Messy Liberation: Feminist Conversations about Politics and Pop Culture

On this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown break down Macklemore's public firing from Ed Sheeran's tour after he said "Free Palestine" on stage — and use it to dig into celebrity complicity, white feminism, and the real difference between Zionism and Judaism. From Robert Kraft's stadium pressure campaign to AIPAC's grip on Democratic politics to the actual cost of speaking out against genocide, Becky and Taina unpack what it looks like to choose a side when neutrality was never on the table. In This Episode, We Get Into: Macklemore getting pulled from Ed Sheeran's tour after saying "Free Palestine" to 90,000 people, and reading his response statement live How Robert Kraft and other venue owners used stadium access as leverage to force Ed Sheeran's hand Why "I don't take sides" is itself a side, and Macklemore's line: "There is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed" Pink's Instagram statement, her US Open outing with Elizabeth Banks and Amy Adams, and why it's a textbook white feminism case study What celebrities and public figures actually owe their audiences, the parasocial relationship and the responsibility that comes with a platform AIPAC money, the Wesley Bell/Cori Bush congressional race, and how Democrats fall in line on Israel funding Untangling Zionism from Judaism and anti-Zionism from antisemitism, and why conflating them silences critics The 5,000-signature Hollywood letter opposing the word "genocide," and who's cashing checks to stay quiet Mandy Patinkin, Holocaust parallels, and how dehumanization spreads once a society decides it's permissible for one group "Does Israel have a right to exist?", and a reframe (it exists, so now what?) that matters more than the debate itself A closing tangent on Jasmine Crockett sharing a stage with Chris Brown, and what it says about who we hold accountable Timestamps: 00:21 – Setting up the episode: Macklemore, Ed Sheeran, Zionism, and genocide 02:09 – What actually happened on stage: "Free Palestine" and the fallout 03:10 – Pink's response and deleted comments 04:45 – Reading Macklemore's full statement: "I am not a victim" 06:23 – Robert Kraft, Gillette Stadium, and the stadium-owner ultimatum 08:27 – "There is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed" 11:22 – Power, privilege, and how the GOP consolidates vs. how Democrats splinter 12:36 – AIPAC money and the Wesley Bell/Cori Bush race in St. Louis 15:44 – Pink at the US Open with Elizabeth Banks and Amy Adams 17:20 – Parasocial relationships and what celebrities owe their audience 27:28 – The 5,000-signature Hollywood letter denying the word "genocide" 30:39 – Mark Ruffalo, Tatiana Maslany, and who's actually showing up 33:54 – Holocaust parallels and how dehumanization spreads 39:40 – Zionism vs. Judaism: why they're not the same thing 41:36 – "Does Israel have a right to exist?" and why that's the wrong question 44:39 – Jasmine Crockett sharing a stage with Chris Brown 47:27 – Christian nationalism and the same system playing out in the US Resources Mentioned: Pink's statement: Macklemore speaks out at Ed Sheeran concert: https://www.instagram.com/reels/Dc_bH4_N1FN/ Pink's statement: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdKPJsVTvtl/?hl=en Macklemore's statement: https://www.threads.com/@macklemore/post/DdRduI8mxy9/media The 5,000-signature Hollywood open letter: https://www.creativecommunityforpeace.com/blog/2026/09/08/rejectlie Mandy Patinkin's empathetic plea: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DMJWZHVsXdH/ Abdul El-Sayed on "does Israel have a right to exist?": https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1087558473698955 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown break down what actually makes a group of people a community — not just a paid membership or "safe space" buzzword. On this episode of Messy Liberation, they unpack why comfort and safety get conflated (especially by white women), why "we don't talk politics here" silences the most marginalized voices in a space, and what harm repair and restorative justice look like when done right. Plus: the stories of the best communities they've ever been part of, from a virtual event where a host let Resmaa Menakem rest mid-talk, to a nonprofit that gave staff the day off after a police shooting, to the friends who took Taina in when she was homeless. Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro & follow-up from last episode 0:34 – Why "community" became a business buzzword 1:14 – Defining community: shared vision & culture-making 4:46 – Trust, "ride or dies," and the buzzword of "safe spaces" 7:07 – Feeling held vs. feeling safe 9:00 – Why community isn't about being safe for everyone 9:57 – Privilege, comfort, and what "safe" really means 11:23 – True crime, privilege, and the illusion of safety 12:06 – White women's tears: confusing comfort with safety 14:02 – "We don't talk politics here" and who gets silenced 18:19 – Threats to privilege vs. threats to safety 18:56 – 2016 & 2020: white coaches shutting down callouts 24:29 – Harm repair and restorative justice, set up front 28:18 – Communities that got it right: affinity spaces & chosen family 33:04 – Taken in when homeless: a story of real community 34:52 – Black spaces vs. white spaces: the difference in care 38:35 – The Resmaa Menakem story: modeling collective care live 43:29 – A nonprofit that gave everyone the day off 47:05 – The FEO community: emotional labor, race & accountability 54:51 – Recap: discomfort isn't unsafe, and harm repair matters 57:25 – Outro • "My Grandmother's Hands" by Resmaa Menakem: https://amzn.to/4r3bsMh • Rooted Global Village: https://rootedglobalvillage.com/ 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

On this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown get real about climate grief, doomscrolling, and the nihilism that creeps in when disaster feels endless, sparked by the catastrophic Nepal glacier flood and reports of billionaires building bunkers to escape the mess they helped create. Becky and Taina dig into the difference between staying informed and staying trapped in trauma, why our brains keep replaying footage that hurts us, and how community, agency, and joy become acts of resistance when the world feels like it's on fire. They close with a tribute to Dolly Parton and what her life proves about choosing love over hate. In This Episode, We Get Into: • Why the Nepal glacier flood hit so hard, and the "disaster movie" desensitization that makes real catastrophe feel unreal • Billionaires building underground bunkers (complete with jails) instead of fixing the climate crisis they're profiting from • The nihilism spiral: "what's the point" thinking and how it shows up differently before and after having kids • The real difference between being informed and being engaged, and where that line gets crossed into doomscrolling • Why our brains compulsively replay traumatic footage, and what that has to do with control and anxiety • Survivor's guilt vs. privilege guilt, and how proximity to suffering (without living it) shapes our response • The "crazy-making" feeling of watching people deny climate change in real time, and why that's a form of gaslighting • Divesting from harmful systems vs. reducing our reliance on them, and what to do with the time and energy that frees up • Surrender vs. submission: how accepting what you can't control can actually restore a sense of agency • Why joy and grief can coexist, and why withholding joy doesn't prove you care more • A tribute to Dolly Parton: her wealth given away, her quiet support of Black Lives Matter and the trans community, and what she proves about hate being a choice Timestamps: 00:00 – Cold open: Becky's Care Bear mug and "which Care Bear are you" 02:51 – The Nepal glacier flood and why it feels almost unreal to watch 04:16 – Doomscrolling, repeated imagery, and the nihilism it triggers 05:14 – Billionaire bunkers (yes, with jails) and what that says about who's "prepared" for collapse 07:45 – Becky turns it over to Taina: restoring some faith in humanity 08:06 – Taina's approach to news consumption and staying "informed without engaged" 09:45 – Unpacking the real difference between informed and engaged 11:25 – How having kids changes the emotional weight of climate anxiety 12:47 – The compulsion to doomscroll and rewatch disturbing footage 16:30 – Why our brains keep seeking control through repetition 19:05 – Survivor's guilt vs. guilt born of privilege 20:00 – Divesting from harmful systems vs. reducing our need for them 21:32 – What you do with the space once you stop doomscrolling 22:25 – The "crazy-making," gaslighting feeling of climate denial 26:10 – The privilege of being disappointed by people in power 27:56 – Community as the antidote: who's in your corner 29:03 – Finding agency in the small, controllable things 31:07 – Surrender vs. control, and coming back to the present moment 33:50 – Acceptance vs. submission — the difference that matters 35:13 – Resilience as a practiced, ongoing skill, not a one-time fix 35:55 – Giving yourself permission to feel joy without guilt 37:52 – Dolly Parton's "rainbows and rain" quote and finding light in the dark 41:00 – Dolly's legacy: $600M given away, support for BLM and trans employees decades early 44:44 – Why Dolly is proof that hate is a choice 45:50 – Closing thoughts and sign-off 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

