Go Doc Yourself

Empowerment is palpable in Episode 212, "Period. End of Sentence." available on Netflix. Menstruation is a taboo and rarely discussed topic in India. This leaves women with few resources to comfortably deal with their cycles. Enter "The Pad Project," and efforts to install pad machines in rural areas like the Harpur District. Women use the machine to produce and sell sanitary pads locally. These entrepreneurs gain income as well as peace of mind.

This week the Erins play tour guide in Episode 211, "The Haunting History of the Paris Catacombs," available on ShortVerse.com and YouTube. Late 1780's Parisians had a problem with "bad air" or miasma. Their local cemeteries were overcrowded with remains and rumors of sickness caused unrest among the living. What's the solution to this odorous obstacle? The Catacombs! The Erins relay all the gory details of moving millions of remains under the city.

In episode 210, the Erins sashay through the delightful doc, "Between a Frock & a Hard Place," available on Amazon Prime. Terrence Stamp leads the cast of actors, drag queens, and insiders in the telling of how "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" made its way to the big screen. Those who inspired the movie's characters discuss the evolution of drag in Sydney, Australia in the years leading up to production. Director Stephen Elliott and crew talk about inspiration and overcoming obstacles for the much loved film.

The Erins revisit The Troubles in Episode 209, "I, Dolours," available on Tubi. Dolours Price rose to the top of the IRA in the 1970's. She was one of the very few women to do so and she sacrificed dearly for the cause. Her family had been affected deeply for generations and Dolours kept up with expectations for years before she laid down her extreme beliefs.

The Erins show no mercy in Episode 208, "Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere," available on Netflix. Louis Theroux knows his way around a documentary and sets his sights on exposing the motivation of "hyper masculine" content creators and "red pill" ideology. No surprise that the messaging is deeply misogynistic, racist, and full of laughable misinformation. These are the same "ultra masculine" dudes that crumple the moment anything goes off script. So much for toughness!

The Erins really hope we don't need the specifics in Episode 207, "You Will Survive Doomsday,"available on YouTube. The threat of nuclear war isn't new. Some peopel flirt with preparedness and then there's Bruce Beach. He built the largest private cold war style bunker in North Americ. This doc features Bruce telling his first hand account of readiness.

In Episode 206, the Erins critique true crime documentary, "Horror in the High Desert," available on Prime Video and Tubi. Gary Hinge is too outdoorsy for his own good and goes missing in the Nevada wilds, despite his experience. Those closest to Gary relay the details of his disappearance and ultimately, the bizarre circumstances of his untimely death. Oh, and he really likes trains.

This week the Erins share another horrible story of capitalism in Episode 205, "A Brief History of Asbestos," available on YouTube. You may be familiar with the slogan "If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to compensation." Now we know why!

The Erins are pleasantly surprised in episode 204, "Secret Mall Apartment," available on Netflix. Headlines only tell the surface level story of a group of friends taking advantage of an open space in Providence Place Mall in 2007. This story is all about protesting gentrification, or performance art, or a prank, or getting one over on The Man. In total, this is an uplifiting message about bringing joy to others whenever possible.

The Erins doubt their grasp of physics in Episode 203, "Dancing on the Edge: A Ski Ballet Story," available on YouTube. This lesser known freestyle skiing discipline is described as gymnastics on skis set to music. Olympic medalists from 1988 and 1992 relay all the tea about the rise and fall of ski ballet. Don't worry, they're not bitter at all!