A Special Place in Hell

On this already-stale episode, the ladies discuss the past week’s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, before delving into the more politically salient topic of Joe Rogan’s Austin kingdom. Finally, thoughts on the finer points of eating cats. Links * How Joe Rogan Remade Austin This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode, the ladies try and uncover the mysteries of AI, and whether it is about to take their jobs. Meghan says no, but is she in denial? Then, should you divorce your mom for worrying about your eternal soul? Is going "no contact" with grandma a form of self-care?Links* Why A.I. Isn’t Going to Make Art * Why So Many People Are Going “No Contact” With Their Parents This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, the girlx welcome special guestx Uri Berliner, journalist and famed NPR critic/apostate. Uri discusses his youthful attraction to public radio and how the slow erosion of many its ideals led to his decision to air his critique in the Free Press -- and, shortly thereafter, make his exit. He also reflects on how things have gone since the big leap. Was selling his soul to Bari Weiss worth it? (How can the girlx manage to do the same?)Note: This episode was recorded on June 18. Uri has since joined The Free Press as a senior editor. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode, the ladies white-knight Bari Weiss following a War and Peace-length profile in the NYTimes. Can any journalist be expected to cover The Free Press founder fairly, given that she's positioned herself as their main critic? Does Bari's unique ability to hold steady in the face of extreme character defamation prove that women really can be public champions of unpopular truths? Most importantly: will our fangirling lead to jobs offers or restraining orders? Finally, a discussion about marriageability vs. hotness. Is it a compliment to tell a man that you wouldn't just use him for his body, but rather, for his wallet? Links* Bari Weiss Knows Exactly What She’s Doing This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

In this (livestreamed) episode, the ladies de-center their American colonialist perspective to consider the recent hooliganism across the pond. Has the UK slipped into authoritarianism? Is British post-colonial guilt giving American guilt a run for its money? Or did the song There Always Be An England mean there will always be the threat of jail for wrong-speak? Then, Meghan flip-flops on JD Vance's trans friend and finally, a (lengthy) showdown on Art and Regret.Links* ‘Think before you post’: Britain’s slide into censorship (Spiked)* She Used to Be Friends With JD Vance (The Daily)* The Emotion I Didn’t Expect As A New Parent: Regret (NYTimes)* I Used to Write Jokes About How Parenting Is Terrible. Then I Had My Daughter. (NYTimes) This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aspecialplace.substack.comOn this Excedrin-fueled episode, the ladies discuss the controversy surrounding the chromosomal makeup of Olympic boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting. They then move on to the latest scandal in the not (not)-for-profit world, this one involving GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, whose enthusiasm for expensive chandeliers and Swiss Alps travel took money from the pockets of needy gays. Finally: Kamalot spamalot (it's out of control!) and the time Meghan wrote about the word "fag".To listen to the full episode (and get lots of other perks, too) become a paying subscriber!Links* Lavish Spending by GLAAD CEO

In this episode, the ladies again revisit motherhood and its (concerning?) lack of representation among young women. Do we need a GI Bill for trad wives? They then discuss a recent article on mega-influencer Hannah Neeleman (aka Ballerina Farm) and her large, photogenic family that also happens to be extraordinarily wealthy. Is she a servant of the patriarchy? Or is the tradlife a kind of extreme sport that proves her ultimate superiority? Finally, they go over the recent damning revelations by the NYTimes that JD Vance once had a queer friend. Links* Meet the queen of the ‘trad wives’ https://www.thetimes.com/magazines/the-sunday-times-magazine/article/meet-the-queen-of-the-trad-wives-and-her-eight-children-plfr50cgk* My day with the trad wife queen https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/my-day-with-the-trad-wife-queen-and-what-i-really-thought-of-her-qmbmmhkp8* She Gave Birth Two Weeks Ago. Now She’s in a Pageant. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/style/ballerina-farm-mrs-world-hannah-neeleman.html* JD Vance, an Unlikely Friendship, and Why It Ended. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/27/us/politics/jd-vance-friend-transgender.html This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