On this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown break down two viral advertiser fails (Callaway Golf's domestic-violence "joke" ad and Target's minstrel-show-evoking Halloween costume) to unpack what happens when corporate rooms lack real diversity and accountability. Through an intersectional feminist lens, they dig into DEI backlash, golf's history of racial and gender exclusion, the limits of individual boycotts, and why values that "blow with the wind" were never values at all. In This Episode, We Get Into: • A heartfelt tribute to Dolly Parton and what her life and legacy meant to both hosts • The Callaway Golf ad that turned domestic violence into a punchline — and the immediate backlash from women online • Target's clown/ghost Halloween costume and its uncomfortable echoes of minstrel-show imagery • Why "diverse hires" without power or context don't actually prevent harm • The difference between real values and values that shift with politics or profit • Golf's long, ugly history of excluding women and Black golfers, and what the current participation numbers really show • Whether corporate apology tours ("this doesn't reflect our values") mean anything at all • The limits of individual boycotts vs. collective political power • What small business owners can actually do differently (hint: it's not a fancy DEI program) • Drones, robot armies, and what stripping empathy from warfare has to do with stripping humanity from marginalized people Resources Mentioned: • OpenSecrets.org • Democratic Socialists of America (DSA): dsausa.org • Working Families Party: workingfamilies.org 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Feminist coaches and hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown unpack Hayden Panettiere's death and what it reveals about America's total failure to support new mothers. They dig into postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and the maternal mental health crisis this country refuses to treat with any real structural support — and why that failure hits hardest along lines of race and class. In This Episode, We Get Into: • Hayden Panettiere's death, her public struggle with postpartum depression, and what her story reveals about how the entertainment industry treats mothers' mental health (including Neutrogena quietly dropping her as a spokesperson) • Becky's own experience with postpartum anxiety, and why "bouncing back" after birth is a myth nobody should be selling • Why postpartum screening in the U.S. is basically a checkbox on a form — and why that leads to massive underreporting, especially among Black and Latina mothers who have real reason to fear losing custody • The Britney Spears comparison and the impossible bind mothers are put in: too involved is controlling, too little is neglect • The age gap and power dynamics in Hayden's relationship, and how that context matters without villainizing anyone • Why childcare costs in America are a structural crisis, not a personal budgeting problem • How Europe's midwife home visits, paid leave, and universal pre-K show what real support could look like — and why the U.S. keeps moving backward instead • The difference between "making it work" and actually thriving as a parent • Taina's take on evangelicalism, moral hierarchies, and how "empathy is a bad word" rhetoric on the right traces back to Puritan control, not religious freedom • A call to action: what real, tangible community care looks like after someone gives birth or after someone dies — not just showing up once, but showing up for months 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Becky and Taina break down two former NBA players (Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White) declaring themselves eligible for the 2027 WNBA draft as a bad-faith stunt riding the wave of anti-trans hysteria in women's sports. They trace the manufactured controversy back to comments from Sophie Cunningham and Riley Gaines, unpack the real legislative threat (the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act), and connect the dots between "protecting girls," Title IX defunding, eugenics, and control of women's bodies. Timestamps: 00:06 – Cold open / catching up 00:36 – Setting up today's topic: two ex-NBA men declaring WNBA draft eligibility 01:14 – Background: Sophie Cunningham's "protect biological women" comments, Riley Gaines, XXXY Apparel 03:05 – Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve's "protect trans children" shirt; Gabby Williams pushes back 04:45 – Race dynamics around Caitlin Clark vs. Black WNBA players 04:59 – Enes Kanter Freedom formally declares for the WNBA draft 06:49 – Royce White follows suit; his failed Senate runs and political motives 07:48 – Royce White's "in touch with his feminine energy" routine 09:45 – The real legislative threat: Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (H.R. 28 / Senate Bill 9) and Title IX 11:46 – "They're just dumb": basic biology, every fetus starts genetically female 13:35 – The real agenda: control, not trans people — "heterosexual family values" 17:10 – Sex is a spectrum: intersex variation explained 19:15 – The slippery slope from body-as-utility thinking to eugenics 21:37 – Bathroom policing, dehumanization, and the Gaza parallel 22:47 – "Protecting girls" via pelvic exams — the Larry Nassar comparison 24:23 – Shoutout to Megan Rapinoe; Title IX funding, Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 33:00 – Sitting with your