This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aspecialplace.substack.comOn this Excedrin-fueled episode, the ladies discuss the controversy surrounding the chromosomal makeup of Olympic boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting. They then move on to the latest scandal in the not (not)-for-profit world, this one involving GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, whose enthusiasm for expensive chandeliers and Swiss Alps travel took money from the pockets of needy gays. Finally: Kamalot spamalot (it's out of control!) and the time Meghan wrote about the word "fag".To listen to the full episode (and get lots of other perks, too) become a paying subscriber!Links* Lavish Spending by GLAAD CEO

In this episode, the ladies again revisit motherhood and its (concerning?) lack of representation among young women. Do we need a GI Bill for trad wives? They then discuss a recent article on mega-influencer Hannah Neeleman (aka Ballerina Farm) and her large, photogenic family that also happens to be extraordinarily wealthy. Is she a servant of the patriarchy? Or is the tradlife a kind of extreme sport that proves her ultimate superiority? Finally, they go over the recent damning revelations by the NYTimes that JD Vance once had a queer friend. Links* Meet the queen of the ‘trad wives’ https://www.thetimes.com/magazines/the-sunday-times-magazine/article/meet-the-queen-of-the-trad-wives-and-her-eight-children-plfr50cgk* My day with the trad wife queen https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/my-day-with-the-trad-wife-queen-and-what-i-really-thought-of-her-qmbmmhkp8* She Gave Birth Two Weeks Ago. Now She’s in a Pageant. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/style/ballerina-farm-mrs-world-hannah-neeleman.html* JD Vance, an Unlikely Friendship, and Why It Ended. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/27/us/politics/jd-vance-friend-transgender.html This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

Dive into the whims of white-woman allyship, where style choices like pink and green become a commentary on societal roles. Celebrate Kamala Harris’s girlboss vibe and ponder the upcoming Million White Woman March. Explore the intriguing dynamics of rich white men marrying non-white women, alongside a humorous nod to Rachel Maddow's sanity. All this while dissecting cultural appropriation in fashion through pearls and Chuck Taylors, revealing the interplay of identity and politics in today's landscape.

This is the second half of our extremely long interview with Simone and Malcolm Collins! (Part 1 can be found here.)We discuss gene pools, spanking, why autists are overrepresented in the pro-natalism movement and recount their own love story and evolution into "techno-puritans." Finally, they answer the definitive parenting question: is the harm of screen time overblown? Links* Malcolm and Simone’s YT Channel Based Camp, Twitter, and Pronatalist Organization!* Article in the Gaurdian (featuring That Slap). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

Pro-natalism advocates Malcolm and Simone Collins discuss fertility issues in modern society, the impact of the 'trad wife' image, views on spanking, abortion, and progressive agendas. They also touch on communal living, media attention, corporal punishment, and cultural beliefs on fertility rates.

The girlx enjoy a leisurely news day by discussing Saturday's assassination attempt on Trump followed by the announcement of his VP pick, J.D. Vance. The counterintuitive takes are flying! Are Trump rallies the ultimate experience in "touching grass?" Is Vance's political shift rooted solely in opportunism? Or does his conversion from Never Trumper to "actually I'm starting to like this guy" mirror the political journey of many disenchanted liberals?Links* Republican Party Platform * Melania Trump’s statement* President Biden’s statement This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aspecialplace.substack.comThis MEMBER ONLY episode is all about parenting, or at least, exceptionally bad parenting. First, they cover the explosive revelations of child abuse in an essay by the daughter of acclaimed writer Alice Munro, before moving onto another essay by Bridget Phetasy, in which she catalogs her own experience as a neglected child of divorce. Is no-fault divorce good for women, but bad for mothers?Links* My stepfather sexually abused me when I was a child. My mother, Alice Munro, chose to stay with him* How divorce never ends* Meghan's Substack post about Alice Munro* Meghan’s Unspeakable conversation with Bridget Phetasy about divorce

Podcast production legend Andy Mills survived–and thrived–in the venerable halls of NPR and the New York Times, where he worked for Radiolab, co-creating The Daily as well as series like Rabbit Hole and Caliphate. More recently, he co-created groundbreaking podcast The Witch Trials of JK Rowling for The Free Press. Today, he’s living in the midwest and, along with his creative partner Matthew Boll, trying to build his own platform, one meticulously produced podcast at a time. Is he losing his mind? Or getting his soul back?Check out Andy and Mathew Boll's new podcast, the Reflector:We need you, we love you. Do you love us???? (Subscribe please, this is degrading.) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

The ladies bid a fulsome adieu to Pride Month and reflect on its most photogenic moments this year. They then enter a post-partum depression over Thursday's debate, the only treatment for which is heavy doses of copium. Then, an analysis at the most "mid" first lady in history, Dr. Jill Biden, and Meghan sheds white tears recalling her Twitter pile-on of a lifetime by Brave BIPOC Women. Finally, they cap off the episode with a discussion on the difficulties of being a progressive father Just Trying To Have It All.Links* First Lady Jill Biden on What’s at Stake in 2024 * Don’t Mess With PhDs This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aspecialplace.substack.comIn this PAYWALLED EPISODE, the girlx/womxn practice self-harm by watching the Presidential debates from the nail-biting beginning to the eyeball-gouging end. Despite it all, Meghan feels strangely exhilarated by this rare moment of national unity (everyone agrees it was terrible). They speculate about what the Dems were thinking (is it 4D chess or classic incompetence?) Finally, they address some listener questions about their political allegiances. Are the masks finally coming off, revealing their true MAGA selves?