Sapphic Pop, So Hot Right Now

Culture Study Podcast

Society & Culture, Arts

4.5 • 789 Ratings

🗓️ 18 September 2024

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We’ve had listeners asking us to do an episode on sapphic pop for months now, and were trying to figure out who we wanted to co-host. Then Melody sent me a text: I FOUND THE PERFECT PERSON. That person is Trish Bendix, who just published a sprawling look at the past and present (and popularity) of sapphic pop, from Big Momma Thornton to Chappell Roan. I absolutely loved this conversation, where we did our very best to answer your questions about everything from the ‘80s sound in contemporary sapphic pop to Jojo Siwa “inventing” the genre. Plus we talk about “Constant Craving” at least three times (which Melody had never heard!!!!) Make sure you check out the show notes to links to all the songs we mention in the episode. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world. If you're already a subscriber-- thank you! Join us in the discussion thread for this episode! Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here.Show Notes:Read Trish’s piece on NBC News re: the history of sapphic popSubscribe to Trish’s newsletter LIT FEMME!CONSTANT CRAVING 4EVER!!!!Some of the ‘80s flavor in Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please”We didn’t go into it but the Michigan Womyn’s Festival/MichFest shut down in 2015 amidst ongoing arguments from TERFs (including the festival’s founder) that the festival was only for “women born women.” You can read an overview here.Indigo Girls “Ghost”:Indigo Girls 1200 Curfews Live Album (especially recommend the cover of River)Tracy Chapman, “The Promise”We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Questions about queer romance that aren’t related to “why are all these women writing about romance between two dudes” (which we will definitely tackle, don’t worry)What happened to the summer blockbuster?!How do people access/consume celebrity gossip these daysMidwest [Dad] MasculinityWTF is going on with [insert clothing brand/website] hereGwyneth? The new Brad Pitt / George Clooney movie?We’re definitely doing a Paul Mescal episode but I’d love your ideas about who should be my co-hostStill want to do a Sydney Sweeney and Gen-Z Stardom ep!!!!!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What’s your favorite sapphic pop artist? Or: what memories do you have of hearing any of the artists discussed for the first time?

Transcript

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0:00.0	And I dedicate this to queer and trans people that fuel pop all around.
0:09.0	To the gays who dedicate my songs to someone they love or hate.
0:15.0	And thank you to the people who are fans who listen to me, who hear me when I share my joy and my fears.
0:23.2	Thank you for listening.
0:31.2	And for all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now, I see you, I understand you because I'm one of you.
0:41.3	And don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't be exactly who you want to be, bitch.
0:57.7	This is the Culture Study podcast, and I'm Anne Helen Peterson.
1:02.3	I'm Trish Bendix, a writer in Los Angeles, writer of the Substack Lit Fem.
1:12.6	Okay, so we're recording this the morning after the VMAs, and we just heard Chapel Run speech, which he accepted the award for Best New Artist. So what did you make of that speech? I think it was a really interesting thing to experience watching someone
1:17.0	who has been so openly queer that hasn't yet had such a nationally televised presence quite yet.
1:25.2	Like she's a huge star, but she hasn't had this opportunity to address people in the way
1:30.1	that she did at the VMAs.
1:31.2	So I think it was extremely powerful for her to be able to use this opportunity as the best
1:36.9	new artist, which is, you know, not something that is at all gendered or, you know, like they've changed a lot about the VMAs
1:45.8	over the years.
1:46.3	Thankfully, it's now moon people.
1:47.7	Yes.
1:48.1	You know, as opposed to moon men.
1:50.1	So I, I guess, you know, personally, I felt as if she was speaking on behalf of someone
1:58.0	like me as a queer person in a way that I don't necessarily usually feel included
2:03.0	in the speeches like that.
2:05.9	Like, I mean, and I think there have been a lot of others who identifies maybe pansexual
	...

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