Madness Cafe
A feminist current events/social commentary podcast where we discuss politics, health and wellness and women's rights issues.
Episodes
189 episodes
186. The Inauguration Episode: Trump and Authoritarian Populism
In many ways, the country (and possibly the world) is trying to make sense of the 2024 election and what lies ahead. We’re doing the same. Join the postmortem and let us know how you’re processing Trump’s reelection.
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Season 1
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Episode 186
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59:21
185. BANNED BOOKS SERIES: All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
Welcome to the 1st installment of our Banned Books Series! In this episode, we discuss George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto. This is a beautiful and important book. Tune in to hear our reactions to and understanding of A...
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Season 1
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Episode 185
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49:37
MINISODE: For Everyone Who Wears A Mask
Sometimes a poem or a piece of writing just speaks to you. In the first book of our Banned Book Series, All Boys Aren't Blue, George M. Johnson talks about Paul Laurence Dunbar's We Wear the Mask - a poem that has significant meaning for Raquel...
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2:08
184. Get to the Subconscious Root Cause of Your Symptoms and Behaviors: Rapid Transformational Therapy with guest Chloe Jimenez-Peters
Have you ever wondered why you react in certain ways or why you have particular feelings or aches and pains? It turns out that a lot of it is based in childhood. It's our subconscious blueprint. Although there are a number of helpful techniques...
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58:03
MINISODE: Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni: Not Man Enough
Regardless of whether you are tuned in to popular "news", chances are pretty good that you've heard something about the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni saga. We dive in with our opinions about this debacle in this minisode. What are your though...
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23:01
183. Madness Cafe Strikes Back: Our Project 2025 - Banned Books Series
In this week’s episode we’re telling y’all about one of the ways that we are striking back at Project 2025 - we’re doing a banned book series in 2025! For each month of the coming year we’ll discuss a book that has been banned. In...
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Episode 183
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57:59
MINISODE: Black Trad Wives - Yay or Nay?
We're trying something a bit different here at Madness Cafe - minisodes! These are a chance for us to pop in from time to time when we feel the urge to chat a little about a timely topic in the zeitgeist. Our very first minisode is about Black ...
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18:38
182. Ethical Non-Monogamy, Swingers and Polyamory: Could The Lifestyle Be Right For You? with guest Lauren Hayes
What is ethical non-monogamy? Is it the same as polyamory? Are we talking about swinging? We're talking about all that and more with Lauren Hayes, a relationship coach specializing in supporting ethically non-monogamous (ENM) couples, including...
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59:56
181. The Normalization of Hatred and Antisemitism: Escape From Dachau with Susan Servais
How much do we really know about our parents, grandparents, and our family history? How do they fit into the backdrop of history as a whole? Susan Servais' mother Kathe Mueller Slonim gave her family the gift of her story in the book Escape Fro...
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57:57
180. The Truth About Immigration and H-4 Spouse Visas - Book Chat: Golden Handcuffs by Varuni Sinha
In this week's episode, we discuss Varuni Sinha's memoir, Golden Handcuffs: An Immigrant's Pursuit of Happiness. Varuni, a New York-based writer and multimedia producer, describes her book as a story of love, strength, and resilience written wi...
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1:00:29
179. "My father is my perpetrator." with guest Cindy Benezra
Sexual abuse is objectively a difficult topic. Even more so when the predator is your father. Cindy Benezra knows this all too well; her predator was her father. In her memoir, Under the Orange Blossoms, Cindy shares her story, along with how s...
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59:09
178. Pleasure, Play & Psilocybin: Microdosing for Maidens, Mothers & Crones with guest Leslie Draffin
Magic mushrooms, plant medicine, psilocybin - what came to mind when you read those words? If you grew up in the 80s, "just say no" probably popped up. But are all drugs bad? Can their powers be used for good? Sometimes, yes. Specifically, psil...
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1:04:18
177. Our Reactions to the 2024 Election: "The majority of the country is more comfortable with the devil they know than the leader they don't."
