Women in Power

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

History Hit

Society, Sex, Scandal, Education, History

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2022

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What do Hatshepsut and Hillary Clinton have in common?

Well, what do they have in common with the vast majority of women who have been so successful as to gain power? Women like Britain’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, just the third woman to hold the title.

They have been subject to some very specific criticism which, whether it’s based on their looks or their character, would be unlikely to be directed at men in the same position.

We’re joined again Betwixt the Sheets by Eleanor Herman, whose new book ‘Off With Her Head: Three Thousand Years of Demonising Women in Power’ is out now.

*WARNING there are naughty words and adult themes in this episode*

Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Sophie Gee.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello my lovely but Twix does this is Kate Lister jumping in to give you your
0:05.0	regular Fair Doos warning. Fair Doos this episode is going to contain naughty words
0:10.5	reference to naughty themes and just just general adulty notiness and you know
0:16.7	what if you've wondered here thinking but Twix the Sheets is some kind of
0:19.8	interior design podcast and you've just realised horror of horrors it's not
0:23.9	we're talking about sex today you just want to get out of here that's
0:27.8	completely fine you can give this one a swerve fair doos you've been warned
0:31.1	for the rest of you that are still with me let's get into it
0:36.0	Bussie bitchy witchy over ambitious not ambitious enough too many partners
0:42.9	not enough partners frigid promiscuous too clever to dumb I could go on but
0:50.0	women can just never win can they and these insults are often
0:53.6	intensified for anyone who's in a position of power and this isn't a new
0:59.2	phenomenon the way we talk about Hillary Clinton shares a lot in common with
1:04.8	how the ancient Egyptians and Romans spoke about Queen Cleopatra today we're
1:10.0	going for Twix the Sheets to find out more about women in power and the kind of
1:14.5	criticism they receive not for being powerful not for their political moves but
1:19.8	just for being women
1:23.8	why do you look for a man oh money you're supposed to rise when an adult speaks to
1:29.4	I make perfect copies of whatever my boss needs I just turning the knob and
1:34.4	pushing the button yes social courtesy does make a difference goodness my
1:45.2	I'm welcome back to be twix the Sheets the history of sex scandal in society
1:56.5	with me Kate Lister it's going to come as no surprise absolutely anyone the
	...

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