Toxic

By Toxic podcast hosted by Amanda Kippert and Jenna BrandlSociety & Culture True Crime Relationships

Toxic episodes

February 21, 2022 Ep. 39: Kim Dadou Brown Spends 17 Years Behind Bars for Self-Defense
This is the incredible story of Kim Dadou Brown who spent nearly two decades in prison after her abusive boyfriend tried to kill her and she fought back in order to save her life. Unfortuantely, her story is not unique—an estimated 90% of women behind bars have been abused by an intimate partner. On average, according to the ACLU, women serve an average of 15 years for killing a partner while men serve two to six for the same, and you can bet your britches the reasons behind killing one's partner are very different. Before we jump into Kim, we talk about Kanye's not-OK and clearly abusive stalking of late and how the Air Force is finally being held accountable for Devin Patrick Kelley's 2017 mass shooting.
1 hr 33 min
January 24, 2022 Ep. 38: Roblox Predators Can Find Your Kids and We Ask an Expert—Can Abusers Change?
First off, happy 1-year anniversary to us. We're celebrating by making you some stuff, so stay tuned. Next, Roblox, the video game 200 million people play every day, not at all shockingly, counts child predators among its fans. And those child predators are targeting....wait for it...children. A recap of some stellar reporting that showed Roblox doesn't give very many shits that this is happening because, you know, profit. After that, we pose a question with no simple answer: Can abusers change? Should you ever trust someone who admits to being abusive to a partner in the past? Ed Sakwa, CEO of Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse in Arizona, who helps over 5,000 survivors a year, also runs an abuser reform program. He joins us with his thoughts on how to know if you can ever trust someone who owns up to abuse and who wants to change. The National Domestic Violence Hotline has advocates 24/7 available to help you answer that question as well: 800-799-SAFE. See ToxicthePodcast.com for more links to information shared in this episode.
1 hr 46 min
January 10, 2022 Ep. 37: Aaron Robinson Murdered Army Spec. Vanessa Guillén Because Femicide
In this episode, Amanda and Jenna talk about the allegations of Chris Noth being a rapist (damn it, Mr. Big, you were only supposed to be a fictional a-hole), and Apple's AirTags that stalkers everywhere are celebrating for making their hobby easier (fanfuckingtastic). After that, we break down the details of the Vanessa Guillén murder from 2020. After telling her mom and a few close friends that she was being sexually harassed on base at Fort Hood—including the fact that a superior walked in on her while she was showering—she went missing on April 22. Turns out, one or more people in the Army did not want her to report what was going on. It spurred the #IamVanessaGuillen hashtag and subsequent legislation of the same name, included in a bill signed into law by President Biden this year. Sidenote: Vanessa is one of 39 soldiers who died or went missing from Fort Hood in 2020 alone and base officials have been strangely quiet about their inability to keep servicemembers safe. Remember, there are advocates, nonprofits and shelters designed to help keep survivors safe. You don't have to stay silent.
1 hr 9 min
December 13, 2021 Ep. 36: What Elliot Rodger Did Was Misogynistic Terrorism
In 2014, a 22-year-old man reached the height of violent male entitlement and decided to go on a killing spree because women weren't giving him the sex, even after he put on his best creepy smile to try and flirt. Elliot Rodger killed six individuals and injured 14 more before taking his own life. Jenna and Amanda delve into how this isn't a gun-control problem, this is a toxic masculinity problem. How even without his 600 rounds of ammunition, Rodger would have still murdered men and women who he felt wronged him because women's bodies were owed to him. Before that, we talk about why Chrystul Kizer deserves her freedom after escaping child sexual abuse and human sex trafficking. A real upper of an episode for this Monday, we know. Don't worry, before Christmas, we'll make an episode about happy things, we promise.
1 hr 11 min
November 29, 2021 Ep. 35 - Online Dating, Waukesha Tragedy and Monique Faison Ross' Book "Playing Dead" Stays With You
Jenna tried online dating for about 12 hours and promptly deleted it, mostly because of the overwhelming number of fish-holding men on Bumble. After that, we get into more serious topics, namely what just happened in Waukesha, Wisconsin, our home state, on Nov. 21. How our slacking criminal justice system let accused murderer Darrell Brooks go on a $1,000 bail (for running over a woman with his car) just five days prior to him driving his SUV through a parade crowd, killing six and injuring 60 more. For our main story this week, Amanda's tells us about a dude named Chris (not his real name because, guess what, he's free — shocker) who tried and failed to kill his ex-wife, Monique Faison Ross, in 1997 after years of escalating abuse. Ross talks to us about how she found the strength to fight for her life, what it feels like with her ex out of jail, and updates us on Hollywood's interest in telling her story. Show Notes: Skip to 46:57 to hear Monique's story. Skip to 1:22:56 to hear our interview with Monique. Monique's book: www.domesticshelters.org/resources/books/abuse-survivor-stories.