After a few days of processing the results of the election, we talk through our feelings about what happened, what's to come, our fears and hopes, and our plans going forward. The conversation doesn't stop here, and it doesn't stop with us; aft...
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Season 1
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Episode 177
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1:00:00
176. Book Chat: Our Time Is Now by Stacey Abrams
We read and discussed Stacey Abrams' Our Time Is Now before the results of the 2024 election were announced. We were excited and hopeful and wanted to share Stacey's message, information and talented wordsmithing with everyone. We're in a very ...
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Season 1
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Episode 176
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1:02:13
175. "Campaign joyfully. Show gratitude deliberately. Celebrate liberally." Run to Win with guest Christina Reynolds
Return guest Christina Reynolds, Senior Vice President of Communications and Content at EMILYs List, is back to talk about the book that she co-wrote with the President of EMILYs List Stephanie Schriock - Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for W...
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Season 1
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Episode 175
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56:22
174. Sexual and Creative Energy - Where Can I Get More Of That? with guest Gao Motsemme
So many people walk through life wearing a mask, disconnected from themselves. How can we drop the mask and reconnect? According to this week's guest, Gao Motsemme, we have to get to the core of the issue and connect to source. That's how we ge...
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59:57
173. Changing the World Through Poetry: Poetic People Power with Tara Bracco and Karla Jackson-Brewer
Words matter. Words have power. Art is powerful. We explore just how powerful words, art, and poetry can be with guests Tara Bracco and Karla Jackson-Brewer. Tune in to hear some of that power as Karla reads a portion of one of her poems includ...
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Season 1
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Episode 173
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58:39
172. How Sensitive Souls Can Manage Overwhelm In A Chaotic World with guest Abby Humphrey
Sensitive, empathic, overwhelmed? Can you relate? Do you know someone who can? How can you protect yourself? How can you manage overwhelm in this time of chaos? This week's guest, Abby Humphrey, talks to Raquel and Jennifer about what can help....
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59:46
171. On The Wrong Side: How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors of Sexual Violence with Nicole Bedera
One common belief is that our colleges and universities are safe spaces and, if we are subjected to sexual violence, our schools will protect us. Unfortunately, that is not true for so many people. In fact, victims are often retraumatized by th...
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1:13:55
170. Choosing Not to Become a Mother: My So-Called Selfish Life with Therese Shechter
Is motherhood the default? Are people without children monsters? Is it ok to be childfree and happy? Raquel and Jennifer talk about all of this and more with this week's guest Therese Schechter.Therese Shechter is an award-winning filmm...
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59:53
169. Project 2025: Dismantling Democracy with Raquel and Jennifer
Project 2025 - it's all over the news and everyone's talking about it. Or they should be. What is it? Why should we care? To be fair, it's to be expected that a candidate for president will have a plan (not just a concept of a plan...) for how ...
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1:02:42
168. Boymom with Ruth Whippman
Are boys destined to become incels, misogynists, and emotionally stunted? When it does happen is patriarchy to blame? Can parents do something to prevent toxic masculinity from ruining their sweet little angels? Can grown men reparent themselve...
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58:54
167. Adulting: What Do We Need To Know About Car Insurance with guest Caroline Monsewicz
What do most of us really know about car insurance? Why is it necessary, besides that it might be legally required? What choices are best for me, for my family, for my new driver? We get into all of this (and more) with guest Caroline Monsewicz...
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1:13:16
166. Our Feelings About the Future Madam President
We are beyond excited about Vice President Kamala Harris as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee! We share all of our feelings, hopes and dreams about the future of our country with Kamala Harris as our next president. Join the discussion a...
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Season 1
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Episode 166
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59:35
165. How to Deal with the Pain of Human Relationships with guest Celia Landman
We are all in relationship - with ourselves, family, friends, society. With that comes great joy and, sometimes, pain. How can we handle that pain in a way that doesn't add to the pain? How can we handle that pain so that we can show up for our...
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1:04:59