PODCAST · education
The Profess-Hers Podcast
by Profess-Hers
Explore some favorite shows or movies through a female and feminist perspective. Learn about new books or ideas that succeed in realistically portraying women. Find out what was right and what was so wrong about Friends. Hear about some of our favorite ladies, important historical moments, and lady anthems. We take the subject very seriously and ourselves not at all.Hosted by two college faculty members, Misty Wilson-Mehrtens and Allegra Davis Hanna.
Episodes
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Saint Dolly | 50
In our 50th episode, we celebrate a woman so talented, kind, sincere, and funny that many people call her “Saint Dolly.” That’s right - it was long past time that we dedicate an episode to singer, actress, philanthropist, and Christmas-enthusiast Dolly Parton. We’ll discuss her history, her rise…
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Stories for Suffragette City | 49
In our second episode celebrating and discussing Women’s Suffrage and the 100th-anniversary of the 19th Amendments, we interview best-selling authors Fiona Davis and MJ Rose, who edited the short story collection Stories from Suffragette City. Their book focuses on one day in the history of…
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Cults and Women | 48
In our third (!) Halloween episode, we discuss cults - how they affect women, how they work, and historical and modern American cults. What do silverware, self-help groups, and science fiction actors have to do with cults? You’ll find out! Misty discusses the Oneidas - their surprising beliefs on...
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Votes for Women | 47
In this episode, we discuss the fight for women’s suffrage, the imperfect history of suffragists, and what it means for women to vote. Misty gives us the history (of course), Allegra recommends some books, and both share insights about voting patterns, voter suppression, and important women in…
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Women and Social Media | 46
We’re back! In this episode, we discuss women in Social Media, including some famous women from social media and internet history, a recent social media whistleblower, and facts and research about what happens to women online (it’s not all bad, but it’s mostly bad). Women are more active on...
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Unstoppable Texas Women Part 1 | 45
In our first of three episodes about Unstoppable Texas Women, we discuss two women who were great friends, awesome political forces, and very funny Texas women: Ann Richards (our 45th governor) and Molly Ivins (reporter and writer). We’ll get into what made them unstoppable, some favorite quotes...
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What We've Been Watching | 44
We’re back, and we’re ready to share what we’ve been watching (binging) and loving. We discuss the (possible) gains the TV + movie industries made toward better representation, what’s terrible about the Oscar nominations (basically everything), and lots of great shows and movies we’ve been…
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Frozen + Disney Princesses | 43
This episode is all about Elsa, Anna, and all your favorite (or least favorite) Disney princesses - Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Moana, Tiana, Merida, Mulan, Jasmine, Ariel, Pocahontas, and Belle. We discuss why folks love Disney, what princesses do to girls and girl culture, how to keep girls…
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(W)itches vs. The Patriarchy, Part 2 | 42
In our second episode about Witches, we talk about women who embrace the label of witch because they don’t accept typical gender roles, and women maligned as “witches” by others, including Hillary Clinton and AOC. Plus, WITCH protest groups, Lindy West, and pop culture witches that made a…
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(W)itches vs. The Patriarchy, Part 1 | 41
In our Halloween-themed first of two episodes about Witches, we’re both really in our elements - Misty gets to talk about history, and Allegra gets to talk about witches. We focus on historical witches and witch hunts, the Hammer of Witches, Salem, Macbeth, the Crucible, what made someone more...
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Misunderstood 90s Women, Part 2 | 40
Many women who became famous in the 1990s were and continue to be misunderstood. In the second of two episodes about these women, we’ll discuss Joycelyn Elders, Anita Hill, Monica Lewinsky, and Marcia Clark, and what why it seems like we’ve started repeating themes of the 90s in the last few…
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Misunderstood 90s Women, Part 1 | 39
Many women who became famous in the 1990s were and continue to be misunderstood. In the first of two episodes about these women, we’ll discuss Anna Nicole Smith, Tonya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan, and what life was like for women and girls in the decade that was supposed to make everything better for...
