Half-Baked

** New favourite podcast alert! ** As a huge fan of Lena Dunham, I don’t know how I missed The C-Word when it initially aired, but I’m glad Spotify recommended it to me when it did, with five seasons worth to binge.

Hosted by Lena Dunham and Alissa Bennett, The C-Word ‘discuss[es] women who society deemed mad, sad, or just plain bad’ in an attempt to humanise these people and set the record straight.

Some background on the hosts: Lena Dunham, in case you have been living under a rock, is a writer, actor, and director, best known for creating and starring in the show Girls (my absolute favourite show of all time). She has also written two books – Not That Kind of Girl, which I highly recommend if you want a good laugh, and Famesick, which comes out April this year – and written and directed a plethora of films, including Tiny Furniture, which won Best Narrative Feature at SXSW Film Festival, and Sharp Stick, which we don’t talk about. Alissa Bennett is somewhat of an underdog. A quick google search of her reveals she is a ‘New York City-based writer and legendary zine maker’, though she introduces herself on the podcast as a ‘Historian of bad behaviour’ and often jokes that she is not famous, best known for being Dunham’s close friend.

Each episode of the podcast, and there are 65 in total, is dedicated to exploring the life and reputation of one of these ‘mad, sad, or just plain bad’ women, including Hollywood Greats like Judy Garland and lesser known figures like Paula Goodspeed, a Paula Abdul-obsessed singer who, like all women they cover, had a seriously tragic end.

Sometimes Dunham and Bennett have guest speakers, such as Andrew Rannells (Elijah in Girls) and Sia, but usually it is just the two of them, ranting and raving and sharing anecdotes about their own lives when the story calls for it.

Each episode is structured as such: Dunham and Bennett introduce the topic of conversation, complete with soundbites, usually from news clips or interviews, that encapsulate just how ‘crazy’ said woman is. Then, the theme tune plays, which is a badass song by Liz Phair that I can’t for the life of me find online (though I can proudly say I saw Phair peform last year – and isn’t it odd how so often your favs love your favs). The hosts then introduce themselves, with Dunham changing her introduction each episode for the lols. The meat of the episode begins with Bennett listing five things we should know about the woman in question, with Dunham often interjecting with funny quips. The rest of the episode is pretty much a free-for-all, with the hosts discussing the woman’s life in chronological order but taking many detours along the way. At the end of the episode they ask each other what they wish for the woman, and the answer is usually something along the lines of: ‘I wish she could’ve accepted herself for who she was’ or ‘I wish Hollywood directors weren’t so cunt-ish’.

There are many things I love about this podcast. It is educational, entertaining (tabloid ‘journalism’ is truly wild), and funny without being mean. Dunham and Bennett crack many jokes, but usually at the expense of the ridiculous men or families in the women’s lives. When it comes to the subject of the episode, the ‘mad, sad, or just plain bad’ woman, they are empathetic and quick to come to their defence. They bring new information to the story, keen to change the narrative attached to these women. With Bennett’s research skills and Dunham’s background in the cut-throat TV and film industry and reputation as someone people love to hate, they are uniquely equipped to do so.

The show is also oddly comforting, like eavesdropping on a conversation between two pop culture-obsessed best friends. Dunham makes me laugh and Bennett’s drawl soothes me. And despite the heavy themes – such as addiction, abuse, and suicide – they somehow find a way to make each episode lighthearted without undermining the tragedy of the case. They make you see the fun, ambitious, wayward woman behind the tragedy – and not only that, they make you identify with her. The takeaway? Everyone has a little ‘c-word’ in them.

Photos: Luminary.