Podcast
The C-Word
Hosted by Lena Dunham & Alissa Bennett · EN
With every episode, Lena Dunham and Alissa Bennett take you on a historical deep dive into the life of a woman society dismissed by calling her mad, sad, or just plain bad: Lindsay Lohan, Judy Garland, Winona Ryder, Mariah Carey, Lil Kim and many more. Join them for a rich, hilarious, and heartbreaking look into exactly what it means when we call a woman “crazy.”The C-Word was originally published behind a paywall from 2019 - 2022. This is the first time it’s being released to all major podcast platforms.
52episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Wendi Deng
Jan 2901:11:52Tap to summarizeWendi Deng was the third wife of media magnate and billionaire, Rupert Murdoch. The public was quick to call her a gold digger, latching onto the 38-year age difference in their marriage, Wendi’s humble upbringing in China, and her controversial involvement in the Murdoch family business. But despite criticism and rumors about her personal life, Wendi leveraged Rupert’s connections to build a name for herself as a businesswoman, film producer, and advisor in the tech world. Lena and Alissa discuss ambition, Wendy’s celebrity dinner parties & annual pre-Met Gala gathering, and the hypocrisy of the term “gold digger.” This episode was first published on 10/08/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Whitney Houston Part 2
Jan 2201:00:30Tap to summarizeLena and Alissa pick up where they last left Whitney Houston in Part 1. In the second half of Whitney’s career, her reputation as America’s pop sweetheart was hindered by tabloid speculation about drug use and criticism of her live performances. In this episode Lena and Alissa discuss the phenomenon of the Diane Sawyer interview, Whitney’s stint on reality television, her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, and why the public still overlooks Whitney’s talent and legacy after her death. This episode was first published on 09/24/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Whitney Houston, Part 1
Jan 1500:49:29Tap to summarizeWhitney Houston: “The Voice,” the myth, the legend. She sang her way into the hearts of America, moving a nation and bearing the weight of its attention on her psyche. As her star grew, Whitney faced backlash, questions about her identity, and intense intrusion into her personal life. In the first of two parts, Lena and Alissa chart the young Whitney’s rise to fame, her essential early relationships with Robyn Crawford and Bobby Brown, and the start of struggles that would eventually lead to her untimely end. This episode was first published on 09/10/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Yoko Ono
Jan 800:57:21Tap to summarizeYoko Ono: The woman whose name for decades was a codeword for "Somebody who ruins things." Beatles fans called her a villain, obscuring who she really was: a multidisciplinary artist, pioneering social activist, and visionary. In this episode, Lena and Alissa trace Yoko’s unlikely journey, from her childhood as a musical prodigy to her years as a fixture of the New York art scene to her legendary love affair with one of the most famous rock stars of all time. As Lena and Alissa untangle Yoko’s story, they assess the cultural anxieties about gender and race that made Yoko a target and ask how we can truly honor the contributions of trailblazing women artists. This episode was first published on 08/06/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Mary Shelley
Jan 300:53:42Tap to summarizeMary Shelley is known as the mother of the science fiction genre for her groundbreaking novel, Frankenstein. But beyond the page, she faced a life of personal tragedy and a society unprepared to grapple with her public persona. As the daughter of legendary proto-feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley was born into controversy. In her adult life, her entanglements with celebrity Romantic poets kept her at the center of high society gossip. In this episode, Lena and Alissa weave together the various elements of this complex life (featuring a graveyard tryst!), and discuss what it meant to be a woman ahead of her time. This episode was first published on 07/23/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Presenting unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Nov 11Tap to summarizeWelcome to unPAUSED, the podcast where bold, unfiltered conversations take place about what it really takes for women to thrive in the second half of life. Every week, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Certified Menopause Practitioner, and #1 New York Times best-selling author, tackles the conversations women actually need to hear. Dr. Haver sits down with a variety of medical experts, CEOs, and risk-takers to discuss everything that matters, from hormones and identity to financial power, relationships, and the tools needed to build the life you want. unPAUSED is about reclaiming your healthspan—not just the number of years you live, but the number of years you live well. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Barbara Hutton
Oct 201:03:10Tap to summarizeBarbara Hutton, the "quintessential poor little rich girl,” was an American socialite and heiress to the Woolworth dime-store fortune. Tabloids ridiculed her for her seven divorces (including to Cary Grant) as she suffered from anorexia and alcoholism. She threw money at everyone around her, but never got the one thing she wanted: love. This episode was first published on 11/29/2019. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Sean Young
Sep 2501:00:10Tap to summarizeSean Young got her big break when she was cast in Blade Runner at 22-years old. But after rumblings that she was “difficult to work with,” and troubling romantic rumors, her reputation plummeted. Lena and Alissa trace Sean’s career through her plea to play Catwoman to some ill-fated talk show appearances to Hollywood outcast. This episode was first published on 11/14/2019. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Maryam Haley
Sep 1800:55:17Tap to summarizeMaryam Irene Haley was known as adult actress Haley Paige. She engaged with intense online scrutiny before her death at age 25. Lena and Alissa discuss 2000s internet forum culture, why people consume the downfall of women and then forget about them, and what Maryam means to Alissa. This episode was first published on 7/20/2019. It has been slightly edited from the original version. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Miranda Grosnevor (with Sia)
Sep 1100:56:48Tap to summarizeLena and Alissa dive into the story of legendary love-scammer Miranda Grosvenor, a woman who anonymously enchanted Hollywood’s most famous men over the phone. Some of her confirmed callers include Warren Beatty, Robert DeNiro, and Billy Joel. Lena and Alissa discuss the isolation of fame, the long-lost magic of landlines, and then talk to Sia about the intentions behind hiding one’s face. This episode was first published on 7/13/2019. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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