BadAss Women Throughout History

WaveHouse Media

Video pod celebrating the rebels, geniuses & visionaries
we weren’t taught about in school. Highlighting women from history who used what they and did what they could-and changed the world.

  1. 4 days ago

    JULIA CHILD: Couldn’t Cook Until She Was 37. Then She Changed How America Eats

    In Episode 26 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy explores the remarkable life of Julia Child. ▶ Keep watching:  Hollywood and TV Women Who Changed Everything → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBe6MD6GSqao ▶ Every episode, in order → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHw-0dYNhtqQ Julia Child didn't discover her life's calling until she was nearly 40. Before she became America's most beloved chef, she was a six-foot-two California girl who worked in intelligence during World War II, fell in love overseas, and arrived in France barely knowing how to cook. What followed was one of the most extraordinary second acts in American history :) We follow Julia from her wartime work with the OSS and her love story with Paul Child to the kitchens of Le Cordon Bleu, the decade-long journey to publish Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and the television career that made her a household name. Julia broke into a male-dominated culinary world, transformed the way Americans thought about food, and proved that finding your passion doesn't have an expiration date. This is the story of a woman who followed her curiosity, embraced her mistakes, and built an extraordinary life on her own timeline. SOURCES 📖 "My Life in France" by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307277690?tag=bawth-20 🎬 "Julia" (2021 documentary, dir. Julie Cohen & Betsy West) https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Julia+2021+documentary+Julie+Cohen&tag=bawth-20 📺 "The French Chef" episodes Watch free on PBS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMTX9qQThpdcleLKIUm9uEw Own the DVDs: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Julia+Child+The+French+Chef+DVD&tag=bawth-20 GO DEEPER 🍳 Cook from Julia's own masterpiece, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1" https://www.amazon.com/dp/0375413405?tag=bawth-20 WATCH NEXT (BAWTH Episodes) → Dolly Parton — Don't Underestimate Her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbq-h7atOx0 → Madame CJ Walker — First Self-Made Female Millionaire in America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SjH7MVIrTQ → Mabel Ping-Hua Lee — Fought for the Vote Before She Could Cast One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31RtM-AdeeE BadAss Women Throughout History (BAWTH) is a women's history video podcast hosted by Amy Aitken: the rebels, geniuses and visionaries we weren't taught about in school.  A Wavehouse Media production. LISTEN & FOLLOW Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1871335689 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4PWStPKWmpWIRcIY4h2SHe Website: https://badasswomenthroughouthistory.com Substack: https://badasswomenthroughouthistory.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badasswomenthroughouthistory YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bawthpodcast Facebook: @BAWTH All links: https://linktr.ee/BAWTH Hosted by Amy Aitken | Wavehouse Media | Business inquiries: amy@wavehouse.media As an Amazon Associate, BAWTH earns from qualifying purchases. #BadassWomenThroughoutHistory #BAWTH #WomensHistory #WomenInHistory #HistoryPodcast #JuliaChild

  2. 7 Oct

    SALLY RIDE: The First U.S. Woman in Space

    In episode 25 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy explores the story of Sally Ride. In 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. But getting there meant walking into a NASA culture that had been built almost entirely by and for men. Reporters asked whether spaceflight would affect her reproductive organs. Engineers wondered how many tampons she might need for a week-long mission. Through it all, Sally stayed remarkably calm, private, and focused on the work. Then came the Challenger mission STS-51L. After the shuttle exploded in 1986, killing all seven people aboard, Sally was appointed to the commission investigating the disaster. During the investigation, she quietly passed crucial information about the shuttle’s O-rings to Air Force General Donald Kutyna, helping expose a problem NASA insiders had known about before the launch. And there was another part of Sally’s life the public knew nothing about. For 27 years, she shared her life with Tam O’Shaughnessy. Their relationship only became widely known after Sally’s death in 2012, when her obituary identified Tam as her partner. This is the story of a physicist, astronaut, educator, and fiercely private woman who changed who Americans imagined could go to space, and then spent the rest of her life making sure more girls believed they belonged in science too. SOURCES: Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster “Sally” documentary: https://films.nationalgeographic.com/sally Sally Ride Science: https://extendedstudies.ucsd.edu/sally-ride-science GO DEEPER 📖 "Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space" by Lynn Sherr https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476725772?tag=bawth-20 Watch Next (BAWTH Episodes): → Dolly Parton — Don’t Underestimate Her → Madame CJ Walker — First Self-Made Female Millionaire in America → Mabel Ping Hua Lee — Fought for the Vote Before She Could Cast One WEBSITE https://badasswomenthroughouthistory.com SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory YouTube: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory TikTok: @BAWTHpodcast Facebook: @BAWTH As an Amazon Associate, BAWTH earns from qualifying purchases.

    SALLY RIDE: The First U.S. Woman in Space

  3. 1 Oct

    DOLLY PARTON: Don’t Underestimate Her

    Dolly Parton is one of the most recognizable women in the world. The hair. The rhinestones. The voice. The songs. But behind all of it is a remarkably savvy songwriter and businesswoman who spent decades making sure she stayed in control of the career she built. Born into a family of twelve children in rural Tennessee, Dolly grew from a kid singing on local radio into one of the most successful songwriters and entertainers in American history. Along the way, she made some gutsy decisions: leaving Porter Wagoner at the height of their success, refusing to give Elvis Presley half the publishing rights to “I Will Always Love You,” building Dollywood, and quietly giving away millions of books to children around the world. In this episode of Badass Women Throughout History, we get into Dolly’s childhood, her complicated partnership with Porter Wagoner, the real story behind “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” her business empire, philanthropy, and the choices that helped her build a career entirely her own. Because underneath all those rhinestones is one seriously badass woman. SOURCES Dolly Parton Official Biography  Library of Congress: “Coat of Many Colors”  Country Music Hall of Fame: Dolly Parton  Country Music Hall of Fame: Porter Wagoner  U.S. Copyright Office: “I Will Always Love You”  PBS: Dolly Parton: Here I Am  Dollywood: History of the Park  The Dollywood Foundation  Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: History  Imagination Library: Awards & Milestones  Imagination Library: 2025 Year in Review  Vanderbilt University: Dolly's COVID-19 Research Donation  Dolly Parton Official: Carl Dean / Dollywood 40th Anniversary  GO DEEPER 🎬 Dolly Parton: Here I Am (PBS documentary) 📖 Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics 📖 Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton Watch Next (BAWTH Episodes): → Elizabeth Taylor — The Hollywood Icon Who Refused To Stay Silent → Mary Tyler Moore — The Woman Who Changed Television → Mabel Ping Hua Lee — Fought for the Vote Before She Could Cast One WEBSITE https://badasswomenthroughouthistory.com SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory TikTok: @BAWTHpodcast Facebook: @BAWTH YouTube: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory As an Amazon Associate, BAWTH earns from qualifying purchases.

    DOLLY PARTON: Don’t Underestimate Her

  4. 8 Sept

    GLORIA STEINEM: She Made It Impossible To Ignore Women

    Gloria Steinem spent more than six decades making women harder to ignore. Before she became one of the most recognizable faces of the modern women’s movement, she was a journalist struggling to be taken seriously, going undercover as a Playboy Bunny to expose what life was really like behind the fantasy. She went on to help launch Ms. magazine, organize alongside some of the most influential activists of her generation, and push conversations about abortion, equal pay, marriage, race, political power, and women’s rights into the American mainstream. Gloria Steinem died this week at 92, leaving behind a movement much bigger than herself. In episode 23 of Badass Women Throughout History, we look beyond the famous glasses and feminist-icon status to the complicated, funny, ambitious woman who spent her life challenging the rules women had been told to accept, and helped generations of women imagine something different. SOURCES “My Life On The Road” by Gloria Steinem GO DEEPER 📖 My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem 📖 An Unexpected Life: A Memoir by Gloria Steinem 🎬 The Glorias (2020, dir. Julie Taymor) Watch Next (BAWTH Episodes): → Elizabeth Taylor — The Hollywood Icon Who Refused To Stay Silent → Mary Tyler Moore — The Woman Who Changed Television → Mabel Ping Hua Lee — Fought for the Vote Before She Could Cast One WEBSITE https://badasswomenthroughouthistory.com SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory TikTok: @BAWTHpodcast Facebook: @BAWTH YouTube: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory As an Amazon Associate, BAWTH earns from qualifying purchases.