own fear/bias instead of outsourcing the work to trans people 36:39 – Real harm comes from inside the home, not from trans strangers 39:04 – Race and the policing of femininity — why this falls hardest on Black women 42:12 – Where are the men calling this out? Fragile masculinity 43:14 – Declaring draft eligibility means nothing — no team is taking either of them 43:48 – Closing thoughts: go meet a trans person; "we love you" 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Becky and Taina are back from their summer Everything Is Political series with their regular weekly episode, kicking things off with the internet-breaking trailer for Wicker — the upcoming movie starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, and Peter Dinklage about a woman who marries a man made of wicker. What starts as trailer reactions turns into a wider conversation about the booming romance and "smutty romance" book industry, the trad wife movement's contradictions, media literacy, and who gets conditioned to be curious versus who doesn't. What we discussed: 00:00 – Welcome back after the summer Everything Is Political series 00:28 – Introducing today's topic: the Wicker trailer 01:33 – First reactions to the trailer and the Bookstagram/BookTok buzz 04:11 – Breaking down the premise (and the jokes about it) 09:52 – "It's all men until it's not all men" — men continuing to fall short 10:08 – The wicker husband, village jealousy, and the metal-collar marriage symbolism 12:17 – Why this topic: free publicity and the bigger conversation about romance/smut 15:39 – Trad wife influencers, rising conservatism, and the contradiction underneath it (Nara Smith) 16:54 – Aside on the novel Yesteryear 20:16 – Romance publishing stats: 52% revenue growth, $1.44B a year 22:59 – Wicker as a modern fairy tale / parallels to Beauty and the Beast 24:26 – Entertainment as propaganda: military movies and Hollywood contracts 26:14 – Media literacy: why it matters for everything we consume, not just news 31:21 – Privilege, curiosity, and who gets conditioned not to question things 34:07 – Curiosity as joy; how liberal arts education changed things for Becky 36:22 – The power of "why" and "what if" as questions 43:00 – Wrap-up and plans to revisit after they've both seen the movie in October Resources mentioned: • Wicker trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP0BWBWn14I • "The Wicker Husband" short story: https://www.scribd.com/document/163478512/The-Wicker-Husban1 • "Yesteryear" by Caro Claire Burke: https://amzn.to/3TEeLNs 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

On this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown look back on their "Everything Is Political" series — reflecting on agency, systemic bias, and intersectional feminism through conversations on trash and environmental racism, clothing equity, comedy and queer identity, book diversity, AI and data bias, and podcasting access. It's a candid, funny, and grounding recap for anyone trying to hold onto hope while facing systems designed to wear you down. In This Episode, We Get Into: • Why disengaging from online arguments can be an act of agency, not avoidance • The "not my ministry" mindset and choosing which conversations are actually worth your energy • How trash pickup reveals environmental racism and the myth of "universal" utilities • The beautification effect and why cared-for spaces get cared for • How access to clothing that fits shapes self-worth, agency, and daily choices • Becky's deep dive into Universal Standard sizing and why "medium" is doing a lot of political work • What Dahlia Belle's Netflix special Gender Agenda revealed about comedy, pronouns, and survival • Becky's book-tracking dashboard and what it exposed about whose voices she was (and wasn't) reading • Why AI and algorithms only look backward, and what that means for bias and representation • Who gets the mic in podcasting, and why access doesn't always mean equity 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with data and analytics professional Millie to explore why data is never as neutral as it looks — and why that matters for everyone. From biased medical studies and skewed incarceration stats to the politics of AI, the census, and your personal data being sold without your consent, this conversation connects the dots between numbers on a screen and the power structures shaping our lives. In This Episode, We Get Into: • Why data isn't neutral, and how human bias gets baked in at every stage of collection, analysis, and presentation • How manipulated charts, skewed infographics, and decontextualized research statistics mislead the public • Real-world examples of data bias causing serious harm: medication dosages, Plan B effectiveness, census undercounting, and school funding • The deeply troubling way incarceration data is used to reinforce racist narratives about Black and brown communities • How AI inherits and amplifies data bias, and why "garbage in, garbage out" is a phrase