14 - Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow, the explosive exposé that revealed how Harvey Weinstein and a network of enablers in Hollywood, politics, and media silenced victims of sexual assault for decades. Farrow’s investigation was blocked by NBC, he was stalked by private investigators, and threatened with legal intimidation, but ultimately published in The New Yorker, sparking the global reckoning we now know as the #MeToo movement.We unpack the book’s chilling revelations, from Weinstein’s predatory patterns, to the role of lawyers, executives, and journalists who covered up his crimes, to the women whose bravery broke decades of silence. Along the way, we talk villains (Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Lisa Bloom, David Pecker) and heroes (Ronan, the survivors, and whistleblowers like Igor Ostrovsky). Expect references to Game of Thrones, Succession, Gone Girl, 30 Rock, and even Mean Girls, because corruption and cruelty have their cultural fingerprints everywhere.Spoiler + Trigger Warning: sexual assault, harassment, rape, gaslighting, and victim-blaming. We also include explicit spoilers for Catch and Kill. Please listen with care.Palate Cleanser: Try the TikTok trend where people attempt to run with the same arm and same leg at once — it’s way harder (and funnier) than it sounds. Plus, we celebrate love: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce just got engaged.Recommendations:Catch and Kill Podcast — Farrow’s 10-part companion series featuring survivor testimony.Feature articles from Vanity Fair, Vogue, and The New YorkerSeven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Hollywood corruption)30 Rock - early jokes reveal the open secret about WeinsteinSpotlight (Ep. 5 of Drawn to Darkness) — go back to discussion on journalists exposing abuse in the Catholic Church.The Morning Show (Apple TV+) — Fictionalised account of a Matt Lauer-style scandal.Promising Young Woman — A bold, revenge-driven take on rape culture.One Mississippi (Tig Notaro) — Semi-autobiographical series with sharp critiques of abuse and complicity.SmartLess Podcast (Ronan Farrow guest) — A lighter way to hear more from him.The Wire / The X-Files / The Insider / Pelican Brief / Stranger Things— Corruption, cover-ups, and the need for free press.Stuff they don't want you to know (a podcast about conspiracies)Life Under Cover: Coming of Age in the CIA by Amaryllis FoxCruel Intentions - because it's satisfying when the truth comes outSupport the survivors — (for example Scream for Rose McGowan and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle)Mean Girls — Because fake friendship-as-betrayal (looking at you, “Diana Philip”) deserves a rewatch.Homework:Read “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman — A short gothic story about gaslighting and women’s mental health. (Available free online or on Trev Downey’s The Great Stories podcast).Watch Rosemary’s Baby — Because Mia Farrow (Ronan’s mother) and gothic paranoia make for a perfect segue.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryjkidd)