Unladylike radio host showcases feminism, sexual liberation
Cristen Conger started podcast in 2018 to discuss and normalize taboo topics
Cristen Conger started the Unladylike podcast in 2018 and has looked at various topics through a feminist lens.
“Unladylike was developed out of really a desire and also a need to elevate what feminist podcasts could be in kind of taking it beyond the chat show format,” Conger said.
The show discusses serious topics like abortion and misogyny. But it also has more lighthearted features on pole dancing, fetishes and other sexual topics. She develops her program from what listeners suggest and she also keeps her pulse on what’s going on in current events.
“It's a challenge to make sure that people still engage with the tough stories, the tougher news because there's so much bad news to go around right now that folks get very easily overwhelmed, and it's easy to disengage,” Conger said.
Since Dobbs, she has had a greater sense of urgency about reproductive rights. She did episodes on TRAP Laws, also known as targeted regulations of abortion providers. She said it feels pressing, but she wants to make sure that things don’t always seem so distraught.
“We can't talk about everything all at once, all the time,” Conger said. “So it's really figuring out how to meet the moments and also not to be collectively overwhelmed.”
Sexual liberation is also a big part of what she does. She wants to normalize women talking about sex, which can be about far more than reproduction. If those discussions are taboo, it’s likely that tendencies toward violence and harm could fester among men.
“I don't think it shouldn't be shocking that women contain multitudes and might have interest in both physical or sexual pleasure and also political protest and upheaval,” Conger said.
She has a simple motto for the show: stay serious, build empathy and raise hell.
“That's kind of what that's kind of the mission,” Conger said. “And hopefully, it's making a difference for people.”