On this LIVESTREAMED episode, the womxn follow an inadvertently brilliant Twitter thread to its logical conclusion: that white-woman allyship means not wearing pink and green and never walking through conga lines. They explore the panoply of memes celebrating Kamala Harris's girlbossery, anticipate the Million White Woman March that is "Answer The Call," and consider the growing phenomenon of rich white men taking on non-white wives. Also: a eulogy for the sanity of Rachel Maddow, and the real reason why JD Vance was chosen for VP.Links* White Lady Allyship Instruction Manual (X thread)* Non-White Wives * Rachel Maddow on JD Vance This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

This is the second half of our extremely long interview with Simone and Malcolm Collins! (Part 1 can be found here.)We discuss gene pools, spanking, why autists are overrepresented in the pro-natalism movement and recount their own love story and evolution into "techno-puritans." Finally, they answer the definitive parenting question: is the harm of screen time overblown? Links* Malcolm and Simone’s YT Channel Based Camp, Twitter, and Pronatalist Organization!* Article in the Gaurdian (featuring That Slap). This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

Pro-natalism advocates Malcolm and Simone Collins are here to lead us into the Handmaiden's Tale (or guide us away from it, depending on your view)! In Part One of this very long interview, the bespectacled iconoclasts share their thoughts on how modern society stacks the deck against fertility, especially those seeking to represent the U.S. in the fecundity Olympics (Malcolm and Simone are the parents of four children and hope to have nine more). They also assess the damage caused by the "trad wife" image, explain their views on spanking, caution against the progressive plot to Come For Your Kids, and expound on abortion. (You might be surprised!)In the upcoming Part Two (available NOW to paying members here), the Collinses discuss why autists are over-represented in the pro-natalism movement and recount their own love story and evolution into "techno-puritans." Finally, they answer the definitive parenting question: Is the harm of screen time overblown?Subscribe to get the full interview NOW, plus all our bonus episodes and access to the comment community!Links* Malcolm and Simone’s YT Channel Based Camp, Twitter, and Pronatalist Organization! * Article in the Gaurdian (featuring That Slap). This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

The girlx enjoy a leisurely news day by discussing Saturday's assassination attempt on Trump followed by the announcement of his VP pick, J.D. Vance. The counterintuitive takes are flying! Are Trump rallies the ultimate experience in "touching grass?" Is Vance's political shift rooted solely in opportunism? Or does his conversion from Never Trumper to "actually I'm starting to like this guy" mirror the political journey of many disenchanted liberals?Links* Republican Party Platform * Melania Trump’s statement* President Biden’s statement This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aspecialplace.substack.comThis MEMBER ONLY episode is all about parenting, or at least, exceptionally bad parenting. First, they cover the explosive revelations of child abuse in an essay by the daughter of acclaimed writer Alice Munro, before moving onto another essay by Bridget Phetasy, in which she catalogs her own experience as a neglected child of divorce. Is no-fault divorce good for women, but bad for mothers?Links* My stepfather sexually abused me when I was a child. My mother, Alice Munro, chose to stay with him* How divorce never ends* Meghan's Substack post about Alice Munro* Meghan’s Unspeakable conversation with Bridget Phetasy about divorce

Podcast production legend Andy Mills survived–and thrived–in the venerable halls of NPR and the New York Times, where he worked for Radiolab, co-creating The Daily as well as series like Rabbit Hole and Caliphate. More recently, he co-created groundbreaking podcast The Witch Trials of JK Rowling for The Free Press. Today, he’s living in the midwest and, along with his creative partner Matthew Boll, trying to build his own platform, one meticulously produced podcast at a time. Is he losing his mind? Or getting his soul back?Check out Andy and Mathew Boll's new podcast, the Reflector:We need you, we love you. Do you love us???? (Subscribe please, this is degrading.) This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

The ladies bid a fulsome adieu to Pride Month and reflect on its most photogenic moments this year. They then enter a post-partum depression over Thursday's debate, the only treatment for which is heavy doses of copium. Then, an analysis at the most "mid" first lady in history, Dr. Jill Biden, and Meghan sheds white tears recalling her Twitter pile-on of a lifetime by Brave BIPOC Women. Finally, they cap off the episode with a discussion on the difficulties of being a progressive father Just Trying To Have It All.Links* First Lady Jill Biden on What’s at Stake in 2024 * Don’t Mess With PhDs This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aspecialplace.substack.comIn this PAYWALLED EPISODE, the girlx/womxn practice self-harm by watching the Presidential debates from the nail-biting beginning to the eyeball-gouging end. Despite it all, Meghan feels strangely exhilarated by this rare moment of national unity (everyone agrees it was terrible). They speculate about what the Dems were thinking (is it 4D chess or classic incompetence?) Finally, they address some listener questions about their political allegiances. Are the masks finally coming off, revealing their true MAGA selves?