everyone should know • What data literacy actually looks like, and how to become a smarter, more critical consumer of statistics and studies • The GDPR, browser cookies, and why your personal data is already a product being sold without your cut • How to use public open data resources (like NYC Open Data) to engage with information in your community 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with Sarah Heeter — podcast producer, strategist, and founder of PodFox Media — to dig into the deeply political nature of the podcasting world. From who gets to profit and who gets erased by the algorithm, to how podcasts are reshaping elections and what your listening habits actually mean, this is the intersectional feminist media analysis you didn't know you needed. In This Episode, We Get Into: • Why podcasting is a political medium, even when the content has nothing to do with politics • The gatekeeping problem: who profits most from podcasting (spoiler: it's mostly white men) and what that means for independent creators • How the 2020 celebrity podcast boom reshaped the entire industry, and who it left behind • The 2024 election strategy of using podcasts as campaign tools, and what that means for democracy and misinformation • The responsibility of podcast hosts and producers to vet guests, set core values, and decide what they put their name on • Why podcast listeners are disproportionately persuadable and what top creators are doing with that influence • How consumers and independent creators can make intentional, values-aligned choices in both what they listen to and who they platform • The power of community resources like the Feminist Podcasters Collective to amplify marginalized indie voices • Why 50 loyal podcast listeners means more than 100K TikTok views, and how to think about audience depth vs. follower counts • The unresolved questions about video podcasting, transcripts, AI, and accessibility that are already shaping who can participate in this space Resources Mentioned: • PodFox Media: https://podfoxmedia.com/ • Big Brave Business podcast: https://bigbravebusiness.com/ • Feminist Podcasters Collective: https://feministpodcastcollective.com • Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/ • Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/ 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode of Messy Liberation, host Becky Mollenkamp sits down with comedian and writer Mx. Dahlia Belle to pull back the curtain on the deeply political world of stand-up comedy. From gatekeeping and blacklisting to biased algorithms and the consent politics of who gets to make jokes about whom, this conversation is an essential intersectional feminist guide to understanding comedy as a site of power and resistance. In This Episode, We Get Into: • How Mx. Dahlia Belle went from writing a viral Guardian piece about Dave Chappelle to appearing on Hannah Gadsby's Netflix special Gender Agenda, and what happened to their career immediately after • Why comedy is a pyramid scheme: how the most powerful comics in any scene control who gets booked, who gets stage time, and who gets shut out • The self-replicating myth that women and trans people "aren't funny," and how internalized bias keeps marginalized audiences away from shows that could change that • How biased algorithms compound gatekeeping, and what it means when a comic's social media following matters more than their actual craft • The nuanced take on punching up vs. punching down, and why Mx. Dahlia Belle's real gauge is whether the joke lands for someone who loves them and someone who hates them • The violence and predation inside comedy scenes, and how it was the women who blew the whistle on abusers who got blacklisted, not the abusers themselves • Why stand-up is uniquely inseparable from the artist's character, and why "separating the art from the artist" doesn't work the same way for comedy as it does for painting or fiction • The concept of consent in comedy: who has the right to tell a joke about a particular identity, and what it means when that consent is absent • Where to actually find queer and alt comedy in your city (and why you should probably boycott your local mainstream comedy club) • Why marginalized people tend to be more creative, funnier, and more imaginative because survival demands it Resources Mentioned: • Mx. Dahlia Belle's "Dear Dave Chappelle" piece for the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/oct/09/dave-chappelle-letter-trans-comedian-netflix • Hannah Gadsby's Gender Agenda on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81607199 • "The Algorithms of Opression" by Safiya Umoja Noble: https://amzn.to/439nUPL • Comedian Devi Kersh: https://www.instagram.com/devikirsch/ • Comedian Sir Lance Edward: https://www.instagram.com/sir_lance_edward_comedy/ • Mx. Dahlia Belle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MX.DAHLIABELLE/ • Mx. Dahlia Belle on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@mx.dahliabelle/ • Mx. Dahla Belle on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mxdahliabelle 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with personal stylist and body liberation advocate Dacy Gillespie of Mindful Closet to unpack the deeply political nature of fashion and clothing. From workplace dress codes rooted in white supremacy to the impossible standards placed on larger bodies, the return of "heroin chic," modesty culture, and the radical act of letting your hair go gray — this conversation is for anyone who has ever stood in their closet feeling like nothing fits, nothing's allowed, and nothing will ever be enough. In This Episode, We Get Into: How Dacy's mother organizing workers in a sewing factory planted the seed for her life's work — and why she was raised to believe caring about clothes was shameful The way workplace "professionalism" is really just a dress code for "look as much like a white man as possible" — and who pays the price for deviating from it Fashion as code-switching: the daily calculation people of color, trans folks, and anyone outside the norm make about how much of themselves to reveal Trayvon Martin and the deadly, literal consequences of what you're wearing Why Dacy won't tell you what's "flattering" — and why her forthcoming book is called Unflattering The return of 90s "heroin chic" body ideals and the terror of watching it happen again in the age of GLP-1s Size scarcity: why plus-size people are often left with ten moomoos and good luck — including the callout of Lucy and Yak removing their 4X sizing Modesty, the Missouri House's no-bare-shoulders rule, and how women's bodies are treated as a liability in public spaces What Chappell Roan at the Grammys has to do with the sexual double standard Aging, perimenopause, and the radical act of collecting images of women who actually look like you Why your mental health and feeling good in your body is always the top priority — even if that means buying from Target Resources Mentioned: • Dacy Gillespie: https://www.mindfulcloset.com/ • Dacy's Substack newsletter, "Unflattering": https://dacygillespie.substack.com/ • "The Body Is Not an Apology" by Sonya Renee Taylor: https://amzn.to/4uNa3L8 • Dress for Success Midwest: https://midwest.dressforsuccess.org/ 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with registered dietitian and nutritionist Shana Spence — known as @thenutritiontea on Instagram and Threads — to dig into the deeply political nature of food access, diet culture, and nutrition misinformation. From food deserts and SNAP cuts to GLP-1s and white supremacy's grip on body standards, this conversation connects the dots between what ends up on your plate and the systems of power that put it there (or don't). In This Episode, We Get Into: • What a food desert actually is, and why even dense urban areas like New York City and Atlanta have them • How redlining, gerrymandering, and structural racism shape which communities have access to grocery stores • The layered barriers to food access: disability, transportation, language, income, and more • Why "just grow your own food" and other individualist advice is completely disconnected from reality • The explosion of GLP-1 drugs (like Ozempic and Wegovy) and whether we're in pursuit of health or just thinness • How diet culture is rooted in white supremacy and Eurocentric beauty standards • The SNAP cuts in the "Big Beautiful Bill" and the domino effect on food insecurity and health outcomes • Why seed oils have been debunked as harmful, and how nutrition misinformation spreads • Lab-grown food, GMOs, and what a more just food future could actually look like • Shana's core message: how you eat is individual, not a moral failing Resources Mentioned: • "Live Nourished: Make Peace with Food, Banish Body Shame and Reclaim Joy" by Shana Spence: https://amzn.to/4e1QlEf • "Anti-Diet" by Christy Harrison: https://amzn.to/4vjQhXj • "Fearing the Black Body" by Sabrina Strings: https://amzn.to/4vhq9MM • "The Body Liberation Project" by Chrissy King: https://amzn.to/4dEzp7O • Shana's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenutritiontea/ • Shana's Threads: https://www.threads.com/@thenutritiontea • The Nutrition Tea (Shana's Substack: https://substack.com/@thenutritiontea 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode of Messy Liberation's Everything is Political series, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown are joined by Erica Clahar (founder of Uni Feeds) and Gwen Nolan (founder of Mother Compost) to explore the deeply political world of waste — from food waste and hunger to environmental racism, composting access, and the planned obsolescence built into capitalism. If you've ever wondered why trash is a feminist issue, this conversation will make everything click. In This Episode, We Get Into: • How 40% of the U.S. food supply gets thrown away every year while 40 million people remain food insecure (and why that number is chronically under-reported) • The origin