    GLORIA STEINEM: She Made It Impossible To Ignore Women

  5. 19 Aug

    GEORGIA O’KEEFFE: The Woman Behind The Flowers

    In episode 22 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy tells the story of Georgia O’Keeffe, one of the most recognizable artists in American history. Giant flowers, bleached bones, endless desert landscapes. But the woman behind those paintings spent much of her life fighting to define herself on her own terms. From nearly walking away from art altogether, to her complicated relationship with photographer Alfred Stieglitz, to leaving New York behind for the vast landscape of New Mexico, this is the story of how Georgia O’Keeffe became an icon by trusting her own eye. A story about art, ambition, love, independence, and the long process of becoming yourself! SOURCES Georgia O’Keeffe episode from the History Chicks podcast GO DEEPER 📖 Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life by Roxana Robinson Watch Next (BAWTH Episodes):
 → Elizabeth Taylor — The Hollywood Icon Who Refused To Stay Silent
 → Mary Tyler Moore — The Woman Who Changed Television
 → Mabel Ping Hua Lee — Fought for the Vote Before She Could Cast One WEBSITE
https://badasswomenthroughouthistory.com SOCIAL MEDIA
 Instagram: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory
 TikTok: @BAWTHpodcast
 Facebook: @BAWTH
 YouTube: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory
 As an Amazon Associate, BAWTH earns from qualifying purchases.

    GEORGIA O’KEEFFE: The Woman Behind The Flowers

  6. 12 Aug

    JOSEPHINE BAKER: The Black American Star Turned Resistance Operative

    In this SPOTIFY BONUS episode of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy revisits one of the most extraordinary stories ever featured on the show: Josephine Baker. Most people know Josephine as a groundbreaking entertainer who became one of the biggest stars in Europe. Few know that during World War II, she secretly worked for the French Resistance, smuggling intelligence, sheltering refugees, and risking her life to help defeat win the war. Born into poverty in St. Louis, Josephine overcame racism, hardship, and impossible odds to become an international icon. But her greatest performance happened offstage. Using her fame as cover, she gathered information from diplomats and military officials, carried coded messages written in invisible ink, and moved freely across borders where others would have been searched or arrested. After the war, Josephine returned to America as a decorated French war hero and immediately turned her attention to another fight: civil rights. She refused to perform for segregated audiences, publicly challenged discrimination, and used her platform to push for equality long before it was popular or safe to do so. She was a performer, a resistance operative, a civil rights activist, a mother, and one of the bravest women of the 20th century. This is the story of Josephine Baker. Sources: ​Chasing a Rainbow: The Life of Josephine Baker (1986)​Secrets of History: Josephine Baker (2021)​The History Chicks Podcast: "Josephine Baker" GO DEEPER 📖 Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy by Damien Lewis 📖 Jazz Cleopatra: Josephine Baker in Her Time by Phyllis Rose Watch Next (BAWTH Episodes):→ Mabel Ping Hua Lee — Fought for the Vote Before She Could Cast One→ Mary Tyler Moore — The Woman Who Changed Television→ Hedy Lamarr — The Actress Who Invented WiFi If you enjoy stories about remarkable women history forgot:→ Subscribe for weekly episodes→ Like and comment to help more people discover these stories→ Share this episode with someone who loves hidden history WEBSITEhttps://badasswomenthroughouthistory.com SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistoryTikTok: @BAWTHpodcastFacebook: @BAWTHYouTube: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory As an Amazon Associate, BAWTH earns from qualifying purchases.

