Messy Liberation: Feminist Conversations about Politics and Pop Culture

Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown
  • 4.5 (16)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

Join feminist coaches Taina Brown and Becky Mollenkamp for casual (and often deep) conversations about business, current events, politics, pop culture, and more. We’re not perfect activists or allies! These are our real-time, messy feminist perspectives on the world around us. This podcast is for you if you find yourself asking questions like: • Why is feminism important today? • What is intersectional feminism? • Can capitalism be ethical? • What does liberation mean? • Equity vs. equality — what's the difference and why does it matter? • What does a Trump victory mean for my life? • What is mutual aid? • How do we engage in collective action? • Can I find safety in community? • What's a feminist approach to ... ? • What's the feminist perspective on ...?

  1. The Politics of Your Closet: Body Liberation, Fast Fashion, and What You're Actually Allowed to Wear

    16m ago

    The Politics of Your Closet: Body Liberation, Fast Fashion, and What You're Actually Allowed to Wear

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with personal stylist and body liberation advocate Dacy Gillespie of Mindful Closet to unpack the deeply political nature of fashion and clothing. From workplace dress codes rooted in white supremacy to the impossible standards placed on larger bodies, the return of "heroin chic," modesty culture, and the radical act of letting your hair go gray — this conversation is for anyone who has ever stood in their closet feeling like nothing fits, nothing's allowed, and nothing will ever be enough. In This Episode, We Get Into: How Dacy's mother organizing workers in a sewing factory planted the seed for her life's work — and why she was raised to believe caring about clothes was shamefulThe way workplace "professionalism" is really just a dress code for "look as much like a white man as possible" — and who pays the price for deviating from itFashion as code-switching: the daily calculation people of color, trans folks, and anyone outside the norm make about how much of themselves to revealTrayvon Martin and the deadly, literal consequences of what you're wearingWhy Dacy won't tell you what's "flattering" — and why her forthcoming book is called UnflatteringThe return of 90s "heroin chic" body ideals and the terror of watching it happen again in the age of GLP-1sSize scarcity: why plus-size people are often left with ten moomoos and good luck — including the callout of Lucy and Yak removing their 4X sizingModesty, the Missouri House's no-bare-shoulders rule, and how women's bodies are treated as a liability in public spacesWhat Chappell Roan at the Grammys has to do with the sexual double standardAging, perimenopause, and the radical act of collecting images of women who actually look like youWhy your mental health and feeling good in your body is always the top priority — even if that means buying from TargetResources Mentioned: • Dacy Gillespie: https://www.mindfulcloset.com/• Dacy's Substack newsletter, "Unflattering": https://dacygillespie.substack.com/• "The Body Is Not an Apology" by Sonya Renee Taylor: https://amzn.to/4uNa3L8• Dress for Success Midwest: https://midwest.dressforsuccess.org/ 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    45 min
  2. Food Is Political: Diet Culture, Food Deserts & the Systems Keeping You From Eating Well

    Jun 22

    Food Is Political: Diet Culture, Food Deserts & the Systems Keeping You From Eating Well

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with registered dietitian and nutritionist Shana Spence — known as @thenutritiontea on Instagram and Threads — to dig into the deeply political nature of food access, diet culture, and nutrition misinformation. From food deserts and SNAP cuts to GLP-1s and white supremacy's grip on body standards, this conversation connects the dots between what ends up on your plate and the systems of power that put it there (or don't). In This Episode, We Get Into:• What a food desert actually is, and why even dense urban areas like New York City and Atlanta have them• How redlining, gerrymandering, and structural racism shape which communities have access to grocery stores• The layered barriers to food access: disability, transportation, language, income, and more• Why "just grow your own food" and other individualist advice is completely disconnected from reality• The explosion of GLP-1 drugs (like Ozempic and Wegovy) and whether we're in pursuit of health or just thinness• How diet culture is rooted in white supremacy and Eurocentric beauty standards• The SNAP cuts in the "Big Beautiful Bill" and the domino effect on food insecurity and health outcomes• Why seed oils have been debunked as harmful, and how nutrition misinformation spreads• Lab-grown food, GMOs, and what a more just food future could actually look like• Shana's core message: how you eat is individual, not a moral failing Resources Mentioned:• "Live Nourished: Make Peace with Food, Banish Body Shame and Reclaim Joy" by Shana Spence: https://amzn.to/4e1QlEf• "Anti-Diet" by Christy Harrison: https://amzn.to/4vjQhXj• "Fearing the Black Body" by Sabrina Strings: https://amzn.to/4vhq9MM• "The Body Liberation Project" by Chrissy King: https://amzn.to/4dEzp7O• Shana's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenutritiontea/• Shana's Threads: https://www.threads.com/@thenutritiontea• The Nutrition Tea (Shana's Substack: https://substack.com/@thenutritiontea 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    48 min
  3. We Throw Away 40% of Our Food While 40M People Go Hungry

