Young women's use of the word 'like' has been parodied for decades, but where did it come from, why do we use it, and why is it, like, so goddamn useful? Linguist and host of Sounds Like A Cult podcast Amanda Montell discusses the versatility of one of the most despised words in the English language, primarily because it's associated with teenage girls. We talked about female voices, how we perceive public speech, and the mystery of Elizabeth Holmes. Amanda Montell is the author of WordSlut and ...
Nov 25, 2021•45 min•Season 8Ep. 17
When Titanic first came out, it made history for the epic scale of James Cameron's filmmaking. But like the ship itself, its reputation started to capsize. The more the movie was embraced by young women and girls, the more it was ridiculed as garbage. Caroline and author Janina Matthewson discuss the legacy of the movie, Rose as a protagonist, the camp factor of Billy Zane, what Christopher Nolan is missing by being terrified of giving his scripts a 'camp pass', why Jack needs to die, and why th...
Nov 18, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 8Ep. 16
The Guardian once compared Maroon 5 to 'rats scavenging through pizza boxes', but to a generation of millennial women, they were as close to sex-positive as indie music was willing to get. Caroline and Cosmopolitan editor Catriona Innes talk about the rise and fall of Adam Levine, the mystery and allure of 'Jane', the fan fiction this album has inspired, how the way we thought and felt about sex was influenced by its existence, and of course, the insane beauty of Levine that almost seemed to be ...
Nov 10, 2021•57 min•Season 8Ep. 14
According to best-selling author Séamas O'Reilly's family, this is not just the superior Grease film, but a classic movie on a par with Jaws and Scarface. We discuss Michelle Pfeiffer's breathtaking star turn as Stephanie Zinone, the idea of Grease as a genre of film, our hatred of squares, and a lot else. Séamas O'Reilly is the author of Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? and the features editor of The Fence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 04, 2021•57 min•Season 8Ep. 13
Author, witch and host of Your Magic Michelle Tea talks about one of the most guilt-ridden feminine practices of all: magic and witchcraft. Caroline and Michelle talk about tarot, astrology, belief, having an altar, Catholic childhoods and devotion. Michelle is the author of many books, including Modern Tarot, Against Memoir, Black Wave, How to Grow Up and more. She has a weekly podcast about magic called Your Magic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 31, 2021•57 min•Season 10Ep. 12
"I AM big... it's the pictures that got small." Drag Race UK star Joe Black joins us to talk about the camp Billy Wilder classic that took the best of gothic literature and the best of old Hollywood to make one of the best movies of all time. We talk about the blurred lines between fact and fiction, the craziness of the monkey funeral, the fear of age within the entertainment system, the unique fascination of silent cinema, and much more. Joe Black is a drag queen and cabaret artist based in Bri...
Oct 21, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 8Ep. 10
Mona Lisa Smile was a 2003 movie about women's education in the 1950s, and it was also the first Julia Roberts drama to spectacularly fail. We talk a lot about the negative reception to the film – in some cases, the negative reception from the cast itself. We discuss movies about education, and why no one ever seems to have quite the same high standards of filmmaking when it comes to making movies about men. We also talk about women who act against their own best interests, TERFs, evolving view ...
Oct 14, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Season 8Ep. 9
Coin Operated Boy Tom McInnes is back and we're here to cry about Amanda Palmer. Amanda Palmer is a singer, songwriter and performance artist who first rose to fame in the early 2000s with her band, The Dresden Dolls. After singles like Coin Operated Boy and Girl Anachronism, The Dresden Dolls became a staple of indie music and were known for their cabaret-inspired aesthetic and wild live shows. Amanda has since become a solo artist, releasing several albums under her own name and becoming one o...
Oct 07, 2021•54 min•Season 8Ep. 8
If I should stay, I would only get in your way. Caroline and Irenosen Okojie get extremely giddy about The Bodyguard, arguably the best date movie of all time. We talk about the tragic history of Whitney, the power of sister relationships in art, and the psychological weight of assassinations within contemporary culture. Irenosen is the author of several books, including the most recent Nudibranch. She is the winner of the Betty Trask award, the Caine Prize for African Writing, and was recently ...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 8Ep. 7
How did ANTM become one of the most influential reality shows of all time? Caroline and Juno bond over their shared love of this pioneering reality series, its absurd lens on the modelling industry, and the competitors who have stuck in our brains for well over a decade at this stage. We also find out what, exactly, makes fashion photographer Nigel Barker so *noted* Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 23, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 8Ep. 5
It's 1997 and Bridget Jones is navigating New Labour, the sudden death of Princess Diana, and her on-again off-again relationship with the elusive Mark Darcy. Caroline and novelist Ayisha Malik discuss why Helen Fielding remains one of the greatest comic novelists of the 20th century (and yours, Mrs Townsend, are quite good too),as well as the everlasting and occasionally frustrating thick behaviour of our best mate Bridget. Ayisha Malik is the author of several books, most recently This Green a...
