Divas: Ruan Lingyu

Womanica

Acast Creative Studios

History, Society & Culture, Education

4.3 • 920 Ratings

🗓️ 9 January 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ruan Lingyu (1910-1935) was a Chinese silent film actress known as the “Greta Garbo of China.” Considered one of the most prominent film stars of the 1930s, her roles, exceptional acting, and her suicide at the age of 24 led to her status as an icon of Chinese Cinema.

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This month, we're diving into the "Divas" of history, examining how the label has been used from many angles, whether describing women pejoratively... or with admiration.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn't help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we'll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Hannah Bottum, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, and Vanessa Handy. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.

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Transcript

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0:35.2	I'm Jason Alexander.
0:36.8	And I'm Peter Tilden and together our mission on the really no
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0:59.9	radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Before we get started, a warning that
1:06.1	this episode contains mentions of suicide.
1:17.6	Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica.
1:24.6	This month, we're diving into the divas of history, explaining how the label's been used with many angles, whether describing women pejoratively or with admiration.
1:33.5	You find yourself watching a film devoid of color and dialogue.
1:38.9	The sweeping landscapes and orchestral arrangements transport you to the golden age of Chinese cinema.
1:45.8	Suddenly, the leading actress enters the screen.
1:49.2	The camera zooms in for a close-up, and with the simple raise of her head and look in her eyes,
1:54.5	she conveys the struggling mother, a young girl in love, and a woman in the throes of death
1:59.5	by her own hands.
	...

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