stories of two women who saw a problem and built organizations to solve it, not monetize it • Environmental racism in real time: why landfills, incinerators, and illegal dumping disproportionately harm Black and brown communities • The Coldwater Creek landfill situation in St. Louis as a case study in who bears the burden of waste • The Chester, PA incineration fight, and what it means that Pennsylvania's constitution guarantees the right to clean air and water • Individual responsibility vs. corporate and government accountability, and why both matter, but not equally • Planned obsolescence, consumer culture, and how capitalism designed our throwaway society on purpose • Indigenous and collective wisdom as a model for a caretaking economy — and how white supremacist capitalism broke that relationship • Practical things you can actually do: composting, freezing leftovers, buy-nothing challenges, and sharing with neighbors • Why slowing down and making intentional choices might be the most radical act you can do right now Resources Mentioned: • Umi Feeds: https://umifeeds.org/ • Mother Compost: https://mothercompost.com/ • ReFed: https://refed.org/ • Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org/ • Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR): https://ilsr.org/ • Drawdown: https://drawdown.org/ • "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer: https://amzn.to/3Q0j5oG • "The Serviceberry" by Robin Wall Kimmerer: https://amzn.to/4u92BZG • "Emergent Strategy" by adrienne maree brown: https://amzn.to/4fpltjr 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with Dr. Han Ren, a licensed psychologist and author of the upcoming book The Hyphenated Life , to explore why therapy is inherently political. They discuss the systemic barriers to accessing quality mental health care, how politics shapes therapeutic practice, the dangers of pathologizing trauma responses, and why "therapy speak" often reinforces white supremacy. If you've ever struggled to find a therapist who truly understands your lived experience — or wondered why the mental health field feels so disconnected from issues of justice — this conversation is essential listening. In This Episode, We Get Into: Why therapy and psychology have always been political — even when grad school pretends otherwise How Dr. Han Ren started creating mental health content on TikTok in 2020 to fill gaps in representation The exhausting reality of finding a therapist who understands your marginalized identities Why therapists can no longer afford to keep their values "close to the chest" — it's a safety issue How politics directly impacts what happens in the therapy room (and why that matters) The concept of imposter phenomenon and how it disproportionately affects people from marginalized communities Why pathologizing trauma responses is a form of social control How "therapy speak" reinforces white supremacy and individualism The model minority myth and how different communities are villainized by mental health narratives Why healing is for everyone, but therapy doesn't have a monopoly on healing The role of self-love, community, grief, and "doing the reps" in real healing Resources Mentioned: The Hyphenated Life by Dr. Han Ren: https://amzn.to/3RhbmmF Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldúa: https://amzn.to/3PTXnml Dr. Han Ren's website: https://www.drhanren.com/ Dr. Han Ren on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drhanren Dr. Han Ren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.han.ren/ 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with equity strategist and executive coach Danielle Marshall to explore the art of having difficult conversations across political and ideological divides. They discuss the limitations of echo chambers, the difference between engagement and community, and why being able to hold multiple perspectives — even when you disagree — is essential for creating real change. If you've ever struggled with whether to engage someone whose views challenge yours, this conversation offers a refreshing framework for navigating disagreement without sacrificing your values. In This Episode, We Get Into: Why echo chambers feel safe but can be limiting — and when that matters The difference between engaging with people and bringing them into your inner community How to set a clear goal before entering a challenging conversation Marjorie Taylor Greene as a real-time case study in people changing their minds (yes, really) Why we're so afraid to be wrong — and how binary thinking keeps us stuck The burden of trying to convince everyone to see things your way How cancel culture makes it harder to hold space for nuance and change Everything is political: how even your garbage and clothing choices are political acts Why "convincing you is not my ministry" might be the most freeing phrase you hear today How to ask yourself: Is this perspective serving me — and how is it working for me? Danielle Marshall's website: