Strong Opinions Loosely Held

Ballet, figure skating and gymnastics are sports with some of the most vigorous physical and psychological training regimes and yet they’re often dismissed because the star athletes are young women in leotards with big smiles and sparkles, striving for perfection. What does our lack of respect for these athletes say about how our culture treats young women? To get some answers, I talk to award winning sports journalist, Joan Ryan, and American Ballet Theater principal dancer, Isabella Boylston. Have strong opinions? Let's hear 'em! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There was one event this year in particular that put the topic of what it means to be a "good sport" into the cultural conversation: the women's singles final at the US Open between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. The match put the question of women’s anger and specifically, black women’s anger, on the national stage. I talk to Louisa Thomas, New Yorker sports contributor, to unwrap what happened and how the story of Serena and Naomi impacts all female athletes. Have strong opinions? Lay 'em on me: Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's my conversation with soccer legend Abby Wambach on how the US Women's National Soccer Team became fair-pay role models and the unique terror female athletes face when they retire. Have strong opinions? Send 'em: Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite bringing in more money and winning more games (including four Olympics and 3 World Cups), the U.S. women's national soccer team was paid nearly four times less than the men’s team. But two years ago, the team made headlines when they started a very public fight for equal pay. Since then, they’ve emerged as a role model and a valuable resource for other women’s teams like US Hockey and the WNBA. Why are female athletes paid less, even when they perform better? And how much better could they be if they had basic accommodations like extra leg room on flights to games (especially for players over 6 feet tall?). I asked sports writer Britni de la Cretaz and WNBA icon, Swin Cash. Have strong opinions? Let's hear 'em: Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

College football has everything: devoted female fans, camaraderie and game day rituals. But the players aren’t paid, the coaches make millions and there’s a pattern of disregard for sexual assault allegations. Why do young women gravitate to college football and what feelings are they negotiating in order to stay fans? I talk to Burn It All Down co-host and investigative reporter, Jessica Luther and 3 female fans of college football to find out. Hey BTW: Welcome to Season 4 of Strong Opinions Loosely Held! This season is dedicated to professional female athletes and how they've survived and thrived in a sports-loving country that doesn't always love them back. Have strong opinions? I want to hear 'em! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quinta Brunson became obsessed with comedy as an undergrad at Temple University. She initially felt like the internet wasn't for her until her friend uploaded what would be Instagram's first viral video, "Butt Won't Clap". From there, she went on to BuzzFeed to make memes on a large scale. Quinta tells us what it's like when your face is a meme- and how she's crafting a career out of it. Follow Quinta: youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/quintabvideos Instagram: @quintab Twitter: @quintabrunson What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Memes in China are silly, they're based on puns, and they're driving the government crazy. Chinese memes are flourishing under the country's censored internet and, despite the risks, memes are used to communicate political dissent. Harvard researcher and technologist An Xiao Mina explains how the more censored the internet is, the more important the meme, and how the internet in the US isn't that much different than China's. What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chelsea Fairless and Lauren Garroni run the very popular Every Outfit on Sex and the City Instagram account. But after rewatching SATC for the clothes, they realized how the show focused mainly on the stories of privileged white women. So they created Woke Charlotte - a meme within a meme account that allows Charlotte to call out the problematic moments in the iconic show. The duo pair real scenes with re-written dialogue from Woke Charlotte, so that whenever Carrie, Miranda or Samantha say something offensive, Woke Charolette is there to hilariously point out how behind-the-times they are. Carrie referring to her jewelry as "ghetto gold"? Yeah, not cool. Follow Woke Charlotte: Chelsea and Lauren: @everyoutfitonsatc What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peaches, a young woman of color, uploads a video of herself to Vine. She's impressed with her eyebrows. They're on fleek. The Vine goes viral. Everyone from Ariana Grande to Kim K starts using the word. IHOP uses it to sell pancakes. Denny’s uses it to sell hash browns. Peaches doesn’t make a cent. She doesn't hear from beauty companies. In an era of influencers, Peaches has to start her own Kickstarter to fund a cosmetics line. Who determines who makes money off of memes? And if memes are meant to be remembered, will anyone remember Peaches? Elisa talks with Wired reporter and digital producer, Emma Gray Ellis to find out. What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even though Tiffany Pollard's appearance on VH1's Rock Of Love was 12 years ago, GIFs of her grandiose reactions are still used to respond to everything from an email about the broken copy machine at work to a group text about bad Tinder dates. GIFs that feature the reactions of black women from reality TV shows seem to be especially popular with white and non-black users. Elisa talks with cultural critic Lauren Michelle Jackson and UC Berkeley Center for Technology Fellow, Kate Miltner about why that