Straight to the Comments

Straight to the Comments
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Ever notice how comment sections reveal more than the headlines? Lisa Williams and Sarah Illingworth dive into the internet's most revealing threads, from the biggest celebrity scandals to niche online subcultures, exploring what our online reactions say about the culture we are living in right now. Each episode, they decode the psychological motivations and deeper media narratives of online comment culture, all with a good dose of 90s nostalgia and Gen X British humour. Shortlisted for Best Arts & Culture Podcast by the Independent Podcast Awards and an International Women's Podcast Award.

  1. DEC 11

    The 12 Clapbacks of Christmas: Twiggy, Cher, Rihanna, Millie Bobby Brown & More

    Forget the turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree - this Christmas, we're giving you the gift of pure, unadulterated, delicious justice. From celebrity clapbacks and witty comment threads, to online backlashes, we’re looking at our favourite times women stood up for themselves. Get ready for a ride through body-shaming, mansplaining, trolling, and the perfect takedowns. For our last episode of 2025 you’re going to hear from Cher, Michelle Obama, Rihanna and Cardi B to name a few…   Follow the 3 Austrian Nuns from Clapback #10 on Instagram! @nonnen_goldenstein   References & clips Vogue article - In a Celebrity-Obsessed World, Have We Reached Peak Parasocial? By Anna Cafolla Psychology Today article - Relax and Take Good Care of Yourself. By Dona Matthews Psychology Today article - Do Happy Parents Raise Healthier Kids? By Michael Ungar Guardian article - ‘Mansplaining’ was once a contender for word of the year. Here’s why we should stop using it. By Zoe Williams Guardian article - ‘‘Smile? YOU smile.’ A new generation of stars is overthrowing the old Hollywood system, one ‘no’ at a time. By Priya Elan A.M. Bennett et al. (2023). What is she wearing and how does he lead?: An examination of gendered stereotypes in the public discourse around women political candidates. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol 205.  New York Times video post - Did Women Ruin the Workplace? / Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?  Compact Mag article - The Great Feminization. By Helen Andrews Women’s Agenda article - The workplace was perfect—until women showed up? By Rita Nasr The New Yorker Article - I’m the Woman Who Ruined the Workplace. By Ariel Dumas  https://www.boldvoices.co.uk/ https://hopenothate.org.uk/

    44 min

  2. NOV 30

    Did We Peak in the 90s? What We Miss Most & The Power of Nostalgia

    This week, Lisa takes us back to the 1990s, the last decade that wasn't lived online. A time of Drew Barrymore in Poison Ivy, Aerosmith music videos, BT phonecards, Sky magazine problem pages, waiting by the landline for your crush to call, and the intoxicating belief that anything was possible. But was it really better, or are we just romanticising the past? In this episode, Lisa examines the Top 7 things Gen X women miss most about the 90s, from magazines we devoured like instruction manuals, to slip dresses over white t-shirts, to dancefloors where no one was filming, to crushes that lasted months off a single glance in the corridor. Then Sarah unpacks the psychology of nostalgia, why it hits so hard, what we're really longing for, and how we might recapture that feeling. Questions or Comments you’d like us to cover? We love answering your questions and analysing the stories you’ve found. Send them to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2tcpodcast Enjoyed the show? Leave us a 5-star review on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others discover the podcast.

    42 min
  3. Not a Woman’s Woman: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo & The Wicked Press Tour

    NOV 27

    Not a Woman’s Woman: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo & The Wicked Press Tour

    Following the Wicked press tours, there have been countless online conversations about Ariana Grande and her dynamic with Cynthia Erivo. So we're re-running our 2023 episode "Not a Woman’s Woman" with new analysis of the press tour that nearly overshadowed the films, including the constant crying, the hand-holding, the "holding space" meme, and why people online were both moved and alarmed. In the original episode, we examine the backlash towards Ariana after she was called "not a girl’s girl" by Lily Jay, the estranged wife of her Wicked co-star and now boyfriend Ethan Slater, and why Megan Fox is so often accused of not appealing to women. We break down labels like homewrecker, mean girl and pick me girl, and explore why some women are disliked by the sisterhood. Oh! And stay tuned for our Sunday episode all about the 90s. See you then. Clip used: Wicked press tour with PinkNews. Questions or Comments you’d like us to cover? We love answering your questions and analysing the stories you’ve found. Send them to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2tcpodcast Enjoyed the show? Leave us a 5-star review on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others discover the podcast.

