The C-Word

Belle Gibson was one of the original wellness influencers. She documented her unconventional cancer recovery process—consisting largely of restrictive eating and herbal remedies—for a growing cadre of loyal followers. She furthered her empire by developing a popular wellness app and a book. But it was all a lie. She was never afflicted with the cancer that defined her public identity. This week, Lena and Alissa unpack Belle’s big lie, the toxic undercurrents of internet wellness culture, and the many pitfalls of building a life online. 

This episode was first published on 10/06/2022.

Maila Nurmi was known for her role as Vampira, the original glamour ghoul, late-night horror host, and proto-goth sex symbol who would inspire the on-screen look of modern-day Morticia Addams. Despite her lasting impact on 1950s America, and on culture at large, few people remember her today. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss her artistry, her sharp tongue and scathing disses, and her involvement with Hollywood greats like Orson Welles, Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley, and— most infamously—James Dean.

This episode was first published on 09/29/2022.

In part two, the tabloids rejoice that Lindsay is legal, and gleefully surveil the rest of her early adulthood. As the public scrutinizes her body, her partying, and her family, Lindsay descends deeper into a seesawing addiction that will land her in numerous rehab stints. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss her highly publicized relationship with Samantha Ronson, her moment in prison, her OWN docuseries, and how talk show hosts have become the figureheads for our nation’s paternalistic society. Finally, Alissa chats with New Yorker staff writer and friend-of-the-show, Naomi Fry, about LiLo.

This episode was first published on 09/15/2022.

Lindsay Lohan’s name has become synonymous with maladaptive child stardom, toxic tabloid culture, and the general trainwreckery of the mid-aughts—but it wasn’t always that way. In the first of two parts, Lena and Alissa unpack LiLo’s childhood, her precocious talent and early popularity, the media’s perverse fascination with her prepubescent body, and the beginnings of her Bad Behavior headlines which would drastically influence 2000s pop culture. Lena also shares moments throughout her youth and career during which her and Lilo’s paths have overlapped. 

This episode was first published on 09/08/2022.

Lena and Alissa discuss the latter half of Linda’s career—her first retirement and then comeback, the tabloid’s fixation on her weight and health, her much criticized divorce proceedings, and her eventual retreat from public life due to a botched cosmetic procedure. Also in Part 2: aging, plastic surgery, and what it means when your self is defined by how others see you.

This episode was first published on 03/31/2022.

Linda Evangelista was one of the first Supermodels in the 90s to capture America’s admiration, love, and then criticism. She uttered the infamous words: “We don’t get up for less than $10 thousand a day.” Later, after more than a decade of public fixation on her age and weight, she would become a recluse due to a botched cosmetic procedure. In Part 1, Lena and Alissa discuss Linda’s childhood, her role as one-third of the 90s “Trinity” with Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell, her famous haircut, and the rise of the model as celebrity. Alissa also shares anecdotes from her years as a model.

This episode was first published on 03/17/2022.

Marion Jones was a track star and Olympic champion. Despite her record-breaking athletic prowess, her career was torpedoed by doping allegations that would ultimately end in a prison stay. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss the pressure our public places on athletes—especially women of color—to become symbols of American exceptionalism.

This episode was first published on 03/03/2022.

In this episode Lena and Alissa tackle Winona Ryder’s infamous shoplifting incident and the very public trial that followed. They also discuss her friendships with Gwyneth Paltrow and former C-Word subject Brittany Murphy, the tabloid rumors about Winona's romantic relationships, her career hiatus, and her eventual comeback, with the show Stranger Things.

This episode was first published on 02/17/2022.

Lena and Alissa discuss Winona Ryder—90s icon, chic misfit, and poster child of gen-x nostalgia. In this episode: Winona’s nontraditional childhood, 90s bullies, her meteoric rise, her relationship with Johnny Depp, and the events leading up to her infamous shoplifting incident.

This episode was first published on 02/03/2022.

Hollywood madam Elizabeth Adams (aka Madam Alex) ran a high-end Beverly Hills prostitution ring in the 70s and 80s. Her women — many of whom went on to become famous actors — were set apart by their manicured glamor, poise, and intellect, making her business THE go-to escort service of the Hollywood elite. In this episode, Lena and Alissa unpack the OG Hollywood madam’s affinity for muumuus, fraught dealings with the Los Angeles Police Department, and relationship with the successor to her empire, Heidi Fleiss. 

This episode was first published on 01/06/2022.