Birth rates are down, pronatalism is up, and having two kids isn't enough (allegedly). Cristen unpacks the trio of contradictions defining "real" American womanhood right now: the political pressure to procreate, fake science masquerading as chivalry, and "zero trimester" influencers monetizing fertility anxiety. Plus: medication abortion in the courts, maternal regret in The Cut, and seeking comfort in adult cradles. 

~special thank you to Unladies' Room Patreon supporters! this wouldn't exist without you~

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What do toned arms, “wonky” eyes, and collar bone angles prove about your gender? Nothing. Nevertheless, the digital phrenology of transvestigation persisted. But how?? Digital culture researcher Lexi Webster decodes the conspiracy genre where all celebrities (and most First Ladies) are “secretly trans” and skull-measuring pseudoscience rules, then political scholar Fran Amery connects transvestigation brainrot to very real organized transphobia, uniting feminist factions with the far right in the name of protecting women. 

Originally aired on Conspiracy, She Wrote in September 2024.

~special thank you to Unladies' Room Patreon supporters! this wouldn't exist without you~

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Sharing a special episode this week from Dr. Sharon Malone. On Dr. Sharon’s new podcast, The Second Opinion, women take back the conversation on health with straight talk, real experience, and the care we all deserve. You’ll hear prominent female advocates, experts and patients just like you sharing how they confronted gaps in our healthcare system and got second opinions that saved their lives. Alongside each guest, Dr. Sharon tackles the questions and topics we’ve been conditioned to ignore — the ones we search for at 3 a.m. but never bring up at the doctor’s office. From dismissed symptoms to systemic failures, she pulls back the curtain on what’s really going on in women’s health and gives women the tools to advocate for themselves and each other.

In this episode, Dr. Sharon talks to Board Certified Ob/GYN and Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgeon, Dr. Karen Tang. The two unpack the evolution of Obstetrics Gynecology, the different OB-GYN subspecialties, and surgical options for reproductive health. Plus, Dr. Tang shares experiences patients may have on the surgical table and why you may want to choose a minimally invasive surgery for gynecologic conditions. 

Find more episodes of The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon Malone at https://link.mgln.ai/unladylike

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Bestselling author Jo Piazza (Under the Influence) and Cristen don their milkmaid dresses to talk tradwives, elusive tradhusbands and the hustle. From homeschooling curriculum to MAHA-approved supplements, tradwife influencers are serving up a fantasy of submission—and becoming breadwinners while they’re at it. Jo unpacks why it's so lucrative, the research behind her new tradwife thriller Everyone Is Lying to You, the pink-pilled pipeline pulling women rightward, and the prairie-core dream versus generational wealth realities.

**For ad-free bonus episodes and uncut guest interviews, join the Unladies Room Patreon. Get in touch on Instagram @unladylikemedia, and/or subscribe to the newsletter at unladylike.substack.com.**

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When womanhood is reduced to a capitalist identity, who gets erased—and who gets empowered to do the erasing? In the final episode of Gender War Games, host Cristen Conger joins Material Girls co-hosts Hannah McGregor and Marcelle Kosman to unpack how white womanhood is activated—politically, culturally, algorithmically—to reinforce systems of power. From tradwife aesthetics to terf rhetoric, strategic essentialism to state violence, discover how white femininity gets mobilized as both soft power and backlash engine in the so-called gender wars. 

(00:00) Gender Equality Survey Says...

(00:59) The Real Societal Tension: Wealth Inequality

(03:37) Strategic Essentialism and Gender Categories

(08:37) Scapegoating and Transphobia

(12:01) Gender as a Technology

(14:45) Capitalism, Social Reproduction and Gender Roles

(18:46) Masculinity Crisis By Design

(26:44) Racial Capitalism

(31:18) The Political Weaponization of Gender

(39:59) Community Building Beyond Individualism

For ad-free bonus episodes and uncut guest interviews, visit patreon.com/unladylikemedia. Get in touch on Instagram @unladylikemedia, and/or subscribe to the newsletter at unladylike.substack.com.

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When misinformation becomes a vibe, who gets caught in the crosshairs? In part 3 of Gender War Games, host Cristen Conger and linguist Amanda Montell (Sounds Like a Cult, Magical Overthinkers) decodes the cognitive glitches, language games, and algorithmic dynamics fueling today’s gender panic. From the illusory truth effect and magical thinking to the viral power of weaponized words, learn how belief is built—not by facts, but by feelings, aesthetics and repetition. 