    58 min
  4. A Royal Reckoning Part 2: Why does Meghan get more online hate than Andrew?

    NOV 14

    A Royal Reckoning Part 2: Why does Meghan get more online hate than Andrew?

    The second part of our Royal Special. Yesterday we broke down the patterns in the coverage and comments. But today we ask why Meghan Markle remains the lightning rod for public fury, even when the former Prince Andrew is in absolute disgrace? From the “Duchess of Pork”, to “Princess Pushy” and “Waity Katie” - the media loves a Royal nickname, but what does it say about what we expect from the Royal women? Join us as we breakdown why we love a royal scandal, question whether princesses are just supposed to look pretty and shut up, and explore whether Disney is to blame. In today’s episode, we also investigate how this latest scandal has reignited the debate about what purpose the British Monarchy plays in a post-Queen 21st Century.    Questions or Comments you’d like us to cover? We love answering your questions and analysing the stories you’ve found. Send them to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2tcpodcast Enjoyed the show? Leave us a 5-star review on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others discover the podcast. References: Pod Save The King Podcast: Episode - The Prince Andrew Distraction: the unwanted gift that keeps giving. Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York (2025). By Andrew Lownie Carlsmith, K. M., Darley, J. M., & Robinson, P. H. (2002). Why do we punish? Deterrence and just deserts as motives for punishment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Article on Electric Literature.com - Cliff Huxtable Stole My Heart, Bill Cosby Broke It. By V.V. Ganeshananthan  Article on The Conversation - A problematic history of obsessing over royal women’s looks, from Camilla to the ‘ugly’ Elizabeth of Austria.  Bustle Article - The Complicated, Empowering, Messy History Behind Our Obsession With Princesses. By Lucia Peters Ms Magazine Article - Megxit and The Death of Fairytale Romance. By Laurie Essig BBC Article - The strange world of the Royal Family. By Hephzibah Anderson Al Jazeera Article - Taxpayer ripoff or bargain? The cost of the British royal family. By John Power The New Statesman Article - Abolish the monarchy. It’s more than Prince Andrew - the whole House of Windsor is rotten to the core. By Will Lloyd Article on Debunking Myths About Fairytales.com - Myth: Fairy Tales Are Narratives About Passive Heroines. By Anne E. Duggan Babak Ganjei on Instagram Megan Markle podcast interview on The Jamie Kern Lima Show

    45 min
  5. A Royal Reckoning Part 1: Meghan vs Andrew - Who Gets More Hate?

    NOV 13

    A Royal Reckoning Part 1: Meghan vs Andrew - Who Gets More Hate?

    The Evil Queen may have obsessed over who is ‘the fairest of them all’, but today we are looking at the latest Royal scandal and asking - who really is the most hated, and what triggered it? The former Prince Andrew’s historic downfall has triggered an avalanche of attention-grabbing headlines, but this hasn’t stopped the constant Meghan Markle coverage. From morally bankrupt avocado toast, to Fergie’s weight watcher’s deal, and Princess Kate’s cancer, today we breakdown the patterns in the comments and delve into the way the media narrative varies for different members of the British Royal Family in part 1 of our 2 part Royal Special.   Clips used in this episode: Sarah Ferguson on The Oprah Winfrey Show Aired on 11/14/1996 Questions or Comments you’d like us to cover? We love answering your questions and analysing the stories you’ve found. Send them to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2tcpodcast Enjoyed the show? Leave us a 5-star review on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others discover the podcast.

    39 min

  6. OCT 30

    Drive Me Crazy: Frances Farmer, Britney Spears & the Legacy of the Hysterical Woman