    Jun 15

    We Throw Away 40% of Our Food While 40M People Go Hungry

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ In this episode of Messy Liberation's Everything is Political series, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown are joined by Erica Clahar (founder of Uni Feeds) and Gwen Nolan (founder of Mother Compost) to explore the deeply political world of waste — from food waste and hunger to environmental racism, composting access, and the planned obsolescence built into capitalism. If you've ever wondered why trash is a feminist issue, this conversation will make everything click. In This Episode, We Get Into:• How 40% of the U.S. food supply gets thrown away every year while 40 million people remain food insecure (and why that number is chronically under-reported)• The origin stories of two women who saw a problem and built organizations to solve it, not monetize it• Environmental racism in real time: why landfills, incinerators, and illegal dumping disproportionately harm Black and brown communities• The Coldwater Creek landfill situation in St. Louis as a case study in who bears the burden of waste• The Chester, PA incineration fight, and what it means that Pennsylvania's constitution guarantees the right to clean air and water• Individual responsibility vs. corporate and government accountability, and why both matter, but not equally• Planned obsolescence, consumer culture, and how capitalism designed our throwaway society on purpose• Indigenous and collective wisdom as a model for a caretaking economy — and how white supremacist capitalism broke that relationship• Practical things you can actually do: composting, freezing leftovers, buy-nothing challenges, and sharing with neighbors• Why slowing down and making intentional choices might be the most radical act you can do right now Resources Mentioned:• Umi Feeds: https://umifeeds.org/• Mother Compost: https://mothercompost.com/• ReFed: https://refed.org/• Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org/• Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR): https://ilsr.org/• Drawdown: https://drawdown.org/• "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer: https://amzn.to/3Q0j5oG• "The Serviceberry" by Robin Wall Kimmerer: https://amzn.to/4u92BZG• "Emergent Strategy" by adrienne maree brown: https://amzn.to/4fpltjr 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    47 min
  4. Why Mental Health Care Is Failing Marginalized Communities (with Dr. Han Ren)

    Jun 8

    Why Mental Health Care Is Failing Marginalized Communities (with Dr. Han Ren)

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with Dr. Han Ren, a licensed psychologist and author of the upcoming book The Hyphenated Life, to explore why therapy is inherently political. They discuss the systemic barriers to accessing quality mental health care, how politics shapes therapeutic practice, the dangers of pathologizing trauma responses, and why "therapy speak" often reinforces white supremacy. If you've ever struggled to find a therapist who truly understands your lived experience — or wondered why the mental health field feels so disconnected from issues of justice — this conversation is essential listening. In This Episode, We Get Into: Why therapy and psychology have always been political — even when grad school pretends otherwiseHow Dr. Han Ren started creating mental health content on TikTok in 2020 to fill gaps in representationThe exhausting reality of finding a therapist who understands your marginalized identitiesWhy therapists can no longer afford to keep their values "close to the chest" — it's a safety issueHow politics directly impacts what happens in the therapy room (and why that matters)The concept of imposter phenomenon and how it disproportionately affects people from marginalized communitiesWhy pathologizing trauma responses is a form of social controlHow "therapy speak" reinforces white supremacy and individualismThe model minority myth and how different communities are villainized by mental health narrativesWhy healing is for everyone, but therapy doesn't have a monopoly on healingThe role of self-love, community, grief, and "doing the reps" in real healingResources Mentioned: The Hyphenated Life by Dr. Han Ren: https://amzn.to/3RhbmmFBorderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldúa: https://amzn.to/3PTXnmlDr. Han Ren's website: https://www.drhanren.com/Dr. Han Ren on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drhanrenDr. Han Ren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.han.ren/🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    41 min
  5. How to Have Difficult Conversations Without Losing Yourself (with Danielle Marshall)

    Jun 1

    How to Have Difficult Conversations Without Losing Yourself (with Danielle Marshall)

