Share

cover art for Poor Things: Feminist Fable or Just Another Misogynistic Movie?

The Polyester Podcast

Poor Things: Feminist Fable or Just Another Misogynistic Movie?

Poor Things discourse has taken over the internet; with Yorgos Lanthimos latest film being declared a masterpiece in one breath and a misogynistic let down in another. Can a film that traces the consequences of a baby’s brain being implanted into a grown woman’s body ever be called empowering? Or does the story of Bella Baxter - masterfully portrayed by Emma Stone - begin to make more sense when viewed through the lens of disability and privilege? Ione and Gina discuss all.


Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3


The Eden Young Fellowship for Aspiring Working Class Journalists Raffle


Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!


A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.


Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, or drop us a DM on Instagram

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Underconsumption Core, Recession Pop & Projecting Meaning Onto Poverty

    28:27
    Does a crap economy spawn better music? And should being frugal be a trend, a lifestyle choice or just a case of bloody getting on with things? This week, hosts Ione and Gina dig into the self narration that has been bred into us by social media and whether, during the worst recession we've weathered as adults, we should be romanticising our shampoo purchases.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, or drop us a DM on Instagram.
  • Hawk Tuah Girl, Mixed Weight Relationships and The Rise In Dehumanising Women Online

    31:08
    It seems as though its never been worse to be a woman participating in the discourse. The Hawk Tuah girl has used her blowjob technique to become a star; cashing in on the viral moment with a merch line, a manager and a possible documentary. But while she makes bank, the alt right have commodified her into a figurehead - once again proclaiming any woman with blonde hair and big tits as their own. Across the pond, the the left seems to be just as pitiful - as indie fashion brands release ironic 'I <3 Ozempic' t-shirts, and seemingly feminist articles ascribe individual actions political buzzwords, resulting in the death of any kind of progressive discourse. Add 'mixed weight' relationship discourse into the mix, and our hosts have had enough. Will we ever stop reducing women to their bodies? Tune in to find out! Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, or drop us a DM on Instagram.
  • Aura Points, Looksmaxxing And The Warped Morality Of TikTok Trends

    30:00
    Fell over getting off the bus? Minus one hundred aura points. Discovered a band before your mates? Plus one thousand aura points. The new AP ranking system has taken TikTok by storm as teens rush to reveal the coolest and most harrowing moments in their lives to get engagement, sympathy and much coveted aura. Meanwhile incel rhetoric has once again broken free from the underbelly of the internet's forums to give men body dysmorphia via looksmaxxing. Through analysing both trends, hosts Ione and Gina reckon with the fact that it seems that the male gaze has finally started to corrupt how men see themselves and ask the question if self-commodification has reached a head.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, or drop us a DM on Instagram.
  • Why The 2024 General Election Is So Depressing

    28:43
    We're all desperate to get the tories out, but for the first time in our hosts lives as voters, there's been an inescapable apathy in the air. As it seems certain that Labour will take over as the new British government, is it time to vote independent or spoil the ballot? This week Ione and Gina are getting knee deep in the culture war that's surrounding election year, discussing the pros and cons of voting for different parties and why our generation is feeling so miserable about it all.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, or drop us a DM on Instagram.
  • The Brat Deep Dive

    31:57
    The name on everybody's lips is: Charli XCX. The musician's sixth studio album Brat dropped this month and all of a sudden everything is Brat. But while we continue to wonder if every lime green car is planted by charli herself or just pure coincidence, in this week's episode, Ione and Gina are taking on the behemoth Brat marketing rollout.Is this is truly Charli's most relatable album yet? Or does the music itself not match up to the genius of its rollout?P.S - we recorded this before the Lorde remix dropped!!Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, or drop us a DM on Instagram.
  • Literary It Girls, BookTok And The Complicated History of Men Watching Women Reading

    28:12
    This week we've partnered with the Fitzwilliam Museum to take on the internet's renewed interest in all things literary. Inspired by the museum's rehang, where one portion of the Interiors gallery depicts women reading throughout the years, Ione and Gina talk through the oxymoronic literary it girl trend, the insidious nature of BookTok and the historical triumphs involved in female literacy. Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, or drop us a DM on Instagram.
  • The 'All Eyes On Rafah' Viral Image And How AI Is Turning Us Into Boomers

    26:20
    The past two weeks have seen a new debate arise in the world of online activism - what is the place of AI in conversations around raising awareness of important political issues? In this episode, Ione and Gina ask whether all is fair in getting All Eyes On Rafah or if we need to be cautious of the intentions behind those creating viral images to be shared across social media.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, or drop us a DM on Instagram.
  • Why Is Everyone 'Neurospicy' Now? On The Individualisation Of Neurodivergence Online

    26:21
    Is it five signs you may have ADHD or is it five vague symptoms that could be applicable to anyone? In this week's episode, Ione and Gina are diving into the way that TikTok - and the internet in general - has made being neurodivergent a personality trait, a subculture and a community in and of itself. The pair look at the pros and cons of sharing information on having a condition, how this affects wider society and whether or not we should be worrying about the uptick in social media users centring their lives around being neurospicy.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, or drop us a DM on Instagram
  • Blockout2024 And How Social Media Gamified Political Issues

    29:32
    Following the luxury of the Met Gala - and one influencer's mistimed 'Let Them Eat Cake" lip synch - the internet is demanding action from the celebrity class in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine. The #BlockOut2024 encourages social media users to block celebrities and cut short their income streams until they voice their opinion on the conflict - but is this a useful form of activism or just virtue signalling from people hoping to win the game of social media? This week Ione and Gina are getting into the pros and cons of digital activism, celeb altruism and the internet's dilution of what it means to be politically active.Support our work and become a Polyester Podcast member <3Order Ione's book, Poor Little Sick Girls, here!A statement by journalists: We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.Have an opinion and want to be featured on an upcoming episode? We want to hear from YOU! Leave a review, send us your thoughts on this episode to ione@polyesterzine.com, or drop us a DM on Instagram