On this episode, the girlx/womxn discuss the "Main Character Energy" of GOP women, inspired by a new article by former guest Rebecca Traister. Are these tanned and toned patriot babes trying to have their cake and eat it too, or are they secretly spitting it out when no one's watching? What are normie feminists missing about the complexities of the cultural moment, and what is the appeal of guns + long hair? Also: a debate over the meaning of "butch." Finally, they discuss President Trump's interview on the All-In Podcast. Has Trump won the womxn over, or has he failed to close this deal?Special Places require Special Work. Will you be our Special Savior, and support the pod? Links* How Did Republican Women End Up Like This?* Trump on All-In Pod This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, the girlx/womxn are slightly late to the party in discussing a long piece on Ibram Kendi's implosion, courageously subverting their audience's expectations in order to side, at least sympathize, with the BIPOC man. Was Kendi set up to fail? Did white people set him up to fail? Is this a (very meta) manifestation of the very white supremacy that the Center for Anti-Racist Research was set up to combat? (Yes, yes, and naturally). They then move on to narcissism in the Instagram-girl world. Is it just normal to treat every waking moment of your life like a scene from a movie? Is "boyfriend" just another word for key grip? Finally, a discussion on short hair on women--is it sexy and subversive, or just another way of turning into your mom?A Special Place In Hell is a reader-supported publication, as we have yet to find our billionaire benefactor/sugar momala. Please step in and step up—we need you! Links* Ibram X. Kendi Faces a Reckoning of His Own (NYT)* Your Boyfriend Isn't Your Camera Man (After Babel) This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode, the girlx/womxm listen and learn from award-winning adult film director and screenwriter, Jacky St. James. Jacky details what a day of shooting on a porn set really entails, the effect of "tube sites" on the industry, the wisdom of MILFs, and how cancel culture came for porn (proving that nothing really is sacred). The episode comes to completion with a discussion on the future: AI sexbots and how parents can teach kids about responsible consumption.We love you, we need you!! But do you love us? Subscribe to prove you care (and unlock all episodes + comment community). LinksJacky’s Website This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

In a devastating turn of events, the girlx/womxn were FORCED to prepare for this week's recording in order to discuss the Trump verdict with a modicum of intelligence. The deck was stacked against them. Nevertheless, they persisted. Then, a brief update on G*NDER: the U.K. officially bans the use of puberty blockers in gender dysphoric kids, thereby denying life-saving care to 7-year-olds who have the wrong taste in clothing. Will England's TERF surf ever reach America's shores? Finally, a discussion on child abuse, in which the girlx land squarely in the "pro-spanking" camp, and reveal that they had both been spanked as children by their mothers. (Though Sarah's mom sounds a lot scarier.) Does this explain their hatred of women?Without your support, we literally cannot go on. Help preserve and protect this Special Place by becoming a paying subscriber. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe

In this education-centered episode, the womxn first admonish the Officially Brave efforts of a DEI admissions officer who may be behind the shocking downward trajectory of UCLA's medical school. They then contradict themselves to wonder how much education matters anyway. Is our kids learning? Was they ever learning? Finally, Meghan takes us down memory lane (as if she has any other lanes), to a time when documentaries were artsy and good. Was the late Morgan Spurlock of "Supersize Me" fame to blame for trash-activist-documentaries? Or was he simply standing on the supersized shoulders of Michael Moore?Affirm and enable us by becoming a paid subscriber today. LinksHow Racial Preferences, Supposedly Outlawed in California, Have Persisted at UCLA by Aaron SibariumA Theoretical Case Against Education at Astra Codex Ten This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aspecialplace.substack.com/subscribe