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Everything is Terrible | 38
This week’s episode is called “Everything Is Terrible.” We couldn’t help it. In this episode, we run down all the things that terrible for women right now, and unfortunately - it’s a lot. We discuss why it’s important to discuss things that aren’t positive, keeping the powerful in check and...
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Summer Movies | 37
Our episode about Summer Movies is here! We discuss Wine Country, Spider-Man: Far From Home, It Chapter Two, The Kitchen, Toy Story 4, and Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. Plus Aladdin, John Wick 3, and The Lion King. We also get into this summer’s biggest winners and losers at the box office, and...
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Summer TV | 36
We have a lot of fun discussing summer TV: reality shows, Stranger Things 3, OITNB, Handmaid’s Tale, Euphoria, and lots more. What did these shows tell us about gender? How well are they reflecting us? Which ones made us laugh? What makes a show “prestige TV”? We also discuss some random summer...
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Getting a Job, Part 2 | 35
Getting a job is hard for everyone - but can it be harder for women? Why are women less likely to apply for jobs, and what can workplaces do to make applying, interviewing, and hiring more equitable? This is Part 2 of our 2-episode series on the challenges women encounter in job ads, in…
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Getting a Job, Part 1 | 34
Getting a job is hard for everyone - but can it be harder for women? Why are women less likely to apply for jobs, and what can workplaces do to make applying, interviewing, and hiring more equitable? This is Part 1 of our 2-episode series on the challenges women encounter in job ads, in…
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The Books Were Better | 33
We get to recommend some great books with female lead characters, relatable story lines and realistic development, plus compare them to their on-screen counterparts. We also discuss the success of female authors, and the rise of women-written books being adapted into successful movies and shows.…
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Guide to a Feminist Wedding | 32
Take his name (or hers) or don't, throw bouquets or keep them forever, toss garters or never wear them: it's all up to you. This one is about feminist weddings, the history of weddings and Western wedding traditions, and some literary weddings you might love (or hate). In this episode, we each…
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Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale | 31
We’re very excited to discuss the influences, context, and legacy of one of our favorite books, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Misty gets to talk about history, Allegra gets to discuss literature, and they both share what they think the book means, and why it’s still so important. We...
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Women in WW2 | 30
In our 30th episode we talk about women during WW2, their service, work, and achievements. Women were helping to win more than one war, as they made contributions to the nation’s efforts abroad, while also moving women closer to equality and fair treatment. Misty schools us on Rosie, rationing,...
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29 | Girls Who Game
Girls are gamers, too. How far have we come since Ms Pac-Man? How many women play video games, and why don’t all women feel welcome? In this episode, we talk about female players of all ages, from the 80s until now. We get into all-female esports team, Overwatch leagues, tournament play, barnacle...
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28 | Warrior Women in Real Life
Women warriors have always been pretty common, and women have played major roles in historical combat and modern special operations command forces. In this episode, we’ll talk about some women whose stories you (probably) haven’t heard, including gladiators, a short-term warrior queen, and…
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27 | Warrior Women of Westeros
In our last Game of Thrones episode, we first address some questions about the show’s depictions of women and sex, and focus on the Warrior Women of Westeros, including Arya Stark, Brienne of Tarth, and Yara Greyjoy. No season 8 spoilers! Of course, we can’t resist talking about gender roles or…
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26 | GOT Queens?
Queens and female leaders in GOT have stories full of family drama, battles for the throne, and questionable choices. It turns out there are lots of historical queens with all that, too. No Season 8 spoilers! A 7th Century Chinese empress, Cersei Lannister, the Spanish queen who sent Columbus to...
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25 | Fangirls
What does it mean to be a fangirl? What are some things worth fangirling about? In this episode, we examine and discuss the term “fangirl” - its positive and negative implications - and we get to talk about things we are total fangirls for! We also (somehow) discuss Joe Rogan, being called sir,...
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24 | Bosses Who Happen to Be Ladies
We discuss the frightening term “ladyboss,” the more frightening company “LadyBoss,” stats on women business leaders, and two female tech execs. Blondes probably don’t really have more fun, but they do have more high-level management positions. This, and lots of other weird, awful stuff is true...
