1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Hanny and Samantha and welcome stuff. I've 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: never told you aflecture of iHeart Radio, and we are 3 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: once again thrilled to be joined by the intrepid, the 4 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: insightful Bridget Todd. Welcome Bridget. 5 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 2: Oh, thank you for having me. Love the I descriptor 6 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 2: word theme very alliterative. 7 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: Thank you. I've been trying to think of new words. 8 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: Helps me sleep at night sometimes. Yes, how have you been, Bridget, 9 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: I'm doing well. 10 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 3: We were talking off Mike a little bit about how 11 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 3: I feel like. 12 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 4: So. 13 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 2: I love Halloween, I love fall. October is my favorite month. 14 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 2: But I do feel that it took spooky season a 15 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: little bit of time to really take and I feel 16 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 2: it's just I'm just now starting to feel the spooky 17 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 2: season vibes. I watched a horror movie under a blanket 18 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 2: last night, so I'll really trying to get my Halloween 19 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 2: vibes on. 20 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, I feel the same way. I am a 21 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: huge Halloween person. I love October. I love the weather, 22 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: and there's been some really great horror movie watching weather lately. 23 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: But it took a minute for me to set in 24 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: and now I'm trying to I have a lot of 25 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: horror movies on my list that I've got to get through. 26 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 1: It's kind of daunting, but I'm sure that I will 27 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: do it. Yes, I have. So are you a big 28 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: horror movie person, Bridget? Is this something that's new? I 29 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: have long time habit that you have. 30 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 3: I love horror movies. I like that. I mean, I obviously. 31 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 2: Like elevated horror, I love Hereditari, I love Midsummer all 32 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 2: that I like. But I also have a soft spot 33 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 2: for just bad, campy horror as well. 34 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 3: There's just something about. 35 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 2: A late eighties early nineties horror movie that gets me. 36 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 3: I do like it. How about you? How about you all? 37 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 5: Oh? 38 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: I have tried to figure this out with a good 39 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: friend of mine who we've enjoyed horror since we were 40 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: eight or nine years old. Where did that come from? 41 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: Because it's not our families don't like it. We're the 42 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: only ones in our families that like it. But I 43 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: was sneaking into horror movies when I was nine years old. 44 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: I was playing these horror games when I was nine 45 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: years old. I don't know. The most scientific explanation I 46 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: can give is that I also really love roller coasters. 47 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: And there's a scientific reason for loving things like that. 48 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: It's called you stress, and it's like a safe stress. 49 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: It feels like a safe place to relieve stress. I 50 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: don't know why at nine years old that was something 51 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: that I felt I needed. But I've been into it 52 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: for a very, very long time, and I have so 53 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: many horror movies now. I love the elevated horror, I 54 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: love dissecting horror, and I love campy horror too. We 55 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: were talking about this before. I have delved the dips. 56 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: I have found some things no one knows what I'm 57 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: talking about. You surely have, some of which we've talked 58 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 1: about on this show. 59 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 4: Yes, and we will continue to talk about on this 60 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 4: show soon as in fact, I think but yeah, I 61 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 4: think it has something to do with also the same 62 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 4: people who love like crime shows as well as the 63 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 4: single who love to cry and just be completely destroyed 64 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 4: by a show or a movie. There's something therapeutic and 65 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 4: being able to see it, live it, but not be 66 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 4: a part of it. I have a conversation in this 67 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 4: kind of the whole horror movie film. For me, I'm 68 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 4: very specific in my horror movies. I don't like slasher films. 69 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 6: I never have. 70 00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 4: I don't like any so it was never really big 71 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 4: in the ninth these like Halloween, not even the Fridi 72 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 4: Kuger movies because it was just too much for me. 73 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 4: But I love a good haunting. I love a good 74 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 4: possession movie, which is odd. I remember also watching a 75 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 4: couple like a good friend of mine and I would 76 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 4: watch all of the the Bad Things at her house, 77 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 4: like that was the thing. You know, you have that 78 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 4: one friend where you know you can get away with 79 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 4: the MTV watching when your religious parents would not let you. 80 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 4: And also the horror movies, which are like, you know, 81 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 4: you're inviting demons into your mind type of conversation. But 82 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 4: we would watch some of the oddest ones, and I 83 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 4: don't even remember half of them because they were so 84 