

The Polyester Podcast
The Polyester Podcast
Is Blake Lively a bitch or being misconstrued? Will Elon ever stop cringing us out? And why is everyone using slurs again? Every week Polyester's head girlies Ione Gamble and Gina Tonic take you down a weekly rabbit hole of online discourse and pop culture - from trad wives and surrogacy to porn stars and unhinged press tours. Exploring the intersection of IRL and URL through a feminist lens, the Polyester Podcast is your weekly digest on absolutely everything everyone on the internet is talking about. With guests like Tavi Gevinson and Sofia Coppola collaborator Stacey Battat, and special episodes beamed into your ears from cultural centres like London’s Tate Modern and Barbican Centre, every Monday we offer a down-to-earth take from the front lines of the internet, feminism, and the weird world of celebrity it has spawned.Hosted by Editor in Chief Ione Gamble with Senior Editor Gina Tonic. Edited by Olivia Graham. Have faith in your own bad taste!Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Polyester is a self published, intersectional feminist arts and culture publication aiming to bridge the gap of URL cyberfeminism with the IRL world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 13, 2021 • 22min
The Sleepover Club: The Yassification Of The Internet
Over the past few weeks, the internet has been overrun with yassified edits of our faves. Perhaps you've seen Toni Collette with smoothed out skin, Fiona from Shrek sporting a gorgeous smokey eye, or the 'oi mista, you me dad?' doll looking like she's about to head out for a night at Vodka Revs. But while we all become obsessed with yassifying our faves, Ione and Halima are going deep on what the meme really means, and how beauty standards have changed throughout the course of the internet.Most of us feel like beauty standards are being broken down, if not obliterated altogether. But from Instagram face, to FaceTune Pro, we're still trapped searching for the best version of ourselves and buying into whichever editing app can get us there the quickest. Is the Yassification meme the only thing that can save us from airbrushed hell?Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, leave a review, or drop us a DM on Instagram.Are you a brand or organisation and do you want to partner with The Polyester Podcast? Please fill in this form.We'd love to know what you think about our podcast. Fill out this survey here to let us know <3The Polyester Podcast is brought to you by Polyester's founding editor in chief Ione Gamble (@ionegamble), co-hosted by Halima Jibril (@h.alimaa). and edited by Olivia Graham (@og.irl). Polyester is a self-published culture zine exploring intersectional URL feminism in the IRL world. Have faith in your own bad taste!To keep up with Polyester zine, head to: polyesterzine.com, or @polyesterzine on all socials. #ThePolyesterPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 4, 2021 • 47min
The Skin You're In: My Skin, My Rest With Kieran Yates And Maggie Matić
The second part of our limited run podcast series The Skin You're In is here! Recorded live in London, Ione is joined by journalist Kieran Yates and writer/researcher Maggie Matić.They'll be discussing everything from reassessing capitalism, if Covid has changed how we approach social-politics, the importance of rest, finding joy online, how feminism has been warped since the advent of fourth wave, and much more. The Skin You're In, a Polyester Podcast, is brought to you by Polyester's founding editor in chief Ione Gamble (@ionegamble), and co-hosted and produced by Olivia Graham (@og.irl), in collaboration with @monki.Want to support the podcast? If you're a brand or organisation that could help us continue the show, Please fill in this form. Can't wait to hear from you!We'd love to know what you think about our podcast. Fill out this survey here to let us know <3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 28, 2021 • 38min
The Skin You're In: My Skin, My Creativity with Melanie Lehmann and Ben Pechey
Recorded live in Sheffield, My Skin, My Creativity is the first of a limited two episode run our podcast series exploring modern identity.Our deputy editor Gina Tonic sat down with photographer Melanie Lehmann and activist Ben Pechey to discuss representation, creativity in the North, social media politics and how to harbour community following lockdown.Want to support the podcast? If you're a brand or organisation that could help us continue the show, Please fill in this form. Can't wait to hear from you!We'd love to know what you think about our podcast. Fill out this survey here to let us know <3The Skin You're In, a Polyester Podcast, is brought to you by Polyester's founding editor in chief Ione Gamble (@ionegamble), and co-hosted and produced by Olivia Graham (@og.irl), in collaboration with @monki. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 28, 2021 • 23min
The Skin You're In: My Skin, My Community With Megane Mercury
