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The Polyester Podcast

Latest episodes

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Mar 30, 2025 • 33min

Why is Labour Using Disabled People to Peddle The Lie of The Benefit Thief?

The discussion unpacks the UK government's latest disability benefits reforms, revealing their detrimental impact on vulnerable individuals. The hosts critique the Labour Party's shift towards a capitalist agenda, questioning its implications for marginalized communities. They explore the flawed narratives around disabled individuals in the workforce and the absurdities of the benefit system. The conversation culminates in a powerful call for empathy, collective activism, and urgent systemic changes in disability rights.
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Mar 24, 2025 • 31min

We Trialled The Morning Shed So You Don’t Have To

Join the hosts as they hilariously dive into the trendy 'Morning Shed,' testing quirky beauty gadgets like silk bonnets and mouth tape. They reflect on how such routines play into unrealistic beauty standards and societal pressures. Expect a mix of personal anecdotes, humor, and critiques on the absurdity of modern beauty rituals, all while discussing their health implications. The conversation balances playful banter with thoughtful observations on beauty culture, leaving listeners questioning the efficacy and motivations behind these trends.
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Mar 17, 2025 • 32min

Why Is Gen Z Suddenly Jealous Of Millennials?

Pass me my moustache print mug and 3D glasses with the lenses popped out because millennial cringe is finally being lauded online. The latest meme du jour - 'I would be a great millennial. I was born to write Buzzfeed quizzes and listen to Ke$ha' - has been a beacon of light in a social media landscape previously used to bully milliennials at every chance.This week, hosts Ione and Gina look at the past, present and future of millennial nostalgia, how Lena Dunham's Girls is recontextualising the early 2010s and why hipsters don't exist anymore.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!Order Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 10, 2025 • 33min

Society Has Never Hated Fat People As Much As We Do Right Now

The hosts dive into the complexities of fat liberation, exploring whether body positivity has become too commercialized. They reflect on societal fears surrounding fatness, especially post-Covid, and the implications of medical interventions like GLP-1 injections. The conversation highlights the struggles against fatphobia, revealing how deeply ingrained biases persist in culture. Personal anecdotes around writing journeys add a humorous flavor, creating a poignant yet entertaining exploration of identity and acceptance.
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Mar 3, 2025 • 30min

How The Left Turned On Woke

In a new interview, singer songwriter Sam Fender claimed he understood why young white men from Northern towns are being radicalised by misogynist social media influencers like Andrew Tate - it's because they're being accused of having privilege. In similarly convoluted language, Novara Media has rage baited the nation by releasing content claiming Woke Is Dead to promote Ash Sarkar's new book that includes questions on the effectiveness of identity politics.All in all, it feels like the left is turning its back on being societally progressive in order to win click bait points in the culture war and in this week's episode, hosts Ione and Gina ask why leftist figureheads are so happy to sell out their marginalised comrades in favour of media attention.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!Preorder Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Feb 24, 2025 • 29min

The Bianca Censori Deep Dive: a Victim, Empowered, or a Secret Third Thing?

At the start of this month Bianca Censori and her husband Kanye West courted controversy at the 67th Grammy Awards with a stunt that they've become fairly renowned for - brazen female nudity. The act got them allegedly kicked out of the award show and made waves across social media as many rushed to put words into the notoriously mute Bianca's mouth. Across the board, people wonder publicly if Kanye's wife is a a victim of coercive abuse or a performance artist in her own right.In this week's episode, hosts Ione and Gina explore Bianca's backstory, get to grips with the repercussions of assigning someone as an abuse victim without their input and question what it is precisely about Bianca's styling choices that inspire such extreme reactions from the press and the public.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!Preorder Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Feb 17, 2025 • 31min

Why Are Slurs Suddenly ‘Cool’ Again?

Each week we are greeted with new flash photos of Young Republicans celebrating, Trump government rulings, and regressive Conservatives embracing their right to say slurs as often as they can. But why are our left leaning peers, Oscar winning movies and Twitter pals using the R word so casually too?This week, hosts Ione and Gina dissect the politics of language, the pendulum swing to being anti-Woke and why everyone feeling apathetic about the impact of slurs needs to take a good, long, hard look at themselves.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!Preorder Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Feb 10, 2025 • 33min

Surrogacy: Important And Vital Or Unethical And Classist?

The discussion dives into the heated controversy surrounding surrogacy sparked by a celebrity birth announcement. It examines the ethical dilemmas and societal reactions, considering women's autonomy and socioeconomic factors. The evolution of celebrity parenthood is also explored, alongside the commodification of children. Critics question the concept of childbearing as a fundamental right and highlight the challenges faced by surrogate mothers. This thought-provoking conversation unpacks the complexities of reproductive rights amid contemporary inequalities.
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Feb 3, 2025 • 28min

Bonnie Blue, Lily Phillips & a New Era of Sex Work as Competitive Sport

There's been two OnlyFans stars absolutely dominating (not literally, actually) the UK tabloid headlines, Twitter trending topics bar and the girls' group chats in the past eight weeks, and their names are Bonnie Blue and Lily Phillips. The latter kicked off December's discourse by starring in a YouTube documentary about having sex with 100 men in a day while the former stole the show by live-blogging her own sex marathon, shagging 1000 blokes in 24 hours.The acts have led to condemnations across the board from SWerfs and incels to the alt right and This Morning hosts. Should we be worried about what acts like these mean for female objectification? Why is everyone only worried about the ramifications of sex work when middle class, white women do it? And why do we suddenly believe all porn is real?Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!Preorder Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Jan 27, 2025 • 29min

Fashion Goes Fascist: Melania Trump Isn’t Slaying, You Just Have Brainworms

In a stark contrast to Trump's first inauguration as president in 2016, this month's event became a showcase for fashion houses wanting to dress the Republican party's top ladies. Not only that, but the fashion press and style influencers took to Instagram stories and long read columns to praise the looks presented throughout the festivities. In this week's episode, Ione and Gina analyse how irony fuelled style choices led us to open acceptance of fascist leaders in the fashion industry, what sartorial celebration of the alt right signifies and why we should be extra wary of sharing Melania Hamburglar memes.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!Preorder Gina's book, Greedy Guts, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to leave from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine, or drop us a DM on Instagram.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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