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 4: like out of the realm. It wasn't like we weren't 85 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 4: watching Grimlins. It wasn't that it was something like CAMPI 86 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 4: or like we would watch the dude from Grimlins. We 87 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 4: would watch him in a lot of other horror movies 88 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 4: that I don't know the name of. One of them 89 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 4: was like House of Wax. So it was the nine 90 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 4: eighties nineties rendition of House of Wax, which kind of 91 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 4: scarred me. And then also there was a movie with 92 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 4: clowns that scared me. And then another movie where the 93 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 4: ending is a woman serving these people pies and face explodes, 94 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 4: like that's the ending, And like the the main character 95 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 4: who's a white woman and a black man walk out 96 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 4: all covered in like bruises because you know they've been 97 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 4: through hell, and you see them walking off into the 98 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 4: road into the sun. But you see this scene of 99 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 4: this old white woman killing her husband somehow by making 100 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 4: his face explode because of apple pie. 101 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 6: Do you know a movie I'm talking. 102 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 3: About any I have no idea any of you. 103 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: I don't know specifically a movie you're talking about. What 104 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 1: there is a movie that is similar called The Stuff. 105 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 6: I wonder if something like that. 106 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 4: So, like, I have memories of those types of movies 107 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 4: that still play in my mind, obviously because I'm telling 108 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 4: you about it. But those are the types of movies 109 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 4: that I remember watching and loving. And they were all 110 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 4: VHS recordings I don't know from where again. 111 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 6: We would watch that. We were all the same. 112 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,559 Speaker 4: We were also the same group of people who would 113 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 4: get that scary tales or scary stories in the mountains 114 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 4: of Appalachian mountain stories and read it to each other 115 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 4: in the middle of the woods. It's in the trailer 116 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 4: by ourselves at nine o'clock at night. And what I 117 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 4: would think is one of the most haunted places because 118 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 4: all I see is pictures of old people, like faded 119 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 4: old pictures everywhere. 120 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 6: With like Christian memorabilia. 121 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:14,919 Speaker 4: I'm pretty sure it was haunted and we were like 122 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 4: really testing the ghost there. 123 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 6: So but those are the time I don't know what. 124 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 4: That's what I like more than anything else, and I 125 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 4: will find a way to like, yes, let's get into that. 126 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 6: Is it scary scary or is it kind of catchy scary? 127 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 2: What's funny to me is both of you had to 128 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 2: sneak to watch horror as youth. I grew up in 129 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 2: the opposite household I was. My dad was the person 130 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 2: who was taking a much too young child to the 131 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 2: theater to see horror movies, and we would this, this 132 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 2: is not gonna make him sound like a great parent, 133 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 2: which I swear he was, but we would stay up 134 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 2: late to watch Tales from the Crypt together, which to 135 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 2: this day I loved Tails from the Crypt. It's hard 136 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 2: to find. You can watch it probably bootleg on YouTube. 137 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 2: But there was a time in my life like maybe 138 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:05,119 Speaker 2: a year ago when I was having a really tough time, 139 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 2: and I was like, would it be weird to buy 140 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 2: myself a cameo from the Cryptkeeper where it's just like 141 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 2: a cameo to me from me, where the Cryptkeeper is 142 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 2: giving me a message. 143 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 3: Would that be weird? I decided it would be. 144 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 2: But like, that's how much I love Tales from the 145 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 2: Crypt and horror anthology in general. 146 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, you know, I remember, as you say that, 147 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 4: I remember sneaking episodes of that as well as the 148 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 4: newer Twilight Zone. 149 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 6: Do you know what I'm talking about. 150 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 4: It wasn't the old one, it was a newer version 151 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 4: that also really twisted, Like I remember the Lottery was 152 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 4: do you know what I'm talking about? That episode of 153 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 4: the Lottery on the Twilight Zone and everything ends up bad, 154 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 4: kind of the same thing with a caper, and I 155 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 4: remember a haunted house on that one, Like I remember 156 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 4: those episocause they were like short shots of something haunting. 157 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 6: That never really had a good ending. And you're just 158 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 6: like me more than that. 159 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm a sucker for the Twilight Zone and horror 160 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 2: anthologies in general where it has some sort of a 161 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 2: twist ending where oh no, it was. 162 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 3: Do you know what I'm saying. 163 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 5: It's like, oh yeah, yeah, like the real monsters were. 164 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 3: Man all I love. I'm a sucker for a like 165 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 3: artistic twist. 