Missed us during our summer break? Surprise! We have an extra special The Skin You're In episode with Megane Mercury - the winner of our Queer Creative Fund.Hosts Ione Gamble and Gina Tonic speak with Megane about the importance of queer community, how said community differs outside of the concept of 'global pride' and how the internet has changed how we reach out to others. From how to find your people, to existing outside of the mainstream and creating your own opportunities; we cover it all.The Skin You're In, a Polyester Podcast, is brought to you by Polyester's founding editor in chief Ione Gamble (@ionegamble), and co-hosted and produced by Olivia Graham (@og.irl), in collaboration with @monki.Want to support the podcast? If you're a brand or organisation that could help us continue the show, Please fill in this form. Can't wait to hear from you!We'd love to know what you think about our podcast. Fill out this survey here to let us know <3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 7, 2021 • 32min
Obsessions: Shona McAndrew On Why She Loves TikTok
For our last episode before the summer break, we sit down with one of our FAVOURITE artists, Shona McAndrew. Shona is sharing her love for TikTok; from dueting, to the political content on the app, the obscure trends it leads us too and why TikTok is arguably a more productive place than any other social media platform. But for all the joy the app brings; TikTok isn't without it problems — from censorship, to fatphobia and more. Ione, Gina, and Shona discuss how to navigate social media as an artist looking to find connection.Every so often we'll be picking the brain of a different creative about something they admire that has nothing to do with how they generate their income.Want to support the podcast? If you're a brand or organisation that could help us continue the show, Please fill in this form. Can't wait to hear from you!We'd love to know what you think about our podcast. Fill out this survey here to let us know <3The Polyester Podcast is brought to you by Polyester's founding editor in chief Ione Gamble (@ionegamble), and co-hosted and produced by Olivia Graham (@og.irl). Polyester is a self published culture zine exploring intersectional URL feminism in the IRL world. Have faith in your own bad taste! And follow us on Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 23, 2021 • 31min
Obsessions: Grace Miceli On The Unexpected Joy Of Going Grey
Are you dreading the day you find your first grey hair? Or maybe you've already spent hours in front of the bathroom mirror, pulling single silver strands from your head? This week, we're joined by illustrator Grace Miceli. The long-time contributor to Polyester and author of How to Deal is telling us all about how she shifted her attitude towards growing older.With the past twelve months meaning all of our beauty regimes have shifted, Grace decided it was time to stop living in denial about the fact her hair was silvering; and began to embrace all the great things entering your 30's throws at you. From reassessing her place in the art world, to feeling more comfortable in herself as a whole, Ione, Olivia and Grace discuss why growing up is no bad thing.Every so often we'll be picking the brain of a different creative about something they admire that has nothing to do with how they generate their income.Want to support the podcast? If you're a brand or organisation that could help us continue the show, Please fill in this form. Can't wait to hear from you!We'd love to know what you think about our podcast. Fill out this survey here to let us know <3The Polyester Podcast is brought to you by Polyester's founding editor in chief Ione Gamble (@ionegamble), and co-hosted and produced by Olivia Graham (@og.irl). Polyester is a self published culture zine exploring intersectional URL feminism in the IRL world. Have faith in your own bad taste! And follow us on Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 16, 2021 • 32min
The Sleepover Club: Daniel Howell On The Changing Online World
This week on The Sleepover Club, we sat down with Daniel Howell to discuss how the internet has changed, for better and for worse, throughout his career. The author, presenter, and YouTuber tells us how he developed boundaries when it comes to sharing online, why his inner cynic always wins out in the end, and how growing up in online spaces effected his sense of self. We'll also be chatting about Daniel's progression from Youtube to publishing, and why he's putting mental health at the front of centre of his work.Are we getting better or worse at holding people accountable online? And do we tend to be too harsh on people that over-share on the internet? Ione, Olivia, and Daniel will be discussing all this and much more.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Send us your thoughts on this episode, to ione@polyesterzine.com, leave a review, or drop us a DM on Instagram.Want to support the podcast? If you're a brand or organisation that could help us continue the show, Please fill in this form. Can't wait to hear from you!We'd love to know what you think about our podcast. Fill out this survey here to let us know <3The Polyester Podcast is brought to you by Polyester's founding editor in chief Ione Gamble (@ionegamble), and co-hosted and produced by Olivia Graham. Polyester is a self published culture zine exploring intersectional URL feminism in the IRL world. Have faith in your own bad taste!To keep up with Polyester zine, head to: polyesterzine.com, or @polyesterzine on all socials. #ThePolyesterPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 9, 2021 • 39min