Sep 16, 2021•53 min•Season 8Ep. 5
Super Trouper Zoe Terakes has brought Mamma Mia to the garbage dump and is ready to celebrate it for the mad camp wonderland it truly is. We talk about how Mamma Mia rejects patriarchal frameworks, whether or not Sophie is in the middle of twelve steps, our love of Pierce Brosnan, and the high lesbian energy coming off Does Your Mother Know. This episode is sponsored by Nine Perfect Strangers, available on Amazon Prime Video now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 04, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Rebecca Taylor of Self Esteem (formerly Slow Club) talks about how Drag Race literally dragged her out of a dark post-break up depression and helped redefine her musical persona. We gush unabashedly about how this show changed our lives, admit to reading the Reddit and confess to drag queen sex dreams. There's also a preview of her new single, HOW CAN I HELP YOU, at the very end, so stay tuned! Rebecca is @selfesteemselfesteem on everything and her new album, Prioritise Pleasure, is coming Octob...
Sep 02, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 8Ep. 2
We're back with season 8 and TV presenter Muireann O'Connell is making the case for award season red carpets being a competitive sport in their own right. We talk about Joan Rivers and Fashion Police, the questionable feminism of judging professionals on how they look in formal wear, the risks and rewards of the red carpet, and Muireann's very own revenge dress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 26, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 8Ep. 1
There's a whole new season of Sentimental Garbage on the way! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 18, 2021•1 min•Season 8Ep. 1
This episode was edited by Caroline O'Donoghue, mixed by Hannah Varrall, with music by Harry Harris and artwork by Gavin Day. Dolly Alderton is the author of two books, Everything I Know About Love and Ghosts. Caroline O'Donoghue is the author of Promising Young Women and Scenes of a Graphic Nature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 15, 2021•2 hr 14 min•Season 7Ep. 10
It's the movie!!! And it's... not as good as we remember! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 08, 2021•2 hr 8 min•Season 7Ep. 8
It's the winter of this content, and we're debating Aleksandr Petrovsky (call me Bob) so hard that it risks ending our friendship entirely. We discuss the Paris episodes, the infamous demise of Lexi Featherstone, the Wizard of Oz journey each of the girls go on, and the astounding fashion of the final few episodes. We're back for the movies and a Q&A soon, if you want to join in, email us on [email protected]. This episode was edited by Caroline O'Donoghue, mixed by Hannah Varrall, wi...
Apr 01, 2021•2 hr 34 min•Season 7Ep. 8
What does Charlotte do all day? We finally have the answer and it's Judaism. We go hell for leather on Jack Berger, fall in love with Smith the baby chick and discuss the Post-It heard around the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 25, 2021•2 hr 15 min•Season 7Ep. 7
This is the FIRST class sleeper? Put on your visor and trapeze dress, it's time for the big bag of fun that is season five. We talk about Atlantic City, big wing woman energy, how everyone must open for a dog eventually, the continued comedic genius of Chris Noth, the FINAL act of the MacDougalls Are Coming For Supper, the dangers of falling for Jack Berger and the inspiring self-love of Harry Goldenblatt. Carrie clangs out while 'dating the city' and the fashion is disappointing but not without...
Mar 18, 2021•2 hr 13 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Don't you bring that cardboard baby in here! This week we're coming into Season 4 with tears, and the firm knowledge that CABS ARE BULLLSSSSH*T. We discuss the comic chops of Chris Noth, the confusing friendship of Aidan and Steve, the great When Harry Met Sally drama that never was, and we go very deep on the financial awkwardness of friendship. We praise the hugely under-sung Walker Lewis and wonder what the hell is going with Richard Wright (creature of the night) Dolly Alderton is the author...
