TV & Radio

Back to the 1990s with the funniest feminist podcast areound

Former child star Mara Wilson plays a feminist dog trainer in the latest podcast from Mouth Time duo Quenn and Dikota. Plus: Creepy crime tales and a history of Monopoly

Quenn (Nicole Silverberg) and Dikoda (Rachel Wenitsky) of Mouth Time

Sarah Griffin
Sat Dec 23 2017 - 05:00

Mouth Time with Reductress: Whoa! The 90s! (with Mara Wilson)

In this live episode of Mouth Time, hosts Quenn (Nicole Silverberg) and Dikoda (Rachel Wenitsky) talk to us about things that literally gave them chills, make up some lies about the 1990s, list some moments from the week where they were "Like, same" – and interview a feminist dog trainer (played with incredible sincerity by Mara Wilson) about deconstructing patriarchal influence in our daily interactions with our pets.

It is possible, as Reductress proves again and again with its succinct online presence, to be feminist and hilarious. It’s possible to make fun of the culture that women are surrounded by and participate in without aiming down. The commitment that Silverberg and Wenitsky make to insane conversational improvisation is an admirable feat in itself, and it’s also hilarious. Unfortunately, because this is a live episode, the audio quality isn’t great, so turn your volume up and lean in.

Criminal: Episode 81 – Unexpected Guests There are a lot of episodes about true crime out there. Some feel exploitative, some feel thrilling. This episode of Criminal has an earnest tone, and left me deeply unsettled. Host Phoebe Judge (who has my favourite kind of radio voice: soft, sincere, crisp) interviews three listeners about three mysteries – solved – they encountered in their lives. At 30 minutes, this rounds out to 10 minutes a mystery and, in terms of format, it makes for a gripping selection. Each mystery is about unlocked doors – one in a college house, one in a bed-and-breakfast, and one in a car. This makes for a really human listen about the power that different kinds of keys have in our lives, and what it can mean when someone has access to your space unbeknownst to you. A rare listen.

READ MORE

New Podcast Of The Week

The History of Fun: Monopoly

Russ Frushtick, Allegra Frank and Chris Plante promise to explore the histories of the games we play in this new podcast from game criticism site Polygon. This episode is short, bright, chatty – and contains some really fascinating trivia about the origin of the game known best for causing Christmastime family feuds and generating unpleasant conversations about property prices and the exploitation of the middle class by landlords and banks. When you’re not allowed pass Go and collect 200 quid of brightly coloured fake paper money, you can surprise your family with a long list of retired board pieces, and the fact that the game itself was invented by a woman whose idea was stolen.

LATEST STORIES