Straight to the Comments
by Straight to the Comments
Latest episode
Lisa's new podcast, The Vardø Witch Trials
Lisa's new podcast, The Vardø Witch Trials
About this podcast
Ever notice how comment sections reveal more than the headlines?
Lisa Williams and Sarah Illingworth dive into the internet’s most revealing threads, from the biggest celebrity scandals to niche online subcultures, exploring what our online reactions say about the culture we are living in right now.
Each episode, they decode the psychological motivations and deeper media narratives of online comment culture, all with a good dose of 90s nostalgia and Gen X British humour.
Shortlisted for Best Arts & Culture Podcast by the Independent Podcast Awards and an International Women’s Podcast Award.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 53 episodes
- Lisa's new podcast, The Vardø Witch Trials · 3 min · Episode 53Hello, it's Lisa! I know it's been a while. We took a break after the 90s episode, and in the meantime I've gone and made a podcast of my own. It all started with a comment on…
- Did We Peak in the 90s? Why Nostalgia Feels So Powerful · 42 min · Episode 52This week, Lisa takes us back to the 1990s, the last decade that wasn't lived online. A time of Drew Barrymore in Poison Ivy, Aerosmith music videos, BT phonecards, Sky magazine…
- Not a Woman’s Woman Revisited: The Wicked Press Tour · 58 min · Episode 51Following the Wicked press tours, there have been countless online conversations about Ariana Grande and her dynamic with Cynthia Erivo. So we're re-running our 2023 episode "Not…
- Why Meghan Gets More Hate than Prince Andrew | Part 2 · 45 min · Episode 50The second part of our Royal Special. Yesterday we broke down the patterns in the coverage and comments. But today we ask why Meghan Markle remains the lightning rod for public…
- The Prince Andrew Scandal & the Meghan Obsession | Part 1 · 39 min · Episode 49The Evil Queen may have obsessed over who is ‘the fairest of them all’, but today we are looking at the latest Royal scandal and asking - who really is the most hated, and what…
- Drive Me Crazy: Frances Farmer, Britney Spears & the Legacy of the “Hysterical Woman” · 47 min · Episode 48Frances Farmer and Britney Spears. Two women, decades apart, who found out exactly what happens when you're famous, female, and having a breakdown in public. Today, from…
- The Forever 35 Face: Who Can Afford Not to Age? · 44 min · Episode 47Demi Moore wins her first Golden Globe at 62 for The Substance.Pamela Anderson makes waves with her makeup-free red-carpet look in her late fifties.And L’Oréal’s Paris runway…
- Why Are Alpha Werewolves Suddenly Everywhere? · 42 min · Episode 46True Blood, Twilight, Buffy… so many of us can’t get enough of vampires and werewolves. But lately, our feeds have been flooded with full-on “Alpha” werewolf erotica — a darker…
- Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni: Lawsuits as Entertainment | Part 2 · 45 min · Episode 45An alleged $9 million smear campaign. Text messages bragging they could “bury” Blake in hours. And the same team behind Johnny Depp’s media assassination of Amber Heard. In Part…
- Blake Lively and the Business of Disbelief | Part 1 · 43 min · Episode 44Blake Lively says she was harassed and then “buried” with a sophisticated smear campaign. Justin Baldoni says he’s actually the victim. But the fiercest battle isn’t unfolding in…
- Reddit Roulette: Secret Money & Trauma Dumping · 48 min · Episode 43In the last episode of Season 3, we bring back Reddit Roulette (from Season 1, episode 10) - our mashup of all things Reddit and Chatroulette . We spin the wheel to discuss who…
- Elizabeth and Damian Hurley: Why Are We So Uncomfortable? · 25 min · Episode 42When Damian Hurley released his debut film, "Strictly Confidential," people were shocked that he directed raunchy scenes starring his own mother, Elizabeth Hurley. From critics…
- Love After 40: Sam Taylor-Johnson, Kylie and Drew Barrymore · 57 min · Episode 41Cougar, MILF, or even a tragic singleton like 'Bridget Jones', today, we are looking at all the comments used to describe older women when it comes to love and dating. Sam…
- Rebel's Revelations, Wino Forever and Lizzo Quits? · 35 min · Episode 40A year on since we did our "Fatshaming" episode featuring Adele, Rebel Wilson, and Lizzo, we find the three women are once again the centre of attention due to discussions about…
- ‘My Truth’: Prince Harry, Hasan Minhaj and the Rise of Therapy Speak · 50 min · Episode 39Since Oprah brought self-help and therapy speak into the mainstream, more and more people have been talking about “speaking my truth” over telling the truth. From Prince Harry to…
- Meghan Markle: The Art of a Launch · 32 min · Episode 38Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is back with the launch of her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. Today, we are examining the mixed (putting it mildly) reactions to her…
- Who Do You Think You Are? The Transformation of Geri Halliwell · 45 min · Episode 37From her iconic Union Jack dress and Girl Power persona to her current all-white dress code and role as the “devoted wife”, today we are exploring the online reactions to Geri…
- Health Conspiracy Theories: Kate Middleton, Selena Gomez & Jamie Foxx · 44 min · Episode 35Today, we are discussing the internet's relentless speculation surrounding Kate Middleton's recent surgery announcement. From genuine concern to mind-bending conspiracy theories…
- Jodie Foster Has Notes for Gen Z · 25 min · Episode 34Welcome back to Season 3's first Mini! We're kicking things off with our comment guessing game, a topic that we believe will stir up strong emotions among Gen Xers (and perhaps…
- Criminals as Celebrities: Anna Delvey and Gypsy Rose Blanchard · 51 min · Episode 33Today, we are exploring the "celebrification" of criminals in the age of social media, particularly that of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Anna Delvey. Gypsy Rose Blanchard, recently…
