Before Brunch

We've talked about pain as entertainment countless times before. From gruesome True Crime podcasts to watching poor Laura get continuously dumped on Love Island, the public's appetite for pain with their popcorn is endless.

Sometimes it can feel exploitative, and the line between 'raising awareness' and pure voyeurism gets blurry. Thirteen Reasons Why is a great example of this. To The Bone with Lily Collins is another. HBO's Sharp Objects feels different. The 8-episode mini-series is based on the book by the same name, authored by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl. It is relentless and slow-paced. It's consistently dark. But its treatment of female trauma doesn't feel icky. For once, female trauma isn't used as a plot tool to aid a male storyline. It's an exploration of violence among women - both physical and emotional - and the female body. How our inner lives reflect what we present to the world. How trauma doesn't always mean victim. If you haven't watched it yet - do! And let us know what you thought.

We've talked about pain as entertainment countless times before. From gruesome True Crime podcasts to watching poor Laura get continuously dumped on Love Island, the public's appetite for pain with their popcorn is endless.

Sometimes it can feel exploitative, and the line between 'raising awareness' and pure voyeurism gets blurry. Thirteen Reasons Why is a great example of this. To The Bone with Lily Collins is another. HBO's Sharp Objects feels different. The 8-episode mini-series is based on the book by the same name, authored by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl. It is relentless and slow-paced. It's consistently dark. But its treatment of female trauma doesn't feel icky. For once, female trauma isn't used as a plot tool to aid a male storyline. It's an exploration of violence among women - both physical and emotional - and the female body. How our inner lives reflect what we present to the world. How trauma doesn't always mean victim. If you haven't watched it yet - do! And let us know what you thought.

We’ve made a millionaire out of Gwyneth Paltrow and her vagina crystals.

Last week, The New York Times Magazine published a piece in which writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner spent time with the proclaimed woman of wellness. The result? Paltrow is perfect. He ex-husband and current fiancé eat clams together. Her kids practice their musical instruments without being told to. She can tipple with tobacco and not become addicted. She is flawless and you can be too thanks to Goop. Therein lies the problem - Paltrow’s life is her brand and she is selling it to all of us.

Before Brunch Podcast is the perfect Sunday morning hangover cure. Megan and Cassie chew over all the biggest stories of the week, from the frivolous to the meaningful and everything in between. It's the same dirt you talk about at Brunch, we're just digging a little deeper.

If you like the podcast, please do subscribe, rate and review to help other brunchers find us!

Get in touch on twitter @meganmcassidy @cassielorraine @lovindublin @lovindotie or [email protected]

We’ve made a millionaire out of Gwyneth Paltrow and her vagina crystals.

Last week, The New York Times Magazine published a piece in which writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner spent time with the proclaimed woman of wellness. The result? Paltrow is perfect. He ex-husband and current fiancé eat clams together. Her kids practice their musical instruments without being told to. She can tipple with tobacco and not become addicted. She is flawless and you can be too thanks to Goop. Therein lies the problem - Paltrow’s life is her brand and she is selling it to all of us.

Before Brunch Podcast is the perfect Sunday morning hangover cure. Megan and Cassie chew over all the biggest stories of the week, from the frivolous to the meaningful and everything in between. It's the same dirt you talk about at Brunch, we're just digging a little deeper.

If you like the podcast, please do subscribe, rate and review to help other brunchers find us!

Get in touch on twitter @meganmcassidy @cassielorraine @lovindublin @lovindotie or [email protected]

Last week, Demi Lovato was hospitalised after a heroin overdose. Demi's mental health issues and battles with addiction have always been a part of her story - she has always spoken candidly about her struggles and brought her audience on the journey with her.

In March, she celebrated six years sober - but maintaining sobriety is hard work and a continuous battle.

In this episode we chat about battling addiction in the public eye and the importance of candid conversation about substance abuse and mental health issues.

Before Brunch Podcast is the perfect Sunday morning hangover cure. Megan and Cassie chew over all the biggest stories of the week, from the frivolous to the meaningful and everything in between. It's the same dirt you talk about at Brunch, we're just digging a little deeper.

If you like the podcast, please do subscribe, rate and review to help other brunchers find us!

Get in touch on twitter @meganmcassidy @cassielorraine @lovindublin @lovindotie or [email protected]

Last week, Demi Lovato was hospitalised after a heroin overdose. Demi's mental health issues and battles with addiction have always been a part of her story - she has always spoken candidly about her struggles and brought her audience on the journey with her.

In March, she celebrated six years sober - but maintaining sobriety is hard work and a continuous battle.

In this episode we chat about battling addiction in the public eye and the importance of candid conversation about substance abuse and mental health issues.

Before Brunch Podcast is the perfect Sunday morning hangover cure. Megan and Cassie chew over all the biggest stories of the week, from the frivolous to the meaningful and everything in between. It's the same dirt you talk about at Brunch, we're just digging a little deeper.

