffective tool for change. Are they too obsessed to make a difference?

In the very special bonus content: more Zamboni-splaining! Plus, the girls/women respond to listener comments about . . . porn! Finally, Sarah reminisces about her (briefly) unplugged travels in Greece and Meghan recalls a trip to Egypt as part of a faux thrupple.

Relevant links:

Semafor: Inside The Identity Crisis At The New York Times

Meghan’s Substack

Sarah’s Substack

Final reminder: The first ever Special Place Zoom hangout is coming up this Saturday, November 5 at 8pm ET. Sarah and Meghan will show their faces and answer your questions (within reason).

This is for Founding Members only. If you’re not yet a Founding Member, upgrade your subscription now and join them!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

On this episode of A Special Place in Hell, the girls/women tackle it all; marriage, sexism, racism, jock smells. This is despite physical and emotional exhaustion from their very special projects; Sarah’s conference and Meghan’s Unspeakeasy retreat. 

Sarah begins by wondering whether “self-hating millennial” is misleading and, god forbid, cringe. Meghan wonders whether all of childhood is cringe. They then move onto the topic of marriage and expectations and whether mothers should move into “Lady Communes” because marriage sucks and husbands are disappointing and #patriarchy.  Meghan concludes that Lady Communes are maybe very useful when we are all old and have no one to take care of us, either because children are too selfish or we were too selfish to have children in the first place. Sarah returns to her favorite topic of wondering whether there will ever be a female Jordon Peterson or if this is impossible given the degree to which women hate female figures in this kind of role.

Then they move on to SPORTS, a topic around which they have no lived experience but lots of deeply uninformed opinions. Does the NHL have too many white people? (Yes.) Are minorities allowed to just not like hockey very much? (No.)

In the very special BONUS content, Sarah shares two of her most trad opinions. Do women belong in combat units or is this just another way the Patriarchy coerces the female body? Plus: More porn musings and (you guessed it) G*NDER. 

Reminder that our first Zoom hangout will be Saturday, November 5 at 8pm ET. This is for Founding Members only, so it’s a great time to become not just a paid subscriber but a very special Founding Member.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com