Toxic

Toxic podcast hosted by Amanda Kippert and Jenna Brandl

What happens when toxic masculinity goes unchecked for far too long? Domestic violence journalist and advocate Amanda Kippert along with co-host Jenna Brandl shine a spotlight on the men who have chosen to abuse more than just their male privilege. Through candid and unreserved conversions with survivors, advocates and experts, we're calling out the audacity of men, one abuser at a time. To end domestic violence, abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and general male bad behavior, it's time we call it as we see it.

  1. 7 hr ago

    TV Taught Us Sex....Poorly: A Conversation with Doménica Feraud That Might Change You Think About Intimacy

    Have you ever watched movie sex and then wondered why the sex you have is so.....not that? Sure, we know it's scripted, but in the same way romcom writers make stalking look romantic, so too is over-the-top passionate 30-second sex the best orgasam of any woman's life. Umm......what? How are these completely inacurate portrayls of sex influencing our own ideas about what intimacy should look and feel like? And how does it especially impact young people who are growing up with a completely inaccurate expectation for sex?   Doménica Feraud is a writer, producer and actor whose new book, You Are What You See: How My Favorite Shows Became My Worst Influences, examines how the movies and television we consume shape our ideas about sex, relationships and ourselves. She also wrote an ahhhhmazing essay that went viral for good reason: The 26-Year-Old Virgin. Tl; dr: We need more women writing sex scenes because—shocker—men are writing about the sexual responses they *think* women should be having. And sorry guys, this just isn't it.  We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story. We're sorry if we can't reply to every email immediately, but we we are trying our best to respond to everyone who writes in. Just know that we hear you and you're not alone. If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please consider connecting with a trained advocate near you. You can find one through DomesticShelters.org. Finally, help us spread these important conversations further. Share an episode of Toxic with someone just as pissed off as you that this keeps happening. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, and if you're willing, leave us a review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories. Together, we can create change.

    TV Taught Us Sex....Poorly: A Conversation with Doménica Feraud That Might Change You Think About Intimacy
  2. 8 hr ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Also Like: Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness

    Introducing The Internet Doesn't Have to Make You Miserable w/ Eric Sedeño from Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness. Follow the show: Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness Better Babes, we’re bringing the levity back! JVN sits down with comedic genius Eric Sedeño (host of Wild Wild Web, star of Tan’s Honorable Gays) to talk all things internet. From the TikTok trends that live rent-free in our brains to the cringiest posts we wish we could delete. Eric opens up about leaving his career as an art director to become a full-time content creator, the friendship that helped him take the leap, and why he leans into joy instead of doom-scrolling despair. Plus: Housewives rankings, cruise ship horror stories, Margaret Cho nostalgia, and a real conversation about self-compassion, fear, and putting yourself out there online. This week, JVN and Eric are getting better at output over input.  Wanna see JVN on stage? Get tix to the Hot & Healed Comedy Tour here.  Full Video Episodes now available on YouTube.  Follow Eric Sedeño on Instagram @ricotaquito Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Follow Jonathan on Instagram @jvn Executive  Producer, Chris McClure Producer, Editor & Engineer is Nathanael McClure Production support from: Chad Hall Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure. Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Also Like: Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness
  3. 17 Jun

    Pride Month: Inside the Playbook of Queer Abusers

    Pride is about visibility, but not everything is rainbows and glitter, despite what the media feeds us about queer relationships. This episode dives into how intimate partner abuse shows up in queer relationships, including the tactics and dynamics that can fly under the radar. But never fear—we end on a lighter note with the queer shows we love (and the scenes we'll never stop thinking about). Love is love, bitches. As mentioned in the episode, here are some LGBTQ+-specific organizations that are here if you need someone supportive and nonjudgmental to talk about what's going on in your relationship, or need help leaving an abusive partner.  L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual; Transgender Community Center (New York) CenterLink, The Community of LGBTQ+ Centers Community United Against Violence (CUAV) FORGE, for transgender and non-binary survivors LGBT National Help Center National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging The Network/La Red The Mazzoni Center             We want to hear from you. Have a story we should cover or a guest we need to feature? Head to ToxicThePodcast.com and tell us what's on your mind. We can't always respond right away—but we are reading, and you are not alone. If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, you deserve support. You can connect with a trained advocate near you at DomesticShelters.org. If this episode resonated, share it with a friend, a group chat or honestly, anyone else who's fed up that this is still happening. Follow Toxic wherever you listen, please leave a review i and help us keep these conversations loud. Change doesn't happen quietly and we're not done talking.