Obsessions: Emma Dabiri On Why She's Always Loved Ghost Stories And Folklore
Do you believe in ghosts? This week on the podcast we're joined by the amazing Emma Dabiri. The Sunday Times Bestselling author, academic, and broadcaster is telling us about her lifelong obsession with folklore and ghost stories. Growing up in Ireland, with folklore an integral part of her surroundings, we chat about how folklore and ghost stories have informed her work and life up until this point. From her favourite films growing up, to the must-watch titles Emma recommends to us now, we're discussing the different paths to folklore: from Disney, to more traditional forms of ghost stories, religion, and why we can view these tales through a sociological lens.Every so often we'll be picking the brain of a different creative about something they admire that has nothing to do with how they generate their income.Want to support the podcast? If you're a brand or organisation that could help us continue the show, Please fill in this form. Can't wait to hear from you!We'd love to know what you think about our podcast. Fill out this survey here to let us know <3The Polyester Podcast is brought to you by Polyester's founding editor in chief Ione Gamble (@ionegamble), and co-hosted and produced by Olivia Graham (@og.irl). Polyester is a self published culture zine exploring intersectional URL feminism in the IRL world. Have faith in your own bad taste! And follow us on Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 25, 2021 • 28min
Obsessions: Val Garland On The Thrill Of A Car Boot Sale
This week we're joined by the absolutely ICONIC Val Garland. The legendary makeup artist and judge of Glow Up is chatting to us about her many obsessions and what they mean to her. From vintage dolls, to car boot sales, Royal Worcester china and her penchant for a good jug. We discuss how to avoid cursed dolls and their negative energy when antique shopping, Val's brief stint as a car boot vendor, her top tips for the car boot, and why she keeps her work space and her home completely separate. Val also tells us how her love of collecting informs her makeup artistry, why the way we seek inspiration is changing, and whether the internet is homogenising our creative references.Every other week we'll be picking the brain of a different creative about something they admire that has nothing to do with how they generate their income.Want to support the podcast? If you're a brand or organisation that could help us continue the show, Please fill in this form. Can't wait to hear from you!We'd love to know what you think about our podcast. Fill out this survey here to let us know <3The Polyester Podcast is brought to you by Polyester's founding editor in chief Ione Gamble (@ionegamble), co-hosted by Gina Tonic, and produced by Olivia Graham (@og.irl). Polyester is a self published culture zine exploring intersectional URL feminism in the IRL world. Have faith in your own bad taste! And follow us on Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 28, 2021 • 34min
Obsessions: Eliza Clark On The Enduring Joy Of Drag Race
This episode, we're so excited to be joined by the legend, Eliza Clark! The Boy Parts author will be telling us all about their love of Drag Race. Taking an adoring yet critical look at the TV franchise, Eliza will be chatting to us about why we should look beyond the US and UK versions and give the international iterations a chance. We'll also be discussing the shows handling of gender, class, and whether its time Ru let another queen take the top judging spot. Ione, Olivia, and Eliza will also be chatting about the commercialisation of drag following the infamous H&M comments in UKDR season two, whether being polished is all it takes to be a good queen, and how the international versions arguably allow more space for creativity.Every other week we'll be picking the brain of a different creative about something they admire that has nothing to do with how they generate their income.Want to support the podcast? If you're a brand or organisation that could help us continue the show, Please fill in this form. Can't wait to hear from you!We'd love to know what you think about our podcast. Fill out this survey here to let us know <3The Polyester Podcast is brought to you by Polyester's founding editor in chief Ione Gamble (@ionegamble), and co-hosted and produced by Olivia Graham (@og.irl). Polyester is a self published culture zine exploring intersectional URL feminism in the IRL world. Have faith in your own bad taste! And follow us on Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


