logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2021
34 m

Why are we fascinated by ‘evil women’?

IMMEDIATE MEDIA
About this episode
Joanna Bourke, who has been delivering a series of Gresham lectures on six different ‘evil women’ through history, explores what ideas about evil and femininity can tell us about changing societal values over time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
Up next
Yesterday
The secrets of our DNA
What can DNA tell us about who we are and where we came from? Professor Turi King – who previously appeared on the podcast to discuss her research into Adolf Hitler’s DNA – returns to explore modern genetics and its role in solving some of history’s biggest mysteries. Speaking to ... Show More
38m 20s
Sep 6
What's it like to live in a royal palace?
Did Lucy Worsley have 'the best job in history'? And what did she do when she worked in it? In this episode, Lucy reflects on her career so far, her time as Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces and how the job has changed her perspective on some of our favourite monarchs from ... Show More
36m 2s
Sep 3
Roman kings: myth, memory and the making of power
Before Rome's republic and the age of emperors, there were kings… or so the story goes. Beginning with Romulus, and ending with Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, these rulers loomed large in the Roman imagination – but is their narrative fact or fiction? In this episode, Emily Briffett ... Show More
41m 28s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
The History of Bad Ideas: Anti-Suffragettes
In this episode of our series on the lingering hold of bad ideas David talks to the writer and broadcaster Helen Lewis about the arguments made at the turn of the last century against giving the vote to women. Why were so many women against female enfranchisement? What did attitu ... Show More
56m 41s
Jan 2023
69: The Princess of the Press vs. The Media, Mobs, and the Man
Welcome to the Dark History podcast. Have you ever been made to seem like the bad guy? Have you ever had everyone turn against you when you were just trying to do something good? Well, what about, have you ever had people hate you so much for trying to do the right thing that the ... Show More
42m 6s
Aug 2022
Gossip: Women's Original Sin
The girlies discuss the politics of gossip - how it serves us evolutionarily, how women used it as a feminist act of resistance, and why it's commonly dismissed as surface-level shit talk. Digressions include some revelations about 9/11, whether or not it's ethical to work remote ... Show More
1h 11m
Jun 2022
Feminine Power: Divine to Demonic
From goddesses to demons, witches to saints, women have held power of many shapes and sizes throughout history and around the world. Whether they were bringers of chaos, salvation, desire or justice, this year these women are being given the spotlight.On this Platinum Jubilee of ... Show More
33m 19s
Nov 2013
Zenobia and the Roman Empire
<p>Our focus today is on a woman who was actually covered in the podcast several years ago. But she's a figure so mythic and with so many variations to her story that we wanted to give her another look and a little more time.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a hre ... Show More
28m 14s
Mar 2021
Femme Fatales Pt. 1: WWII and Origins
The term "femme fatale" conjures up noir vixens whose sole purpose is to bring the story's male hero to his knees. But sometimes, women behaving badly are just getting things done the only way society will allow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
44m 58s
May 2021
Incel Hell
The ladies take the red pill and delve into the history of Men's Rights Activism, Inceldom, and Pick-Up Artistry. Digressions include Valerie Solanis' SCUM Manifesto, Kendall Jenner's heartbreaking battle with anxiety, and Julia's new arc as a Peloton influencer.<br /> <br /> Adv ... Show More
1h 7m
Mar 2024
30. Difficult Women
Lucy Worsley and Rosalind Crone are joined by Helen Lewis, author of ‘Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights.’ They discuss what it means to be a difficult woman and why the airbrushing of feminist history can be problematic.Together they discuss four of the most dif ... Show More
28m 41s
Mar 2023
From Eve to Austen: Women in Literature
Why might a woman have willingly confined herself to a cell for the rest of her life? Why have so many female authors in history published under aliases or initials? And what was Jane Austen’s dirtiest joke?In this episode of Betwixt the Sheets, Kate is joined by Anna Beer to dis ... Show More
41m 59s
Oct 2021
SMNTY Classics: Where Be (Female) Monsters?
<p>Welcome to your worst (podcast) nightmare. In this classic episode, Anney and Samantha delve into the storied history of female monsters, and talk about how we can bridge the monster gender gap.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcast ... Show More
1h 4m