might be. What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the world of memes. Where nuance means nothing and images are everything! This season, we find out what happened to Peaches Monroee after she coined On Fleek, dive into the reaction GIFs selection on Giphy, and talk to meme maker Quinta Brunson. In this trailer, Elisa talks with UC Berkeley Center for Technology Fellow, Kate Miltner, who fills us in on some history and tells us why memes are pretty, pretty, pretty cool. Special shout out to our Season 3 sponsor, Spotify. We love you and use you all the time! What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You #LeanIn. You #AskForMore. You #SideHustle. Yet you still feel like an imposter, even though you're pretty sure you know more than your male boss. How do you survive being manterrupted, passed over, and side-eyed at work when even Senator Kamala Harris and Arianna Huffington have to put up with it at the office? Elisa talks to “Feminist Fight Club” author and New York Times journalist, Jessica Bennett about how to combat subtle sexism and why being a bitch is A-OK. Director and Head of Product at Wirecutter (and feminist husband) David Bloom provides a male boss' perspective. Bennett's book is now out in paperback. This is our last episode of the season. *crying emoji* We’d love to come back for a season 3! What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elisa talks with comedian and actress Aubrey Plaza about her latest film and how Instagram has influenced her in her newest role and in real life. This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience after the LA screening of Plaza's latest film, "Ingrid Goes West". What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when you love the beat but the lyrics aren't quite....liberating? If you're ashamed of your music choices, don't be. Elisa talks with "Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear, and Why" author Sady Doyle and "Call Your Girlfriend" podcast host Aminatou Sow about enjoying problematic popular culture. This is our second to last episode for season 2! We'd love to come back for another season if you'll have us. What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The main consumer of self-help products in the US are women living in coastal cities. So how have decades of encouragement to "find our best selves" and "live our best lives" affected us? And why are we still looking for happiness in self-help books when the world’s happiest countries don’t sell all that many of them? Elisa talks with lawyer-turned-journalist Jill Filipovic about her new book, "The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness." In it, Filipovic suggests that our biggest roadblocks could be toppled by a feminism and politics that focus on women’s happiness and pleasure. What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HGTV is known for its unique audience that reaches millennials, feminists, queers, conservatives and Christians. That’s because the one thing we can all agree on is homeownership. But while HGTV’s homeowner-focused programming unites us, it also plays a role in dividing us. Elisa talks with “No Place Like Home” author and Georgetown professor, Brian J. McCabe to get to the bottom of how and why HGTV explains America. What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can you sell female friendship after you've put women down? Who did Taylor Swift vote for? Did she vote? Why does she represent our general distrust in well-intentioned white women? Elisa talks to "Stuff Mom Never Told You" podcast host Bridget Todd and BuzzFeed's senior culture writer Anne Helen Petersen to track the evolution of Taylor Swift from putting women down to embracing them. Petersen's book,"Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman" can be found wherever you get your books. What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historically, young women have set all the trends: the Beatles, Instagram, and Snapchat just to name a few. But they are always discounted as silly, cute, or frivolous. Why do we discount young women but embrace "early adopters"? Elisa talks to Muhlenberg College professor Dr. Francesca Coppa and New York Times journalist Amanda Hess to unpack how teenage girls have all the power in the world... but simultaneously, no power at all. What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we come to terms with the lies our families tell us? Are we really an extension of our parents? How do we define our identities if we aren't? This week’s episode is dedicated to finding personal truth, inspired by the film "Little White Lie" by director Lacey Schwartz. The film is a personal documentary about the legacy of family secrets, denial, and the power of telling the truth. Schwartz was accepted to college as a Black student, a decision based solely on a photo she submitted with her application. Lacey didn’t openly acknowledge her black identity with her white family until her biological father's death forced her to confront her mother about the past. Elisa talks with Lacey about family secrets, dual identities, and the power of being honest with yourself and those around you. What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hold onto your pussy hats. Tuck in your Future is Female T-shirts. We are doing a deep dive into the buying and selling of feminism! Beyoncé, Emma Watson and Taylor Swift have all come out as feminists in a time when feminist themes sell everything from wireless plans to cigarettes. Are these empty signifiers of "empowerment" or are they helpful reminders that women are actually human? What happens when shopping becomes a political act? Elisa talks to "We Were Feminists Once" author Andi Zeisler about the mainstreaming of feminism and what it means, if anything, for us. What are your Strong Opinions? Let me know! Instagram: @popculturepirate Twitter: @popcultpirate Hashtag: #SOLHpod #StrongOpinionsLooselyHeld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.