Podcasting is often seen as a particularly male pastime, but many of the best podcasts out there are created and hosted by women. For a long time, my podcast feed consisted solely of the genre “two women talk to each other about nothing in particular.” If you’re looking for a new podcast featuring smart, funny women, try one of these girl power podcasts.
True, most of the hosts of these podcasts would chafe at the term “girl power,” but there’s no better word to describe how I feel when I listen to them. These great girl power podcasts get me rearing to go outside and conquer the world.
Call Your Girlfriend
Long-distance BFFs Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman host “Call Your Girlfriend,” a podcast about the intersection of the personal and the political. They talk about feminism, pop culture, politics, bodies and more. “Call Your Girlfriend” invites you into the warm embrace of a truly special friendship, but don’t doubt its feminist cred. Sow and Friedman coined the massively-popular term “shine theory,” and they host biweekly interviews with their “sheroes” and feminist icons.
Recommended episodes: Seeking Justice, Be a Good Ancestor with Stacey Abrams, Give People Money, Alive With Rage in Q3, Friendship Dilemmas
2 Dope Queens
I’ve already recommended this show in the context of the best comedy podcasts, but this list would not be complete without “2 Dope Queens.” Comedians Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams host this live comedy show, populated by stand-up comedians ranging from “I can’t believe I haven’t heard of them before” to “I can’t believe THEY came to the show!” Though Robinson and Williams simply function as the emcees, their comedic back-and-forth is so compelling that you wish they’d stay on stage for the entire show.
Recommended episodes: #49 Karaoke with Michelle Obama, #45 Tig Notaro Gives the Best Advice, #34 Sleepover Accidents, #19 Things Remembered, #15 Hamilton Adjacent
Buying a New Car
Tips and tricks to get you through every step of buying a new car, whatever “new” means to you.
Download Now!Sooo Many White Guys
“Sooo Many White Guys” is another podcast starring Phoebe Robinson! Robinson interviews subjects who aren’t “white guys” (most of the time). In doing so, she centers the stories of marginalized creators and artists. It’s also really funny.
Recommended episodes: #35 Phoebe and Hannibal Buress are Huge in Norway, #28 Phoebe and Awkwafina Get Matching Tattoos, #18 Phoebe and Abbi Jacobson Order Takeout, #8 Phoebe and Roxane Gay Toast to the Good Life
She’s All Fat
“She’s All Fat” is one of the most joyful body-positive podcasts out there! Hosts April K. Quioh and Sophia Carter-Kahn encourage listeners to “hush those diet-culture whispers” and join them in radical self-love. Quioh and Carter-Kahn are warm, accepting and funny, even when discussing the occasional difficulties of fat girl life. “She’s All Fat” is rife with puns and irreverent jokes about weight, beauty and bodies of all sizes.
Recommended episodes: @ Our Thin Friends, Make it to 2019 Challenge, Fat(suit) Like Me, The Fault in Our Faves, Traveling While Fat, She’s All Fat Goes to the Doctor
The Dream
With just a simple down payment of $1,500, you can change your whole life. Well, not really. That’s just the promise of the multi-level marketing schemes (or MLMs) featured on “The Dream.” Host Jane Marie explores the ins and outs of MLMs and pyramid schemes, specifically how they have targeted women throughout their history. “The Dream” uncovers the way MLMs utilize the language of faux feminism (like “girl boss” and “fempire”) to victimize women on both sides of the transaction. The podcast is almost as addictive as an MLM itself.
Recommended episodes: Listen from beginning to end.
Baby Geniuses
Cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt and comedian Emily Heller are on a mission to know everything! “Baby Geniuses” isn’t really a podcast about feminism, but it is a podcast about two women living their best lives. “Baby Geniuses” recently underwent a significant change, going from a guest-oriented podcast to a podcast that is only about Hanawalt and Heller. They get together, catch up, and then dive into their many segments, including the adventures of Martha Stewart’s fell pony, one-on-one question time and a deep dive into an obscure Wikipedia article. Hanawalt and Heller aren’t afraid of being weird in pursuit of a laugh, like Hanawalt indulging in her obsession with horses or Heller showing up at the Emmys with a “Getty Images” purse.
Recommended episodes: List of Gestures, Goofy, Person, Wikipedia Long Term Abuse, Skunks as Pets, List of U.S. Presidential Campaign Slogans
Do you have any favorite girl power podcasts? Share them with us in the comments below!
Looking for some more podcasts? Check out my Podcast Pulse articles about shows for new listeners, the best comedy podcasts and the best history podcasts.
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