1 hr 47 min
November 15, 2021 Ep. 34: Three Murderous Men and the Victims Who Tried to Get Help
Sometimes it seems like the best advice we can give women who are trapped with an abusive partner is to get out, and get out now. And grab an order of protection on your way out. It's solid advice, and a good start, but it's not a fail-safe plan. Abusive partners hell-bent on controlling a victim no matter what are the most dangerous kind and we need to start holding them accountable as such. In this episode, we're calling out three abusers in the news — Terrance Sierra McNaughton, Roy Phelps, Jr. and Kamil Zielinski — and the horrendous choices they made recently in the name of power and control. Also, what is a safe way to intervene when you suspect DV? We'll give you some tips.
1 hr 2 min
November 01, 2021 Ep. 33: Hold Up—Women Cadets at Military Academies Face Expulsion if They Become Pregnant?
Yeah, this is a rule we need to discuss. Women who attend any of the military academies in the U.S. have to choose between expulsion, abortion or permanently serving their parental rights if they become pregnant during the four years they're enrolled. Melissa Hemphill was a cadet at the Air Force Academy in 2009 when she became pregnant and faced this bevy of tough to tougher choices. Melissa generously shares with us her experience and the insane obstacle course of legal hoops she and her now-husband jumped through to stay in their son's life. Why the military punishes pregnant cadets, one can only speculate, but we have some theories and they're rooted in us womens being SUPER inconvenient and gah, we're so sorry. New legislation called the CADET Act is trying to make it a little better, but is the bill all it's cracked up to be? Also included: an apology for something Amanda said in Episode 32 that should have been sent through another layer of filter in her brain first.
56 min
October 18, 2021 Ep. 32: The Murder of Sarah Everard by Toxic Cop Wayne Couzens
Oh, what do you know, another toxic male decided to do toxic things and didn't assume there'd be any repurcussions. Wayne Couzens is (was) a UK cop who pretended to arrest Sarah Everard this past March then made the horrendous decision to rape and murder her. We delve into how that's spurred a misguided outcry for even more policing (not necessarily the answer). But first, we talk the new Netflix show Maid and how it seriously needs a trigger warning, who you should watch the show You with, why no one's shocked Robin Thicke is gross and how domestic violence in China was legal up until 2016 (seriously, what the eff).
56 min
October 05, 2021 Ep. 31: Together At Last — Jenna and Amanda Talk Toxic Stuff NEXT to Each Other
The 2021 Women's March for Reproductive Freedom was reason enough for Toxic hosts Amanda and Jenna to convene in the same state for 48 hours it was very exciting slash ridiculous. In this mini-episode, we recap the march, discuss something called "progressive feminist groups" (spoiler: they're not feminists), give you an angering update on survivor Robin from last week's episode and talk about the purpose of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (it's this month and it deserves attention).
41 min
September 21, 2021 Ep. 30: Three Women Band Together After Surviving the Same Abuser (Who's Still Free)
First, let's talk headlines: Brian Laundrie is guilty AF, right? And also, why are we not looking for allllll the missing women? Secondly, when an abuser threatens homicide, we need to take that as seriously as someone saying "bomb" in an airport. Example number one million: Derek Thebo, the toxic a-hole who killed his son and himself to no doubt torture his estranged wife. After that, the next toxic male on our shit list is a serial abuser named James and the three women who were unfortunate enough to cross his path (so far). His second wife shot him in self-defense, but it didn't slow him down and the court system decided to put her behind bars instead. Luckily, these women know what the meaning of support is and have since banded together in a virtual support survivor support group that wants to make sure no other woman joins their club. Finally, see you at the Women's March on Oct. 2. Bring your anger and your signs.
1 hr 23 min

About Toxic

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What happens when toxic masculinity goes unchecked for far too long? Domestic violence journalist and advocate Amanda Kippert along with co-host Jenna Brandl shine a spotlight on the men who have…