    Frances Farmer and Britney Spears. Two women, decades apart, who found out exactly what happens when you're famous, female, and having a breakdown in public. Today, from Victorian asylums to Instagram comments, we're talking about how easy it is to brand a woman "hysterical" or "crazy". And what are the consequences? We explore the treatment of women once labelled difficult - from lobotomies, to hysterectomies and conservatorships and ask: have we really moved on from the days when the mentally ill were seen as entertainment? Questions or Comments you’d like us to cover? We love answering your questions and analysing the stories you’ve found. Send them to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2tcpodcast Enjoyed the show? Leave us a 5-star review on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others discover the podcast. -------------- Clips used in this episode: Lobotomy scene from film - Frances (1982)  Much Interview with Kurt Cobain (1993) Britney Spears - Oops I did it again   References: Kenneth Anger - Hotel Babylon (1972) William Arnold - Shadowland (1982) You Must Remember This Podcast:  Episode 4 - (The printing of) the Legend of Frances Farmer.  Episode 5 - The Lives, Deaths and Afterlives of Judy Garland. Janet Frame - An Angel at my Table (1984) The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears (2021) New Yorker article: Britney Spears Conservatorship Nightmare by Ronan Farrow & Jia Tolentino Crime Analyst Podcast: Episode 29 - Who Framed Britney Spears? With Dr Jessica Taylor. Dr Jessica Taylor - Sexy But Psycho: Uncovering the Psychiatric Labelling of Women and Girls Kevin Federline - You Thought You Knew (2025) Britney Spears - The Woman in Me (2023) Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me documentary (2022) Dr Jessica Taylor Talks About Stuff Podcast: Ep 2 - Medical and Social Model of Mental Health Part 2

    47 min
  7. Demi, Pamela, Kris: Is this new renaissance of 45+ women only for the rich?

    OCT 16

    Demi, Pamela, Kris: Is this new renaissance of 45+ women only for the rich?

    Demi Moore wins her first Golden Globe at 62 for The Substance. Pamela Anderson makes waves with her makeup-free red-carpet look in her late fifties. And L’Oréal’s Paris runway features Helen Mirren, Andie MacDowell and Jane Fonda – proof, we’re told, that fashion has finally embraced older women. But is this really a renaissance for women over 45? Or only for those who can afford to keep the years at bay, with wealth, access, or a skilled surgeon, like Kris Jenner? Because the “forever-young” face has become a status symbol. Agelessness now signals privilege, and when it goes wrong, the comments turn cruel. We look beneath the celebration to the billion-dollar anti-ageing and longevity industries and ask whether this new visibility for older women is empowerment, or simply the latest luxury good. And could we even face a future where ageing only happens to the poor?   Clips used in this episode: Straight to the Comments Episode - “I’m not sorry: The case of Madonna and Women Ageing” Nikki Glaser hosting the 82nd Annual Golden Globes Demi Moore’s acceptance speech at the 82nd Annual Golden Globes Pamela Anderson on The Drew Barrymore Show: Season 3, Episode 193 Questions or Comments you’d like us to cover? We love answering your questions and analysing the stories you’ve found. Send them to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2tcpodcast Enjoyed the show? Leave us a 5-star review on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others discover the podcast.

    44 min
  8. Why Are Alpha Werewolves Suddenly Everywhere?

    OCT 2

    Why Are Alpha Werewolves Suddenly Everywhere?

    True Blood, Twilight, Buffy… so many of us can’t get enough of vampires and werewolves. But lately, our feeds have been flooded with full-on “Alpha” werewolf erotica — a darker, hungrier kind of fantasy. In this episode, we dig into how paranormal romance has shifted from seductive Draculas to dominant werewolves. Why is it everywhere now? Who’s creating it? And is this just Beauty and the Beast on steroids or something more unsettling? Join us as we indulge our love of all things supernatural, just in time for Halloween month.   Clips featured in this episode: Gary Oldman in “Bram Stoker's Dracula” (1992 film) Matt Bourne in “Interview With the Vampire, Anne Rice, & 150 Years of Gay Vampires” Craig Thomson in the TED-Ed video “The dark history of werewolves” Frans de Waal in his TED talk “The surprising science of alpha males” “Claimed By The Mega Size Alpha King No She-Wolf Dared To Mate” by Wattpad Dark Romance Fantasy Stories Reference to ContaPoints YouTube video on Twilight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqloPw5wp48   Questions or Comments you’d like us to cover? We love answering your questions and analysing the stories you’ve found. Send them to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2tcpodcast Enjoyed the show? Leave us a 5-star review on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others discover the podcast.

    42 min
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About

Ever notice how comment sections reveal more than the headlines? Lisa Williams and Sarah Illingworth dive into the internet's most revealing threads, from the biggest celebrity scandals to niche online subcultures, exploring what our online reactions say about the culture we are living in right now. Each episode, they decode the psychological motivations and deeper media narratives of online comment culture, all with a good dose of 90s nostalgia and Gen X British humour. Shortlisted for Best Arts & Culture Podcast by the Independent Podcast Awards and an International Women's Podcast Award.

Information

  • Creator
    Straight to the Comments
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Straight to the Comments

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