    JOSEPHINE BAKER: The Black American Star Turned Resistance Operative

  7. 22 Jul

    LUCILLE BALL: The Woman Who Built Television

    For nearly 20 years, Lucille Ball fought for her place in Hollywood before becoming one of the most influential women in television history. In Episode 21 of BadAss Women Throughout History, we explore how a struggling actress became America's favorite redhead, why CBS didn't want Desi Arnaz cast as her husband, and how the couple built I Love Lucy into a cultural phenomenon that changed television forever. From becoming the first visibly pregnant woman on television to pioneering the three-camera sitcom format, filming in front of a live audience, and creating the syndication model that made reruns possible, Lucy wasn't just a star—she was a visionary businesswoman and industry pioneer. This is the story of perseverance, innovation, and the woman who helped invent modern television. #LucilleBall #ILoveLucy #BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory #WomenInHistory #TelevisionHistory #BAWTH SOURCES Documentary “Lucy and Desi” Directed by Amy Poehler GO DEEPER 🎬 Lucy and Desi (documentary, dir. Amy Poehler) 📖 Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball, her autobiography Watch Next (BAWTH Episodes):
 → Elizabeth Taylor — The Hollywood Icon Who Refused To Stay Silent
 → Nina Simone — The Genius America Couldn’t Control
 → Mabel Ping Hua Lee — Fought for the Vote Before She Could Cast One WEBSITE
 https://badasswomenthroughouthistory.com SOCIAL MEDIA
 Instagram: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory
 TikTok: @BAWTHpodcast
 Facebook: @BAWTH
 YouTube: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory
 Substack: https://badasswomenthroughouthistory.substack.com As an Amazon Associate, BAWTH earns from qualifying purchases.

    LUCILLE BALL: The Woman Who Built Television

  8. 8 Jul

    NINA SIMONE: The Genius America Couldn’t Control

    Nina Simone is remembered as one of the most powerful voices in music history, but her story began at a piano bench in rural North Carolina. Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in 1933, Nina dreamed of becoming the first Black classical concert pianist in America. She trained rigorously from childhood and showed extraordinary talent, but after facing barriers that altered the course of her career, she turned to performing in clubs and adopted the stage name Nina Simone. What followed was one of the most remarkable and complicated careers in American history. Simone became a celebrated singer, songwriter, and pianist whose music blended classical, jazz, blues, folk, and gospel influences into something entirely her own. As the Civil Rights Movement intensified, she increasingly used her platform to speak out against racism and injustice, creating songs that became anthems of resistance and social change. In episode 20 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy explores Nina Simone's extraordinary talent, her activism, her triumphs and struggles, and the personal cost of refusing to stay silent. It is the story of a woman who transformed disappointment into purpose and used her voice to challenge an entire nation. Nina Simone wasn't just a musician.  She was an artist, activist, and force of nature whose legacy continues to resonate today. SOURCES “What Happened Miss Simone?” - Netflix documentary GO DEEPER 🎬 What Happened, Miss Simone? (documentary) 📖 I Put a Spell on You by Nina Simone, her autobiography Watch Next (BAWTH Episodes): → Elizabeth Taylor — The Hollywood Icon Who Refused To Stay Silent → Mary Tyler Moore — The Woman Who Changed Television → Mabel Ping Hua Lee — Fought for the Vote Before She Could Cast One WEBSITE https://badasswomenthroughouthistory.com SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory TikTok: @BAWTHpodcast Facebook: @BAWTH YouTube: @BadAssWomenThroughoutHistory Substack: https://badasswomenthroughouthistory.substack.com As an Amazon Associate, BAWTH earns from qualifying purchases.

    NINA SIMONE: The Genius America Couldn’t Control
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Video pod celebrating the rebels, geniuses & visionaries
we weren’t taught about in school. Highlighting women from history who used what they and did what they could-and changed the world.

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