Historically, when a woman gave birth, she was accompanied by the women she trusted most, including the child’s future godmother. The word “gossip” comes from the Old English “god-sibb,” meaning godmother, but came to refer to what happened around the birth bed. Erica Jong later said, “Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed.”
Since then, gossip has moved online: see Mumsnet or the network of ‘Are We Dating the Same Guy?’ Facebook pages, where women use the latter to warn others about habitual cheaters or worse. Perhaps inevitably, it has been the focus of several court cases by men who have been publicly slandered. Is it possible to keep the old ‘whisper network’ alive without getting sued? The young writer and cartoonist Lily O’Farrell is determined to show us how.
It will provide enough homely treats to make any traditional wife proud.
The need for podcasts like hers reflects the state of the world we live in. Beneath the apologetic title: If not, don’t worry! is a powerful, trenchant examination of the damage done by internet culture. Its target audience is young women — O’Farrell is a twenty-something feminist whose empathetic voice will likely appeal to a slightly younger Gen Z audience — but the themes it explores concern us all.
A recent episode explored the hysteria over aging, with even children being forced to use products containing peptides, retinol and other supposedly anti-aging chemicals. Another argued that dating apps are turning us into unempathetic human machines. It might come as no surprise to you to learn that 75% of Tinder users are men.
Statistics, eloquent experts, and in-depth research set this podcast above others of its kind. Instead of chatter, you’ll hear thoughtful commentary that tells the broader story of our times. For example, if you’re confused by the domesticity trends of the 1950s, try the episode titled “Should We All Be Traditional Wives?” You can’t really blame the average woman for dreaming about dish towels when she still does 3.5 hours of housework a day and still has a paid job.
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Nigel Jones
Was the Prime Minister having an affair with a woman half his age?
The home is a world of its own: TV historian Ruth Goodman, a redhead with a knack for quick period costume changes, focuses on a different household item or fixture each week on her podcast. The mysterious history of your homeThere’s an oven, a medicine cabinet and even a lawnmower, but it’s undoubtedly the episode about toilets that draws the most viewers.
Goodman decided to embark on a journey to “uncover the toilets of the past” in Pakistan. If only he had the budget… The Bronze Age site of Mohenjo Daro (the Mound of the Dead) doesn’t seem like the most suitable place to study the history of bowel movements, but it seems its plumbing was impressive. Many houses in the region had latrines built into the brickwork of their exterior walls. Minoan Crete also excelled in this regard.
Unintended Brian’s Life Goodman’s podcast helps explain that our ancestors did almost everything for us when it comes to homes. It focuses mainly on the Romans, but also features ancient Assyrians, Egyptians, and Iranians. The episode on home security is particularly interesting: Few would know that the palace doors of Khorsabad in Nineveh were secured with early pin-tumbler locks.
The surprises continue: I hadn’t noticed the keys on the Bayeux Tapestry, for example. It was also new to me that Benjamin Franklin had angled mirrors on the exterior of his house so he could see who was approaching without being seen. This early doorbell camera was primarily targeted at his mother-in-law.
The only odd thing about this delightful podcast is that the opening and closing of most episodes are slightly out of sync. You’d be forgiven for thinking you’re listening to an audiobook, as Goodman sets the scene in the opening minutes, taking you to, say, a drunken banquet near Corinth in the 3rd century B.C. The opening script, which resembles a book’s prologue, is a bit of a breathless, prosaic affair. Don’t be put off: this is mostly easy listening, packed with enough household trivia to make any traditional wife proud.
