Hearsay National Women's Law Center

Romance as a genre has been historically dismissed as unserious, very likely because women make up its core audience. But it’s always been popular and lucrative. Romance has also been at the forefront of inclusive fiction and driving social change. With our guests, Tia Williams, an acclaimed author, and Kelsey Grimes, a reproductive rights lawyer at NWLC, we unpack the genre and how it’s inextricably linked to conversations about contraception, abortion, and freedom.

Why is child care so expensive and impossible to find? And why are child care providers paid so little? And how come when TV shows depict child care, if they do at all, it’s completely unrealistic—full of super nannies and hapless dads? Child care is the backbone of our entire country and is traditionally women’s work—which is why it’s frustrating, but maybe not surprising, that it’s so often invisible. In this episode, we talk to NWLC experts Jasmine Tucker and Julie Vogtman about who to blame for our child care crisis, how to help child care workers and parents alike, and the child care myths that are hurting all of us, whether you have kids or not.

Cheerleaders are a big part of our culture, from halftime performances at school football games to the longevity of Bring It On. They’re incredible performers and such an integral part of the gameday experience, and yet society often treats them like mere objects. We’ve seen so much progress in the ways jobs traditionally held by women are respected, but why are we still discounting cheerleaders, even the ones who work in the NFL? We talk with Melanie, a former NFL cheerleader, and Lizzy, a sexual harassment lawyer who helped take down Dan Snyder, the former owner of the Washington football team.

Living Single, a sitcom featuring six Black roommates in New York was a hit when it debuted on Fox in 1993. But in 1994, NBC created an eerily similar show with a white cast called Friends. They aired in direct competition, and the rest is history. We explore Living Single’s legacy and the repercussions of co-opting and devaluing the work of Black women.

#FreeBritney! Britney Spears has been a lightning rod since the moment she appeared on MTV. We discuss the ways in which she’s been a model of how it’s impossible to be a woman in the public eye, at every age, and how her conservatorship shed a light on the way the legal system can be weaponized, especially against people with disabilities. And then, NWLC lawyer and disability justice advocate Ma'ayan Anafi joins us to make the connection between Britney Spears and the larger fight against forced sterilization and conservatorships.

Janet Jackson’s infamous Super Bowl halftime show wasn’t hers alone, but she sure took the blame. We rewrite history on what really happened with Janet and draw the connection to how Black women and girls’ bodies are still policed, especially through dress codes in school. And then, we talk with Dr. Monique Couvson, a scholar and expert on school pushout, about how Janet’s treatment mirrors what happens to Black girls in schools all across the country.