Mar 11, 2021•2 hr 14 min•Season 7Ep. 5
Take your seats, turn off your phones, it's time to settle in for the National Theatre's presentation of THE MCDOUGALLS ARE COMING FOR SUPPER and there will be no intermission. This week we discuss everyone's favourite members of the Scottish-American aristocracy, Aidan and the affair, and the general neglect of dogs in this season. We also discuss how and why this is Sex and the City's most problematic season – did the writers take their own status as being the Big Sex Show for granted? We rhap...
Mar 04, 2021•1 hr 50 min•Season 7Ep. 4
It's season two and the hair is great, the clothes are even better, and Mr Big is fundamentally depressing. We argue that season two of Sex and the City is Miranda's Season as twenty episodes of sexual humiliation threatens to break her, until she's given the greatest meet-cute in the show's history. We profess our love for Steve Brady, investigate class in Britain as well as in the show, and dissect the meaning of the gold corduroy suit. We discuss why, exactly, the girls are still single and d...
Feb 25, 2021•1 hr 58 min•Season 7Ep. 3
This week, we're kicking off our Sex and the City mini-series with our discussion of the character arcs and themes (take a drink) of season one. After a round dismissal of the pilot episode (abso-f*cking-who-cares?) we get right into the meat of The Valley of 20-Something Guys, where we re-enact the infamous taxi scene that landed the tone of the whole series, dissect the cultural practice of Carrie-bashing, and generally watch as a previously sane New York party girl loses her goddamn mind for ...
Feb 18, 2021•1 hr 42 min•Season 7Ep. 2
It's the first ever Sentimental Garbage mini-series: a big basket of episodes about Sex and the City! In this mini-series, author Dolly Alderton joins me as we spend each episode discussing every season of the TV show Sex and the City for the great American novel it truly is. This is not an episode by episode analysis but a look at each season as an individual piece of work, where we discuss the themes, character journeys and lasting messages of it. We examine the big thesis topics such as: The ...
Feb 15, 2021•1 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Sophfronia Scott re-imagination of Dangerous Liaisons set in the Harlem Renaissance is sexy, surprising and so entertaining that we're willing to forgive the baseball references. Author of IF I DON'T HAVE YOU Sareeta Domingo talks us through her love for a book that, despite only coming out in 2017, has already earned a cult classic status. Be prepared for moustache-twirling, hand-rubbing, god-fearing, and hot hot jazz. Unforgivable Love is a retelling of Dangerous Liaisons set in post-war Harle...
Jan 28, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Ciao bella! It's our second Maeve Binchy-cast of the season, with returning guest Sarah Maria Griffin. It’s the dawn of the Celtic Tiger in early nineties Ireland, and Nora O’Donoghue, or Signora, is returning home after over 20 years away. Having spent her youth in Sicily, in love with a married man, she has returned with no money, no friends and no prospects. She begins teaching italian at Mountainview school, where the beleaguered Aidan Dunne has just been passed over for the job of principal...
Jan 21, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Get your Kelly bag and your load-bearing beams ready, this week we're talking about Diane Johnson's Le Divorce with real-life American Girl in Paris, Fiona Zublin! Isabel Walker is a young, bored film school graduate who has decamped to Paris to help her older sister Roxy, with her second pregnancy. Upon her arrival she discovers that Roxy has just been left by her French husband, Charles-Henri for another woman. As Roxy tries to negotiate French divorce courts and her estranged husbands family,...
Jan 14, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Merry Christmas everyone! Usually this time of year, you’d be in your childhood bedroom, re-reading the books that got you through primary school. This year, a lot of us can’t go home this Christmas, but there’s still every reason to revisit the books that made life better when you were nine. It might even make life better now? Caroline and occasional co-host Ella Risbridger talk about childhood reading habits, magazines, tough but beautiful Christmases, and why the Secret Garden is the greatest...
Dec 24, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Best-selling romance novelist and Yorkshire lass Milly Johnson talks to us about her biggest writing inspiration, Catherine Cookson. If you haven't read Cookson's books, you've almost certainly seen one of her many, maaaaaaany costume dramas that have been adapted for TV, probably while sick with chicken box circa 1998. We discuss Cookson's first novel, The Fifteen Streets, which tells the story of an Irish Catholic family struggling in the slums of Newcastle. We talk religion, poverty, family, ...
Dec 17, 2020•57 min•Season 5Ep. 7
