Big Reputations

Kimberly Kunkle, Rebecca Salois

A podcast about women we judged too harshly.

  1. 09/24/2025

    75. Female Firsts (aka "Firsties")

    In this episode, we’re doing something a little different. Instead of doing a deep dive on one woman, we talk about a handful of women who were among the first women to do what they did. We start off by mentioning a number of firsts that we have already covered. Then we get into the main topic. We have chosen five broad categories and each picked a woman within that category to discuss. We give an overview of who these women are (or were) and what they are known for. We share when and where they were born, a little about their early years, then get into how they broke into their field. Finally we talk a little about their legacy and impact in that particular field. We even reserved a small section for honorable mentions: other women we came across who we would love to talk about but that we didn’t really have time to explore in detail.     Follow the podcast on Instagram @BigReputationsPod ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hosts: Kimberly Kunkle and Rebecca L. Salois Logo Design: Samantha Marmolejo Music: Shawn P. Russell Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sources: The Book of Women's Firsts: Breakthrough Achievements of Over 1000 American Women, by Phyllis J. Read and Bernard L. Witlieb Fabulous Female Firsts: Because of Them, We Can, by Marlene Wagmen-Geller Monster, written and directed by Patty Jenkins Bad Girls Throughout History, by Ann Shen 100 Women Who Shaped World History, by Gail Meyer Rolka and Bill Rolka “Stories about Women Who Changed the World,” a list of over 30 books by Penguin Random House

    1h 55m
  2. 07/30/2025

    74. The Scarlet Witch

    In this final fictional character episode, we learn more about Wanda Maximoff (aka The Scarlet Witch). We explore her many origin stories along with her family, real or imagined. Then we cover Wanda’s interactions with others in the MCU and beyond and discuss her influence on those around her. We consider how she is viewed by audiences, whether she is a hero or a villain, and what that means to different fans. Lastly we discuss what Wanda means to the world of comic books and the MCU, and the impact she had had, be it good or bad.   Follow the podcast: Instagram: @BigReputationsPod   Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/86669619 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hosts: Kimberly Kunkle and Rebecca L. Salois Logo Design: Samantha Marmolejo Music: Shawn P. Russell Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sources: “The Scarlet Witch is one of the most influential characters in Marvel Comics History,” George Marston “Marvel Comics: 10 Villains Who Became Avengers,” by Dalton Norman “Let’s Rank Every Avenger Ever,” by Darren Franich “Best female superheroes of all time ranked - our 15 favourites,” by Jo-Anne Rowney  “Scarlet Witch is more than just a code name: The empowering meaning behind Wanda's moniker,” by Brandon Bush A Cultural History of Anti-Feminism in Marvel’s Scarlet Witch, by Madison M. Kooba Wanda Maximoff and Monstrous Motherhood By Erica Lafond “With WandaVision, the MCU Has Already Been Kinder to Scarlet Witch Than Decades of Comics,” by Jamie Gerber

    1h 23m
  3. 04/30/2025

    72. Oprah Winfrey

    In this episode, we discuss the one and only Ms. Oprah Winfrey. We will give a brief overview of her early life, including her introduction to the media world and her rise to fame. Then we look at how the world has seen Oprah over the years, both the good and the bad. We consider biases and assumptions before reflecting on the truths of her life experiences. Next, we cover some of the many controversies that she has been linked to, both small and large, justifiable or not. Finally, we wrap up by talking about her overall impact on the world over the last several decades and the legacy that she has established over the last 40 or so years. Trigger warnings: brief mentions of sexual abuse and rape, death, miscarriages, child abuse, food grossness, diet culture, and allusions to trafficking. Follow the podcast: Instagram: @BigReputationsPod   Become a Patreon supporter: patreon.com/bigreputationspod   Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/86669619 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hosts: Kimberly Kunkle and Rebecca L. Salois Logo Design: Samantha Marmolejo Music: Shawn P. Russell Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sources: “9 things Oprah did first,” by Christina Dambrosio “If Oprah Winfrey can’t win when it comes to weight loss, nobody can,” by Madeline Holcombe “Oprah’s Unsatisfying Rejection of Dr. Oz Is Totally on Brand,” by Margaret Hartmann What I Know For Sure, by Oprah Winfrey What Happened to You: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD and Oprah Winfrey

    1h 51m
  4. 03/26/2025

    71. Kamala Harris

    In this episode, we discuss American politician and attorney and the former Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. We talk about how the media treated her at all stages of her career, from attorney to presidential nominee We touch on the sexism and racism that Harris has had to face, and we chat about her legacy and how her presidential run (and loss) has changed politics in this country. Trigger warnings: sexism, racism, lynching Follow the podcast: BlueSky and Twitter: @BigRepPod Instagram and TikTok: @BigReputationsPod   Become a Patreon supporter: patreon.com/bigreputationspod   Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/86669619 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hosts: Kimberly Kunkle and Rebecca L. Salois Logo Design: Samantha Marmolejo Music: Shawn P. Russell Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sources: “The Many Identities of the First Woman Vice-President,” by Rachel Looker and Holly Honderich “Kamala Harris,” by Rothberg, Emma for the National Women’s History Museum “What These Decisions Tell Us About Kamala Harris’ Approach to Criminal Justice,” by Jamiles Lartey “Tie-breaking votes cast by Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate,” by Ballotpedia “Where Kamala Harris Stands on the Issues: Abortion, Immigration and More,” by Maggie Astor “Harris accuses Hallinan of coverup / She says reports of staff misconduct have been ignored,” by Patrick Hoge

    1h 30m
5
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

A podcast about women we judged too harshly.