Right Answers Mostly

In episode three of our Marilyn Monroe Month, we’re getting into the height of Marilyn’s fame: the iconic movies, the scandals, and her marriages to two of the most famous men in America, Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller. While Hollywood wanted Marilyn Monroe the sex symbol, Marilyn wanted something more. We’re talking about her fight with the studio system, her determination to become a serious actress, and how she eventually took on Hollywood itself.

TW: This episodes contains discussions of physical abuse

Created by Claire Donald and Tess Bellomo

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Sources: ⁠Marilyn Monroe The Biography ⁠, ⁠Interview with Jane Russell⁠, ⁠Interview with Lauren Bacall ⁠,

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If you love history and gossip, this one's for you! All August long we're covering all things Marilyn Monroe- her childhood, rise to stardom, marriages, conspiracy theories and more- because history is just gossip!

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Welcome to our second episode of our Marilyn Monroe Month!

Norma Jeane is gone... Marilyn Monroe is about to be born.

This week, we follow Marilyn's extraordinary transformation from a lonely aircraft factory worker into one of the most photographed women in America. After being discovered on a wartime assembly line, she throws herself into modeling, bleaches her hair, signs with the Blue Book Modeling Agency, and quickly realizes that beauty alone isn't enough. Hollywood is a game, and she's determined to learn how to play it.

We dive into the complicated, often exploitative relationships that shaped her early career, from powerful studio executives and photographers to the acting coaches and mentors who recognized her undeniable star power. Along the way, Marilyn navigates ambition, reinvents herself from Norma Jeane Dougherty into Marilyn Monroe, lands her first studio contracts, and begins chasing the movie career she believes she's destined for.

We end with the now-infamous nude calendar photos, a $50 modeling job she never imagined would follow her forever. The images that could have destroyed her career instead became one of the most pivotal turning points in Hollywood history.

Created and produced by Tess Bellomo & Claire Donald

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Sources: Marilyn Monroe: The Biography by Donald Spoto

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WELCOME TO MARILYN MONTH! All month long, we're doing deep dives into Marilyn Monroe's life because she deserves so much more than just one episode.

To kick things off, we're taking it all the way back to the beginning: Norma Jeane's childhood. In this episode, we cover everything from her toddler years through high school, ending on quite the cliffhanger for next week's episode.

We dive into the foster parents who raised her, the women who abandoned her, protected her, and shaped her, and how those early relationships influenced the woman she would become. We also talk about the changes she began experiencing around eighth grade, her first crush, and the moments that marked the beginning of her transformation into Marilyn Monroe.

Created and produced by Tess Bellomo and Claire Donald

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TW: This episode contains multiple mentions of SA

Sources: Marilyn Monroe, The Biography by Donald Soto

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Release in honor of The Odyssey: This week we re-visit one of history’s juiciest conflicts: The Trojan War. It all starts with a beauty contest judged by a lil shepherd, and spirals into a decade-long war fought over the world’s most shtunning woman. We're talking forbidden love, bro betrayals, hunky men and intense battles. Turns out the gods have a lot of drama.

Created and produced by Tess Bellomo and Claire Donald

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Jackie Robinson didn't just change baseball, he changed America.

This week, we're rounding out American Icons month with  the incredible story of the man who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier and the impossible pressure that came with it. We talk about how Branch Rickey chose Jackie to integrate the sport, why he was expected to endure racism without fighting back, and how Rachel Robinson became one of the most important partners in his legacy. This is the story of an athlete, activist, husband, and leader who changed far more than the game of baseball. 

Created and produced by Claire Donald and Tess Bellomo

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Sources: Jackie Robinson documentary , Wikipedia

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Long before pop stars built entire careers around reinvention, Madonna was changing the rules in real time. In this episode, we trace her journey from a broke dancer arriving in New York City with a lot of religious trauma and just a few dollars to becoming the best selling female recording artist of all time.

Along the way, we unpack the controversies that made headlines, the reinventions that reshaped pop culture, her groundbreaking advocacy during the AIDS crisis, and the ambition that inspired generations of artists, from Britney Spears to Taylor Swift.

Love her or hate her, modern pop stardom wouldn't exist without Madonna.

Created and produced by Tess Bellomo & Claire Donald

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Link to Truth or Dare documentary

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RE-RELEASE: Join us in this MUCH requested nostalgic episode as we delve into the enchanting world of American Girl Dolls, exploring their rich history and the cultural impact they've had since their inception in 1986 by founder Pleasant Howard . We’ll trace the journey from the original dolls—each representing a different era in American history (THEY ARE RAMMIES)—to the diverse characters that reflect contemporary society.

Discover how these beloved dolls not only sparked a passion for history in young girls but also fostered conversations about identity, diversity, and empowerment. 

ALSO SURPRISE: Enjoy two 90s quizzes to take at home!

Created and produced by Claire Donald & Tess Bellomo

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In honor of America's 250th birthday and American Icons month (in a cool, liberal way), we're celebrating the trailblazers who helped shape the country, and few reached greater heights than Sally Ride. This week, we're telling the story of the physicist who became the first American woman in space, broke through one of the world's most exclusive boys' clubs, and inspired generations of girls to dream bigger.

But behind the headlines was a woman who fiercely guarded her private life. For nearly three decades, Sally shared her life with her partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, a relationship the public didn't learn about until after Sally's death. We explore why she chose privacy, what it meant to be a gay woman navigating fame in the 1980s and '90s, and how her legacy extends far beyond her historic spaceflight.

From NASA missions and media scrutiny to quiet courage and lasting impact, this is the story of an American icon whose influence is still reaching for the stars.

Created and produced by Tess Bellomo & Claire Donald

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Everybody knows RuPaul. But the story of how he became RuPaul? It's even better than you think.

This week, we're following his journey from a kid in San Diego to discovering drag in Atlanta, creating his unforgettable glamazon persona in New York, overcoming addiction, and building the empire that is RuPaul's Drag Race.

We also unpack the lessons that have defined his life: identity, resilience, chosen family, and the radical act of believing in yourself before the world does. Whether you're a Drag Race superfan or simply curious about the man behind the icon, this episode is a celebration of one of the most influential cultural figures of our time.

Sources: The House of Hidden Meanings, NPR, Vanity Fair, Vulture, A&E Biography, Wikipedia

Created and produced by Claire Donald and Tess Bellomo

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