Stuff Mom Never Told You

A deep dive into Resident Evil’s horror legacy, from punishing gameplay to its shift toward action. The discussion explores Umbrella Corporation’s sinister T-virus experiments, Rain Ocampo’s fierce loyalty as a mercenary, and her harrowing battle with infection. It also celebrates the franchise’s wonderfully campy films, questionable clones, and enduring entertainment value.

A sharp look at horror’s “crazy psycho bitch girl” trope, from Fatal Attraction and Misery to Gone Girl and Single White Female. The discussion explores how female anger, sexuality, motherhood, trauma, and mental illness are twisted into villainy, while misogyny, victim blaming, lesbian phobia, and the male gaze shape these stories.

Bridget Todd, a technology commentator and author of Love at First Prompt, joins a lively discussion of Her. They revisit Theodore and Samantha’s romance, the film’s techno-optimism, and its uneasy treatment of human women. The conversation explores emotional AI, outsourced intimacy, embodiment, loneliness, tech leaders’ influence, and what the film gets right, or misses, about artificial companions.

Are couples costumes cute or cringe? As we get closer to Halloween, we share our thoughts on couples costumes, the good, the bad and the funny.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie Piñero, a writer, producer, performer, and storyteller, joins for a lively conversation about her career and Solita, her podcast about solo travel. They explore creating stories across TV, audio, VR, and live performance, plus grief, creative mentorship, women traveling alone, safety, ethical tourism, unexpected connections, and the difference between being a tourist, traveler, or pilgrim.

Today, we spotlight the record-breaking and inspiring career of soccer player Marta Vieira da Silva, better known as Marta.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Awards season sparks a sharp look at method acting’s gendered reputation. The discussion separates thoughtful preparation from staying in character at any cost, exploring scandals involving Jared Leto, Marlon Brando, The Shining, and Dustin Hoffman. It also examines exploitation, psychological strain, representation, and why healthy boundaries may create better performances.

A lively look at women in survival horror games, from Resident Evil’s capable yet sexualized heroines to Parasite Eve’s monstrous femininity. The discussion explores BioShock’s girls, Silent Hill’s toxic masculinity, Heather Mason’s resistance, and Ellie and Abby’s cycles of trauma and revenge. Along the way, recurring tropes around protection, helplessness, clothing, and female resilience come under scrutiny.

Bridget Todd, author of Love at First Prompt and a journalist focused on AI, intimacy, gender, and labor, explores the complicated world of AI companions. She discusses sex workers as early warning signals for tech policy, the displacement of intimate labor, consent, gendered marketing, privacy, and why people turn to chatbots when human services fail.

Samantha shines a light on a new hobby, engages in some daydreaming and solicits advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.