    Pride Month: Inside the Playbook of Queer Abusers
  4. 25 Feb

    Ep. 119: Breaking News—Woman Asks Question, Man Requests Facial Expression

    After Donald Trump publicly berated Kaitlan Collins of CNN for pressing him about the Jeffrey Epstein files, he used a cheap power move familiar to women worldwide. "Why aren't you smiling?" Because apparently women exist to decorate the room — and keep powerful men comfortable. It's also a great way to deflect questions you don't want to answer. In this episode, we unpack the long history of telling women to "smile" — and why it's one of the most annoying things men can say next to....oh, about anything. We examine how policing women's expressions becomes a way to reassert dominance, derail accountability and minimize a woman's place in a professional seetting.  Because when a woman is told to smile, it's rarely about happiness. It's about control. We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story. We're sorry if we can't reply to every email immediately, but we we are trying our best to respond to everyone who writes in. Just know that we hear you and you're not alone. If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please consider connecting with a trained advocate near you. You can find one through DomesticShelters.org. Finally, help us spread these important conversations further. Share an episode of Toxic with someone just as pissed off as you that this keeps happening. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, and if you're willing, leave us a review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories. Together, we can create change.

    Ep. 119: Breaking News—Woman Asks Question, Man Requests Facial Expression
  5. 28 Jan

    Ep. 118: Dead Women Can't Appeal — Lizzie Weinstein, Family Court and a Death Still in Question

    We're starting this episode with Jenna's take from the frontlines in Minneapolis, where she lives, and the horrors she's seen there firsthand in the wake of ICE's terror campaign. Spoiler: It's all bad. But you can do something, no matter where you are. Visit standwithminnesota.com to donate to families impacted and to the tireless volunteers standing guard in the negative temps 24/7.  Next, because we can't let ICE distract us from the fact that women are in peril every day, and most often by their own partners in their own homes, we're telling the story of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Weinstein. Lizzie was a mother, former ER nurse and outspoken critic of the family court system whose life ended under still-unclear circumstances last July. After divorcing her ex-husband, prominent attorney Brian Stryker Weinstein, Lizzie alleged abuse and corruption within a system she said stripped her of her children, her finances and her credibility—while protecting power and wealth. What followed was a series of deeply troubling events involving her being put behind bars, subjected to psychiatric confinement against her will and court orders that raise more questions than answers. This episode traces Lizzie's story through its many confusing and perplexing twists, exploring how family court can be weaponized against survivors—and why the full truth of what happened to her may never be known. We close with an interview with Natalie Blundell, Lizzie's friend, a domestic violence advocate and the founder of WeSpoke.org, who shares her perspective on Lizzie's final years and what her case reveals about systemic failures that continue to impact women across the country. We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story. We're sorry if we can't reply to every email immediately, but we we are trying our best to respond to everyone who writes in. Just know that we hear you and you're not alone. If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please consider connecting with a trained advocate near you. You can find local advocacy groups and information on all facets of abuse at DomesticShelters.org. Finally, help us spread these important conversations further. Share an episode of Toxic with someone just as pissed off as you that this keeps happening. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media please leave us a review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories. Together, we can create change.

    Ep. 118: Dead Women Can't Appeal — Lizzie Weinstein, Family Court and a Death Still in Question
  6. 09/12/2025

    Ep. 116: How the Manosphere Turns 'Poor Me' Into 'Hurt Her'

    We're back! Thanks for your patience. We had life stuff. This week, Jenna and Amanda are strapping on their metaphorical hazmat suits and wading into the darkest corners of the internet: the manosphere. What starts as "dating tips" or "how to be more confident" quickly turns into a pipeline of misogyny, conspiracy thinking victimhood narratives ("men have it the worst!"), and in too many cases, encouragement of real-world violence against women. We're breaking down how this ecosystem has gone fully mainstream, how influencers sell young men a fantasy of power and entitlement—usually wrapped in $999 "mastermind" courses—and why boys searching YouTube for perfectly innocent advice on dating or fitness are now just one algorithmic shove away from some of the most toxic women-hating, pro-grape messaging online. Come for the snark. Stay for the unsettling realization that this stuff is everywhere now. If you want to go even deeper into the manosphere, we can't recommend highly enough Laura Bates' book "Men Who Hate Women: From Incels to Pick-Up Artists, the Truth About Extreme Misogyny and How It Affects Us All." And to jumpstart a fun conversation over morning coffee, get your "Prevent Male Podcasts" coffee mug at our Toxic store here!  We want to hear from you. Do you have a story we need to discuss or a guest we should feature? Visit us at ToxicThePodcast.com and share your story. We're sorry if we can't reply to every email immediately, but we we are trying our best to respond to everyone who writes in. Just know that we hear you and you're not alone. If you're experiencing abuse or domestic violence, please consider connecting with a trained advocate near you. You can find one through DomesticShelters.org. Finally, help us spread these important conversations further. Share an episode of Toxic with someone just as pissed off as you that this keeps happening. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or social media, and please consider leaving us a [kind] review. Your support helps us amplify these critical stories. Together, we can create change.

    Ep. 116: How the Manosphere Turns 'Poor Me' Into 'Hurt Her'

About

What happens when toxic masculinity goes unchecked for far too long? Domestic violence journalist and advocate Amanda Kippert along with co-host Jenna Brandl shine a spotlight on the men who have chosen to abuse more than just their male privilege. Through candid and unreserved conversions with survivors, advocates and experts, we're calling out the audacity of men, one abuser at a time. To end domestic violence, abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and general male bad behavior, it's time we call it as we see it.

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