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23 | The Uneven Bar - Women in Gymnastics
What's changed in American women's gymnastics since Mary Lou Retton got that perfect 10? Were they all changes for the better? In this episode, we discuss the history of women's artistic gymnastics - from when females were first able to compete, to when women started doing the aerial impossible.…
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22 | The No-History Episode - Updates on Women in TV, Sports, Music, Science, Space and More
In this (kinda short) update episode, we discuss recent developments for women in horror, TV, sports, music, math, science, movies, and space. Most of the news is good - but all of it is essential. Who's broken records in music? What happened to our all female space walk? Why are people still...
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21 | Female Investigative Journalists - Women's History Month 2
Nelly Bly, Katherine Graham, Marvel Cooke, Lorena Hickok, Joan Didion: they wrote stories that sometimes only women could write, elevating women's voices and revealing otherwise unknown details of our society. We are going to (of course) discuss a brief history of women in journalism, and share...
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20 | Women of Science - Women's History Month 1
The history of women in the sciences is not stellar, but we’ve got lots of good news, and several female scientists to celebrate, from the 1700s to right now. We can’t pronounce the names of all of the dinosaurs whose fossils she found, but we can tell you how much we respect the achievements of...
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19 | Women in Space and Flight - MCU Part 2
How do the MCU movies in space represent women? How important is Captain Marvel? What’s the history of women in flight and space? In this episode, we discuss the three MCU movies that take place in space: Guardians of The Galaxy, Guardians of The Galaxy 2, and Captain Marvel. We also discuss some...
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18 | MCU Part 1 - Representation and Women in Superhero Films
Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe a feminist universe? In this episode, we discuss the history of some of our favorite heroes and the comics code that prohibited both “the walking dead” and drawing women with “exaggerated” physical qualities. We talk about screen time for women in the last 20…
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17 | 80s Ladies at Work
In the 1980s, the percentage of American women who worked outside the home rose above 50%, so in this episode we talk about the history of women at work, and get into some great 80s shows and movies that reflected the experiences of working women. What was it like to be joining the workforce - or...
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16 | The Trouble With Tropes
What’s a “woman in a refrigerator”? Are you more complex than an Old Maid or Bridezilla? Nagging wife or desperate for a husband? We’ll discuss what tropes are, and what tropes storytellers use in their depictions of women. How do these tropes undermine or over-simplify women’s complex ranges of...
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15 | Math Class
We’re taking you to math class, as best as we can, to talk about math education for women, and some of our favorite female mathematicians and math experts. From women in the 1800s who fought to go to college or invented computer programming, to women still alive with mathematical achievements…
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14 | Dudes + Feminism (Featuring a Profess-Him)
Do men need feminism? Does feminism need men? Is toxic masculinity real? The answer to all of these questions is a very emphatic yes, and in this episode, we discuss examples from TV, academic research, and our own lives that can attest to that. While this episode includes discussions about…
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13 | Villainy, Crimes, and Musicals
Female criminals, anti-heroes and villains in history, literature and TV. Why are female criminals oddly fascinating? How has their depiction changed over time, and what does their depiction tell us about ourselves? What’s up with playground chants about murder? Why do we need more female...
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12 | Lady Detectives on TV
From Charlie’s Angels to Brooklyn 99, how have female detectives and crime solvers been depicted on TV? We discuss some notable TV detectives from Honey West to Jessica Fletcher, talk about how shows like Law and Order made progress in representation, and get into CSI and other shows that...
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11 | Lady Detectives in History and Literature
Women solving crimes, preventing assassinations, gossiping to find killers, and breaking into archetypes and police forces. Who are the notable female sleuths from literature, and how does their development reflect the changing nature of police departments? How does Agatha Christie’s most famous...