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with equity strategist and executive coach Danielle Marshall to explore the art of having difficult conversations across political and ideological divides. They discuss the limitations of echo chambers, the difference between engagement and community, and why being able to hold multiple perspectives — even when you disagree — is essential for creating real change. If you've ever struggled with whether to engage someone whose views challenge yours, this conversation offers a refreshing framework for navigating disagreement without sacrificing your values. In This Episode, We Get Into: Why echo chambers feel safe but can be limiting — and when that mattersThe difference between engaging with people and bringing them into your inner communityHow to set a clear goal before entering a challenging conversationMarjorie Taylor Greene as a real-time case study in people changing their minds (yes, really)Why we're so afraid to be wrong — and how binary thinking keeps us stuckThe burden of trying to convince everyone to see things your wayHow cancel culture makes it harder to hold space for nuance and changeEverything is political: how even your garbage and clothing choices are political actsWhy "convincing you is not my ministry" might be the most freeing phrase you hear todayHow to ask yourself: Is this perspective serving me — and how is it working for me?Danielle Marshall's website: culture-principles.com 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    54 min
  6. 100th Episode LIVE

    May 27

    100th Episode LIVE

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown celebrate reaching 100 episodes of Messy Liberation, the feminist podcast dedicated to helping listeners understand the world through an intersectional feminist lens. In this milestone live episode, they reflect on two years of consistent conversations about pop culture, politics, social justice, and the power of slow, sustainable activism.IN THIS EPISODE, WE GET INTO: Celebrating 100 episodes and why most podcasts don't make it this farThe origin story: how Becky and Taina met and decided to start a podcast togetherWhat keeps the show sustainable and consistent over two yearsHow personal growth and social progress both require a long-term lensThe power of showing up in your life and relationships, even in small waysWhy "everything is political" and how that framework changes how we move through the worldThe upcoming "Everything Is Political" series covering topics like composting, fashion, data analysis, and therapyHonoring your capacity and burnout prevention in activism and creative workReflecting on monumental personal growth that only becomes visible over timeThe importance of community touchpoints and consistent spaces for learning and connection🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    46 min
  7. Punching Up vs. Punching Down: What the Kevin Hart Roast Reveals About Power

    May 18

    Punching Up vs. Punching Down: What the Kevin Hart Roast Reveals About Power

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown unpack the controversy around the Kevin Hart roast, exploring why comedy that punches down reinforces harmful power dynamics. They discuss how roasts, jokes about women's bodies, and casual misogyny contribute to a larger cultural moment where rights and representation are being systematically stripped away—and why pushing back matters now more than ever. In This Episode, We Get Into: Why roasts make us uncomfortable (and why that matters)The difference between punching up, punching laterally, and punching down in comedyHow jokes about women's bodies and Black women's intelligence don't exist in a vacuumThe connection between rape culture humor and the loss of reproductive rightsWhy "it's just a joke" is never just a joke when power dynamics are at playHow comedy can either challenge or reinforce oppressive systemsThe importance of asking "what's funny about that?" when jokes cross the lineWhy people with privilege need to be the ones speaking up in rooms where marginalized people are the targetHow cultural moments like this contribute to the normalization of racism, misogyny, and authoritarianismWays to push back without being aggressive—and why it matters 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    42 min
  8. Performative Activism, Billionaire Art Shows, and the Myth of Meritocracy

    May 11

    Performative Activism, Billionaire Art Shows, and the Myth of Meritocracy

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive into the tone-deaf spectacle of the Met Gala, unpacking what celebrity wealth displays reveal about economic inequality and performative activism. They also explore the myth of meritocracy in higher education, the emotional labor of parenting during high-stakes testing, and how to find joy and rest when everything feels heavy. In This Episode, We Get Into: Why the Met Gala feels like a "let them eat cake" moment during skyrocketing inflation and wealth inequalityThe difference between art as subversion and art as "sucking the dick of power"Performative activism vs. real protest (looking at you, Sarah Paulson's dollar bill accessory)How billionaires like Jeff Bezos hosting the Met Gala undercuts any claim of artistic rebellionThe myth that going to Harvard (or other elite schools) is the secret to wealthHow legacy admissions and cronyism maintain class hierarchies in higher educationSupporting kids through stressful standardized testing without reinforcing toxic achievement cultureProcessing grief, finding dopamine hits in gamified productivity, and giving yourself permission to restThe slow, steady growth of creative projects you do just because you love themWhy we keep showing up for these conversations (and thank you for listening) 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    38 min
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4.5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Join feminist coaches Taina Brown and Becky Mollenkamp for casual (and often deep) conversations about business, current events, politics, pop culture, and more. We’re not perfect activists or allies! These are our real-time, messy feminist perspectives on the world around us. This podcast is for you if you find yourself asking questions like: • Why is feminism important today? • What is intersectional feminism? • Can capitalism be ethical? • What does liberation mean? • Equity vs. equality — what's the difference and why does it matter? • What does a Trump victory mean for my life? • What is mutual aid? • How do we engage in collective action? • Can I find safety in community? • What's a feminist approach to ... ? • What's the feminist perspective on ...?

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