If you like the podcast, please do subscribe, rate and review to help other brunchers find us!

Get in touch on twitter @meganmcassidy @cassielorraine @lovindublin @lovindotie or [email protected]

Eleanor Oliphant and Keiko Furukura are misfits. By all means, the two protagonists live mundane lives on the outskirts of society.

Eleanor is more than peculiar. She skirts social norms and convention, she seemingly lacks empathy and connection and she appears rude and judgemental. But we all fell in love with her when Gaily Honeymoon introduced her into her lives.

Eleanor is the all-too-relatable character we needed.

Gail Honeymoon gave us the antithesis of a hero. Eleanor is boring and safe and we want her to stay that way. In this week’s podcast we examine why we feel so strongly for peculiar protagonists and why it’s more important than ever to celebrate them.

That leads us to a discussion on shared experience and a study from Harvard Decision Science Laboratory first published in 2014. The study relays the impact of shared experience on our feelings of inclusion or exclusion and highlights the effect of groupthink.

Before Brunch Podcast is the perfect Sunday morning hangover cure. Megan and Cassie chew over all the biggest stories of the week, from the frivolous to the meaningful and everything in between. It's the same dirt you talk about at Brunch, we're just digging a little deeper.

If you like the podcast, please do subscribe, rate and review to help other brunchers find us!

Get in touch on twitter @meganmcassidy @cassielorraine @lovindublin @lovindotie or [email protected]

Eleanor Oliphant and Keiko Furukura are misfits. By all means, the two protagonists live mundane lives on the outskirts of society.

Eleanor is more than peculiar. She skirts social norms and convention, she seemingly lacks empathy and connection and she appears rude and judgemental. But we all fell in love with her when Gaily Honeymoon introduced her into her lives.

Eleanor is the all-too-relatable character we needed.

Gail Honeymoon gave us the antithesis of a hero. Eleanor is boring and safe and we want her to stay that way. In this week’s podcast we examine why we feel so strongly for peculiar protagonists and why it’s more important than ever to celebrate them.

That leads us to a discussion on shared experience and a study from Harvard Decision Science Laboratory first published in 2014. The study relays the impact of shared experience on our feelings of inclusion or exclusion and highlights the effect of groupthink.

Before Brunch Podcast is the perfect Sunday morning hangover cure. Megan and Cassie chew over all the biggest stories of the week, from the frivolous to the meaningful and everything in between. It's the same dirt you talk about at Brunch, we're just digging a little deeper.

If you like the podcast, please do subscribe, rate and review to help other brunchers find us!

Get in touch on twitter @meganmcassidy @cassielorraine @lovindublin @lovindotie or [email protected]

This week Meghan Markle made headlines for getting political during her brief Irish visit with Prince Harry.

Both Una Mulally and Senator Catherine Noone reported that Meghan was pleased about the Eighth Referendum result - a move that is in direct opposition to the Royal Family rules which say that expressing a political opinion is forbidden.

Thus far, the criticism leveled at Markle has largely been about the aesthetics of protocol - the colour of her tights, the way she crosses her legs, which side of the car she gets into.

This is the first time we've seen an attempt to suppress Meghan's voice since she joined the RF - a voice that has been prominent in areas of philanthropy, feminism and human rights thus far. This is where it gets really interesting.

Before Brunch Podcast is the perfect Sunday morning hangover cure. Megan and Cassie chew over all the biggest stories of the week, from the frivolous to the meaningful and everything in between. It's the same dirt you talk about at Brunch, we're just digging a little deeper.

If you like the podcast, please do subscribe, rate and review to help other brunchers find us!

Get in touch on twitter @meganmcassidy @cassielorraine @lovindublin @lovindotie or [email protected]

This week Meghan Markle made headlines for getting political during her brief Irish visit with Prince Harry.

Both Una Mulally and Senator Catherine Noone reported that Meghan was pleased about the Eighth Referendum result - a move that is in direct opposition to the Royal Family rules which say that expressing a political opinion is forbidden.

Thus far, the criticism leveled at Markle has largely been about the aesthetics of protocol - the colour of her tights, the way she crosses her legs, which side of the car she gets into.

This is the first time we've seen an attempt to suppress Meghan's voice since she joined the RF - a voice that has been prominent in areas of philanthropy, feminism and human rights thus far. This is where it gets really interesting.

Before Brunch Podcast is the perfect Sunday morning hangover cure. Megan and Cassie chew over all the biggest stories of the week, from the frivolous to the meaningful and everything in between. It's the same dirt you talk about at Brunch, we're just digging a little deeper.

If you like the podcast, please do subscribe, rate and review to help other brunchers find us!

Get in touch on twitter @meganmcassidy @cassielorraine @lovindublin @lovindotie or [email protected]