(00:00) "Gender War" Is a Shapeshifter

(03:22) Decoding the Discourse

(05:07) Cognitive Biases and Gendered Disinformation

(05:56) The Illusory Truth Effect

(06:40) The Rhyme Is Reason Effect

(09:52) Algorithmic Influence

(10:46) This Is Your Brain On Gender War

(15:47) The Gender Nostalgia Trap

(23:52) Moral Overconfidence and Social Justice

(30:06) Radical Imagination

For ad-free bonus episodes and uncut guest interviews, visit patreon.com/unladylikemedia. Get in touch on Instagram @unladylikemedia, and/or subscribe to the newsletter at unladylike.substack.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is wellness the new purity culture? In part 2 of Gender War Games, host Cristen Conger and Cadence Dubus (@brooklynstrength), founder of Brooklyn Strength Virtual Fitness and Wellness Studio, breaks down how body control, aesthetic discipline, and "clean" femininity are being sold as self-care—while reinforcing the same old patriarchal power structures. From the rise of Ozempic and disordered wellness trends to body shame masquerading as moral virtue, what happens when femininity and fitness become political battlegrounds where women are expected to be skinny, soft, and silent?

• (00:00) Your Body Is a Battleground  
• (00:52) The New Right's Body Ideals
• (01:23) The Wellness Grind
• (03:16) Functional Strength > Weight-Loss Goals
• (05:48) Women's Fitness Mirage
• (11:13) The Ozempic Effect
• (15:18) America's Health Hierarchy
• (17:28) Politicized Exercise
• (21:15) Class, Wealth and Commodified Wellness
• (28:29) What's a Body to Do?

For ad-free bonus episodes and uncut guest interviews, visit patreon.com/unladylikemedia. Get in touch on Instagram @unladylikemedia, and/or subscribe to the newsletter at unladylike.substack.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Is feminism dead—or just shadowbanned? In part 1 of the Gender War Games miniseries, host Cristen Conger and Diabolical Lies co-hosts Caro Claire Burke and Katie Gatti Tassin dissect how feminism got hyper-commodified, beauty became capitalism's favorite control tactic, and reactionary gender politics took center stage. From antifeminist burnout to algorithmic aesthetics, what's behind the right-wing, conspiratorial rebranding of women and gender—and who's profiting off it? 

(00:00) Feminism Under Siege

(01:34) Womanosphere Rising?

(02:56) Diabolical Lies podcast

(04:12) A Femininity Crisis?

(07:40) Feminine Hierarchy and Gender Panic

(13:45) Reactionary Feminism and Its Roots

(19:33) Evie Magazine and Far-Right Women's Media

(23:50) Antifeminism's Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

(28:24) The 90s Evie Magazine 

(29:32) Echo Chambers vs Reality

(41:27) Don't Underestimate Far-Right Women

(43:18) Conclusion and Call to Action

For ad-free bonus episodes and uncut guest interviews, visit patreon.com/unladylikemedia. Get in touch on Instagram @unladylikemedia, and/or subscribe to the newsletter at unladylike.substack.com.

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Sharing a new show from our friends at Higher Ground, hosted by Michelle Obama. On IMO, Michelle and her big brother Craig Robinson bring their candid perspectives to the everyday questions shaping our lives, relationships and the world around us. Each week, they’re joined by a guest to tackle real questions from real folks just like you offering practical advice, personal storytelling, and plenty of laughs. Topics range from dating and relationships, to family and faith. Michelle and Craig share stories about being there for each other throughout their lives, from first crushes and fraught college years, to landing at the White House, to losing their mom. For six decades they’ve been each others’ most trusted counsel—and now, they want to be that counsel for you. In this episode, they’re joined by actress Issa Rae for a topic we've discussed many times on Unladylike: female friendships. Issa helps a listener navigate the challenge of mismatched expectations in adult friendships.

You can find more episodes of IMO at https://lnk.to/imomichellecraigUN

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Why do sex trafficking myths keep spreading—especially among suburban moms and TikTok girlies? Journalist Caitlin Dewey (Links I Would Gchat You) unravels how viral misinformation, true crime culture and moral panic have turned Target parking lots into imagined danger zones. Caitlin and Cristen compare the realities of trafficking to "ladies, stay safe!!" rhetoric that insists we're always in danger. 

Subscribe to Conspiracy, She Wrote and hear the FIVE-part Ladies, Stay Safe miniseries.

Scroll The Links x "Conspiracy, She Wrote" reading guide to America’s sex trafficking panic.

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