On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion is joined by Jess Zimmerman, who writes about witches, feminism, and all the scary ladies. They sit down to unpack their feelings about Disney’s Hocus Pocus films - both past and present and how the witch discussion has changed in the thirty years between movies. 

In Slate Plus, is Taylor Swift’s Anti Hero music video feminist?

Recommendations:
Rebecca: The audiobook of The Mercies by Kiran Milwood Hargrave and read by Jessie Buckley.
Jess: The new book Toil and Trouble by Lisa Kroger and Melanie Anderson.
 
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Shannon Palus, Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
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Hocus Pocus Has No Focus

Each week a pair of writers and guests talk through one news story we can’t stop thinking about, and unpack what gender has to do with it.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Sexuality

Health

News

Health & Fitness

News Commentary

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by writer, comedian and Glamorous Trash host Chelsea Devantez to break down this watershed year of celebrity memoirs. The trio crowns the best and the worst titles, dissect what separates a good memoir from a great one, and reveal the shocking figure who has appeared in way more memoirs than you’d expect.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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The Year in Celebrity Memoirs

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we say goodbye by contemplating a key word of the podcast - feminism. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth and original Waves host June Thomas discuss what feminism means, the historical problems with the word, who should get to call themselves feminist, and so much more. 

Endorsements and Discussed in Episode:
A Place of Our Own by June Thomas
Between Two Wars by Cheyna Roth
In Defense of Lean In Feminism on The Waves
We Were Once a Family by Roxanna Asgarian
What the Hart Family Murders Reveal About Foster Care on The Waves
The Lady Vanishes

In Slate Plus: What is the most feminist holiday?
 
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Vic Whitley Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
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What is a Feminist, Really?

On this week’s episode of The Waves, why can’t the feminists all get along? Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR political correspondent and author of the Substack, This F**king Job. They dig into what went wrong with Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In, why it wasn’t all completely wrong, and how to stop giving anti-feminists the ammo they need to attack.   

In Slate Plus: We’re talking May December! 

If you liked this episode, check out: We See Dead Girls
 
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.

Clips Used:
“Sheryl Sandberg: Women Must Learn to ‘Lean In’” - ABC News
“I bought the book Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg” - Sarah Tollemache
“Girl boss culture gotta go” - Rachel Turner 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work.
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In Defense of Lean In Feminism

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re bringing out the dead girls. Everywhere you look in popular culture there seems to be a new movie, TV show or true crime documentary detailing the mystery of yet another woman’s death. At least, that was how author and guest Alice Bolin saw things when she wrote her book Dead Girls in 2018. She sits down with Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth to unpack what has - and hasn’t - changed in dead girl culture (from Twin Peak’s Laura Palmer to our persistent obsession with Elizabeth Short aka The Black Dahlia) and what this fixation says about all of us.
In Slate Plus: What was really going on inside the Playboy Mansion. 
If you liked this episode, check out: I Don’t Care If You Like Me
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We See Dead Girls

On this final episode of our Golden Bachelor recap episode of The Waves, Gerry’s makes his decision but maybe loses the audience along the way. 

Podcast production by Brandon Nix and Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on The Waves. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hocus Pocus Has No Focus

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