Confess Yourself: Confess Yourself Podcast: The Hidden Truths No One Talks About, Personal Essays

Katie Madonna Lee
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Ever noticed the stories everyone else overlooks? Confess Yourself Podcast explores movies, books, hidden histories, and misunderstood people—blending personal stories with emotional reflection.

Episodes

  1. 12/08/2025

    Political Alienation: The Divorce We’re All Living Through

    In this episode, I explore the connection between parental alienation and the political climate we’re all drowning in.Growing up between two hostile parents taught me the nervous system of a divided nation long before cable news existed. Loyalty tests, narrative control, manufactured fear — these weren’t political concepts. They were my childhood. Now, I see the same dynamics everywhere: in media, in activism, in friendships, in the gym with two TVs playing two different realities.This is a video-essay about political homelessness, emotional survival, and what happens when a country becomes a child of divorce. Topics include:• emotional manipulation in families and politics• how media mirrors abusive parenting tactics• the nervous system of a divided nation• why outrage culture destroys trust• what “quiet connection” offers instead• how to heal the internal wound of alienation If you grew up with parental alienation — or if our politics feel like one giant custody battle — this episode is for you.

    14 min

  2. 11/14/2025

    The Pain of Nostalgia: From Clark Griswold to Cousin Eddie, the new meaning of Christmas Vacation and Planes, Trains & Automobiles in the New Gilded Age

    What happens when the comedies that once made us laugh now make us ache? In this essay, I revisit National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Planes, Trains and Automobiles — two holiday classics that once celebrated middle-class comfort — and see something different. The decline of stability, the disappearance of family gatherings, and the quiet heartbreak of realizing that Cousin Eddie was never really the joke.

    7 min

  3. 11/05/2025

    Witchcraft for Wayward Girls: The Secret History of The Baby Scoop Era Homes for Unwed Mothers

    "My life was built on someone else’s loss, and nobody would let me talk about it." - from "The Girls That Went Away" In this episode, host Katie Madonna Lee explores the haunting history of baby scoop era homes for unwed mothers—and how their echoes linger today. Through Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix and The Girls That Went Away by Anne Flesser, Katie examines how shame, secrecy, and control shaped generations of women—and how those same forces still shape our culture’s view of motherhood, morality, and choice.

    13 min

  4. 11/25/2024

    Small Things Like These: Cillian Murphy Visits Dark Irish History, video essay and movie review

    Cillian Murphy gives a breathtaking and heartbreaking performance in Small Things Like These, watch next https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SScFWkkxAig V I D E O S T O W A T C H N E X T : Limerence & The Parasocial Relationship: A personal video essay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwdnPrFxYPM Sinead O'Connor: Joan of Arc as a Pop Star: A Video Essay, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SScFWkkxAig Irish Catholic - Feature Film Movie Trailer •. https://youtu.be/R-_rRfmP2Wk?si=2W_zhXp-nUJohx2S 👉 Watch the crusty punk feature film, "Irish Catholic" full movie https://youtu.be/YrEobhdZXyQ?si=icrKDr4mzaGDpegn 👉 Listen to "Confess Yourself Podcast" on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2leLL8ssPFB5UIGbEdd5zd?si=8e53a0805b2b42e6

    18 min

  5. 10/26/2024

    Being Present: Why It Doesn't Work

    When life is hard, staying present may not be sage advice. In fact in my experience, being present during life's worst moments has not helped me. Has being presented helped you? Let me know in the comments!

    5 min

  6. 10/11/2024

    Limerence: How Emotional Nelgect & Parasocial Relationships Gave Way To Limerence

    Confess Yourself: Confess Yourself Podcast: The Hidden Truths No One Talks About, Personal Essays

    8 min

  7. 10/05/2024

    Lucky In Legacy: What Vincent Van Gogh & Lee Miller Have In Common

    Contains spoliers for the film "Lee" It's not just what you leave behind; it's who you leave it with Why do we know who Vincent Van Gogh is since he never sold a painting? Lee Miller hid her legacy in boxes and was not famous until her son archived her work for the public. On this episode, I discuss how lucky both Van Gogh and Miller were. Leaving their artwork in the hands of people who would care and cultivate a public image. There are spoilers for the movie "Lee" starring Kate Winslet.

    11 min

  8. 09/26/2024

    The Substance Starring Demi Moore: Narcissism, Body Dysmorphia, and Fame made into a literal Monster CONTAINS SPOILERS

    CONTAINS SPOILERS: The Substance is a must-see body horror film starring Demi Moore. The film will make you laugh and scream! Think the darkest depths of "Death Becomes Her" to exist!

    28 min
  9. Claudine: The Story Behind The Crime of Passion Singer

    09/23/2024

    Claudine: The Story Behind The Crime of Passion Singer

    While sorting through Goodwill records I discovered the late 1960s record "Claudine." When I brought it up to the cashier, she filled in with all the details of the crazy back story!

    5 min
  10. Frances Farmer: Patron Saint of Grunge & Original Riot Grrrl

    09/23/2024

    Frances Farmer: Patron Saint of Grunge & Original Riot Grrrl

    I first encountered Frances Farmer through Nirvana’s haunting track, “Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle.” Kurt Cobain’s lyrics offered a glimpse into a woman whose spirit resonated with his sense of rebellion and disillusionment. But who was Frances Farmer, and why did her story captivate Cobain and so many others?

    8 min
  11. Matthew Perry, BoJack Horseman & The Big Terrible Thing

    09/23/2024

    Matthew Perry, BoJack Horseman & The Big Terrible Thing

    Addiction, the Big Terrible Thing, something Matthew Perry & BoJack Horseman had in common. Let's deep dive into Matthew Perry's best work: his book.

    9 min
  12. Sinead O'Connor: Joan of Arc Digused as A Pop Star

    09/23/2024

    Sinead O'Connor: Joan of Arc Digused as A Pop Star

    Sinead O'Connor protested Catholic Church abuse nine years before the Boston Globe broke the lid off the church scandal. Sinead, one of the last pop stars to stand for something, is profiled in this short audio essay.

    7 min
  • 12 Episodes

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Ever noticed the stories everyone else overlooks? Confess Yourself Podcast explores movies, books, hidden histories, and misunderstood people—blending personal stories with emotional reflection.

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