The Guilty Feminist Podcast
'I’m a feminist…but’
The Guilty Feminist is a podcast founded and hosted by British comedian Deborah Frances-White. Using self-depreciating humour, Frances-White and guest presenters address “the major feminist issues of the 21st century.” (Walker) Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the podcast “focusses on the apparent challenge of living up to the expectations of feminism on a daily basis.” (Deslandes) The Guilty Feminist covers topics such as activism, male privilege, mental health, and rape culture – incorporating humour into each discussion. Every episode of the podcast begins with a confession relating to each presenter’s feminist-short comings. Bromwich notes the tone of the podcast in stating:
Rather than beating ourselves up over our imperfect feminism, the show offers a more inclusive, forgiving approach.
Frances-White and her guests use comedy to reveal “deeply personal, often troubling, experiences.” (Suddain) Frances-White was inspired to create this podcast after “severing ties with the patriarchy” of the Jehovah’s Witness denomination of Christianity (Sanghani).
The podcast is critiqued by Deslandes, in stating: "The enjoyment of Frances-White’s humour depends heavily on the audience of women being white, middle-class, heterosexual...For those who do not share this experience, it is likely to fall far short of the mark." In contrast, Walker recognizes the podcast as '"essential listening in 2018" because Frances-White "smashes gender stereotypes, is politically engaged and attempts to tackle inequality."
Frances-White remarks:
It's a really exciting time to be a feminist and it's a fantastic time to have an establish feminist podcast.