culture-principles.com 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown celebrate reaching 100 episodes of Messy Liberation, the feminist podcast dedicated to helping listeners understand the world through an intersectional feminist lens. In this milestone live episode, they reflect on two years of consistent conversations about pop culture, politics, social justice, and the power of slow, sustainable activism. IN THIS EPISODE, WE GET INTO: Celebrating 100 episodes and why most podcasts don't make it this far The origin story: how Becky and Taina met and decided to start a podcast together What keeps the show sustainable and consistent over two years How personal growth and social progress both require a long-term lens The power of showing up in your life and relationships, even in small ways Why "everything is political" and how that framework changes how we move through the world The upcoming "Everything Is Political" series covering topics like composting, fashion, data analysis, and therapy Honoring your capacity and burnout prevention in activism and creative work Reflecting on monumental personal growth that only becomes visible over time The importance of community touchpoints and consistent spaces for learning and connection 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown unpack the controversy around the Kevin Hart roast, exploring why comedy that punches down reinforces harmful power dynamics. They discuss how roasts, jokes about women's bodies, and casual misogyny contribute to a larger cultural moment where rights and representation are being systematically stripped away—and why pushing back matters now more than ever. In This Episode, We Get Into: Why roasts make us uncomfortable (and why that matters) The difference between punching up, punching laterally, and punching down in comedy How jokes about women's bodies and Black women's intelligence don't exist in a vacuum The connection between rape culture humor and the loss of reproductive rights Why "it's just a joke" is never just a joke when power dynamics are at play How comedy can either challenge or reinforce oppressive systems The importance of asking "what's funny about that?" when jokes cross the line Why people with privilege need to be the ones speaking up in rooms where marginalized people are the target How cultural moments like this contribute to the normalization of racism, misogyny, and authoritarianism Ways to push back without being aggressive—and why it matters 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive into the tone-deaf spectacle of the Met Gala, unpacking what celebrity wealth displays reveal about economic inequality and performative activism. They also explore the myth of meritocracy in higher education, the emotional labor of parenting during high-stakes testing, and how to find joy and rest when everything feels heavy. In This Episode, We Get Into: Why the Met Gala feels like a "let them eat cake" moment during skyrocketing inflation and wealth inequality The difference between art as subversion and art as "sucking the dick of power" Performative activism vs. real protest (looking at you, Sarah Paulson's dollar bill accessory) How billionaires like Jeff Bezos hosting the Met Gala undercuts any claim of artistic rebellion The myth that going to Harvard (or other elite schools) is the secret to wealth How legacy admissions and cronyism maintain class hierarchies in higher education Supporting kids through stressful standardized testing without reinforcing toxic achievement culture Processing grief, finding dopamine hits in gamified productivity, and giving yourself permission to rest The slow, steady growth of creative projects you do just because you love them Why we keep showing up for these conversations (and thank you for listening) 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dig into Trump's latest authoritarian moves — from putting his face on passports to plastering government buildings with his image. They explore the privilege of leaving the country when things get dark, the importance of staying present when the world feels like it's on fire, and small acts of resistance that help us reclaim agency in impossible times. In This Episode, We Get Into: Trump's plan to put his photo in U.S. passports (and why that's some dictator-level nonsense) The tan suit vs. sitting in your own shit: a study in Republican hypocrisy Why "just leave the country" is peak privilege and not as easy as people think The emotional toll of coming home from vacation to this dumpster fire How post-vacation blues hit different when your country is falling apart Becky's "Bring the Magic" challenge: finding agency through small acts of kindness Why being present isn't toxic positivity — it's survival Taina's spring gardening as embodied resistance Finding ways to control your cortisol when the world is literally on fire Choosing not to have a heart attack while everything burns around you 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/