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10 | Modern Holiday
All we want for Christmas is non-oppressive media representation. In our second holiday special, we get into seasonal sexism, Hallmark and Lifetime holiday movies, Elf on the Shelf, Dolly Parton, diamond rings, and non-problematic Christmas and holiday jams. Remembering that the personal is...
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9 | Classic Christmas (Or, How English Teachers Ruin Everything)
Baby, it's cold out there for a feminist. In our first of two Christmas specials, we get into Little Women, and three classic “Christmas” carols. We're sure you're already familiar with how English teachers ruin stuff, but do y'all know how surprisingly rad Louisa May Alcott was? This episode has...
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8 | Women In Sports: Play Like a Person and Look However You Want
Play like a man but look like a girl? We are going to hard pass on both. Make-up, hair-dos, playing in dresses (or worse), having chaperones and going to charm schools: Playing professional sports seems to come with some serious restrictions for women. We talk about women playing professional...
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7 | Pop Charts, Not Pop-Tarts 2 (Women of Music Part 2)
Rebel girls, girl power, lady rock stars, Lilith Fair, and shaking off scrubs. In our second music episode, we rock out with some of the greatest women of music from the 1980s and the 1990s. Listen as Madonna, Cyndi Lauper embrace their personal power, and Joan Jett and the Go-Go’s make space for...
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6 | Pop Charts, Not Pop Tarts 1 (Women of Music Part 1)
What counts as a lady anthem? In this episode, we discuss (and listen to!) girl groups, Janis Joplin, queens of disco, and some of the original divas. In our first music episode, we jam out with some of the greatest women of music from the 1960s and the 1970s. Listen as women go from crying over…
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5 | Lifestyle Leading Ladies
Was Julia Child a very tall spy?* In this episode, we share stories about our favorite lifestyle TV leading ladies. Misty schools us on just how hardcore Julia Child was, Allegra may change your mind about how important and inspiring Martha Stewart is, and we take turns celebrating Oprah. How did...
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4 | Women of TV Through Time
How did we get from June Cleaver to SVU? What does Friends get right in its representation of women, gender roles and sexuality, and which scenes make us cringe? Why hasn't Mariska Hargitay won every Emmy ever? We’re going to dig into some of the golden girls of TV in every decade - from the…
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3 | The Haunting Prose of Female Authors
Monsters, Hitchcock, psychological horror, hauntings, cults, vampires or the hunt for a killer: female authors are killing it in horror and suspense writing. Expect many ghastly puns and lots of literary criticism in this episode, our second Halloween special, about women writers who can really...
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2 | Scream and Other Queens
What's your favorite scary movie? In this episode, Misty and Allegra talk about the representation of women in horror movies. Are there movies that have accurate, fair or progressive representations of women? How do horror movies mirror the progress of women’s movements? We’ll also talk about...
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1 | As Tough As The Times
Spice Girls feminism or Twitter feminsim? To Kill A Mockingbird or Carrie? In this first episode, Misty and Allegra introduce themselves, their podcast, and the history of that dirty "F" word... Go through a quick (and funny) history of feminism, which includes notable acheivements by the women's...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Explore some favorite shows or movies through a female and feminist perspective. Learn about new books or ideas that succeed in realistically portraying women. Find out what was right and what was so wrong about Friends. Hear about some of our favorite ladies, important historical moments, and lady anthems. We take the subject very seriously and ourselves not at all.Hosted by two college faculty members, Misty Wilson-Mehrtens and Allegra Davis Hanna.
HOSTED BY
Profess-Hers
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Profess-Hers Podcast have?
The Profess-Hers Podcast currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Profess-Hers Podcast about?
Explore some favorite shows or movies through a female and feminist perspective. Learn about new books or ideas that succeed in realistically portraying women. Find out what was right and what was so wrong about Friends. Hear about some of our favorite ladies, important historical moments, and lady...
How often does The Profess-Hers Podcast release new episodes?
The Profess-Hers Podcast has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Profess-Hers Podcast?
You can listen to The Profess-Hers Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Profess-Hers Podcast?
The Profess-Hers Podcast is created and hosted by Profess-Hers.
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