Spilling The Equali-TEA

'Final episode! What a journey it’s been! In this final episode, Amy and Anh explore pop music and mainstream media in Vietnam and the UK, as well as mainstream British TV, to compare and contrast their similarities and differences, asking: What does pop culture reveal about how gender is performed and policed across borders? ⭐ As a farewell, we also reflect on our time at LSE Gender: favourite lecturers, classroom vibes, the curriculum, and what it’s like to study here. ☕ Grab your favourite hot drink and join us one last time. One last brew, one last chat - let’s make it count!'

In this episode of Spilling the Equali-tea we discuss popular culture and feminism through the lens of film! We unpack the Bechdel test, explore the female gaze, and ask ourselves what films we have seen that are feminist (or not). Tune in to find out whether the award-winning Barbie film can take home an extra prize from us - for being a feminist film. As the penultimate episode, we also served up our reflections on our time at LSE Gender! Sip your tea whilst we spill ours.”

Trigger Warnings: Mentions of Sexual Assault, and Murder.  In this episode of Spilling the Equalitea, we’re diving into the messy world of modern masculinity. From Netflix’s Adolescence to the rise of Red Pill content and the toxic pull of the Manosphere, we ask: what’s really going on with boys today?  We also unpack the disturbing Pelicot sexual assault case in France and what it reveals about consent, power, and silence. To finish off we offer alternatives on deconstructing masculinities towards more sustainable embodiment in a constantly evolving society. We’re serving up fresh takes and alternative ways to raise, support, and imagine better masculinities.  Sip your tea, this one’s hot.

In this episode, we unpack the rise of the "trad wife" movement through the lens of feminist political economy. What does it mean when women choose traditional gender roles today—and how do unpaid domestic labour, online subcultures, and neoliberal capitalism all play into this choice? From homemaking influencers to hidden inequalities in labour, we explore how the politics of care, gender, and class intersect in both private homes and public online discourse. Is it empowerment, backlash, or something more complex? Tune in for our deep dive into the trad wife phenomenon.Each podcast episode gives the views of the individual speaker(s), and not the position of the Department of Gender Studies, nor of LSE.

Tune in as we spill the tea on beauty standards and sex work through the lens of body politics. In this episode, we are diving into some challenging questions: Can a feminist take Ozempic or have plastic surgery?Can a feminist be a sex worker/ can a sex worker be feminist?Join us as we unpack the societal pressures around beauty and body image, and explore how seemingly personal choices intersect with systems of power. Resources:Body Politics: How societies, governments, and institutions influence and control people’s bodies. Chelsea Women FC Naomi Girma: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/27/sport/naomi-girma-signs-chelsea-spt-intl/index.htmlAnora (2024)