166 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: And they even make one of them on the Futurama 167 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:36,599 Speaker 2: where time enough to read. 168 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 3: I broke my glasses. Oh well, I can still read 169 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 3: the large the large print books. My eyes fell out. 170 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 3: I'm a sucker for that. 171 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 4: Yes, well, I think you should also definitely buy that 172 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 4: cameo because sometimes you just need a pep talk. I 173 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 4: may not have that in one of your favorite like 174 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 4: childhood memories. 175 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 6: That's the best. 176 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 3: Oh my god. 177 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:56,599 Speaker 2: When I was a kid, I used to do a 178 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:00,199 Speaker 2: cryptkeeper impression. I used to do this is so such 179 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 2: a tangent impressions of the crypt keeper and the way 180 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 2: that the Martians speak on Mars attacks. 181 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 3: And my brother would die laughing. You would be bowled over. 182 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 3: That was. 183 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 2: Those are my two the two impressions I had when 184 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:14,319 Speaker 2: I was a child. 185 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:15,559 Speaker 6: I wanted. 186 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 2: To extra money doing a crypt Keeper cameos. 187 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 4: I would be there, I'd been why, I would pay Yes, yes, 188 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 4: this through this? 189 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: Oh wow, I love that so much. Oh well, this 190 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: is kind of an unfortunate segue. But it is true 191 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 1: that every time Halloween comes around there's kind of a 192 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: strange tension for me because usually there's both an election 193 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: coming up, but also, uh you know, when you talk 194 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: about like what you're really afraid of, there's sort of 195 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: the horror movie answer, which is very scary, and then 196 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: there's like the real world answer that we're living in, 197 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: which is also scary. Uh So it's sort of every 198 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 1: time I'm always like, I love this more Halloween seasonal 199 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:20,679 Speaker 1: horror movie thing, but there's also this real world horrific 200 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: thing that's happening. 201 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 3: Oh yes, yeah, what a scarier than things like misinformation? 202 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: I mean, if there could be an evil cackle right now, 203 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:34,440 Speaker 1: there should be. 204 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 4: Amazing, we're gonna we're gonna say use that as like 205 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 4: a meme or something. I don't know how to do 206 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 4: with this. Someone put it as a sound cover. 207 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 1: That was amazing so much. But yes, we are talking 208 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: about a lot of information today, and specifically around a 209 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:06,320 Speaker 1: certain topic, right, bridget. 210 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 2: That is right because if y'all have spent any time 211 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 2: at all on TikTok lately, I probably don't need to 212 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 2: tell you that social media platforms are awash in misinformation 213 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 2: about hormonal birth control. And I actually find it interesting 214 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 2: but also kind of very telling that I'm not talking 215 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 2: about content that is warning about some specific side effect 216 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 2: really about birth control. What I'm talking about is sort 217 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 2: of this content that has a fit looking young woman 218 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 2: influencer type promising that you will kind of get a 219 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 2: vague feeling of feeling more like you if you go 220 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 2: off birth control. And so the question they sort of 221 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,679 Speaker 2: ask is, who am I without birth control? Will I 222 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 2: feel some sort of a positive difference if I stop 223 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 2: using it? 224 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 1: Yeah? And you know this is not new, but it's 225 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: definitely been amplified by social media and these influencer as 226 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:04,199 Speaker 1: spreading the message. 227 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 2: Oh yes, And I guess that like the thing that 228 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 2: social media is specifically flooded with is this sort of 229 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 2: vibe based reasoning for coming off birth control? Right, It's 230 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 2: not I'm having this specific side effect or this specific 231 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 2: issue or use case. 232 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 3: It's no. The vibes are all are terrible for birth control. 233 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:23,680 Speaker 2: And there was a really great piece in the New 234 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 2: York Times called who Am I Without birth Control? That 235 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:31,080 Speaker 2: I looked at that really examines how misinformation around birth 236 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 2: control is impacting real women. They chronicled a young woman 237 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 2: named Ashley, who was twenty six. They write she had 238 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 2: started taking birth control pills a decade earlier, when she 239 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 2: was fifteen. Now, as she browsed her social media feeds, 240 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 2: she kept stumbling on videos of women saying how much 241 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,959 Speaker 2: better they felt when they stopped taking the pill, content 242 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 2: she was not seeking out. The post typically went like this, 243 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 2: a glowing blonde and a workout top the picture of health, 244 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,599 Speaker 2: saying that she stopped taking birth control pills and immediately 245 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 2: felt more clarity of mind, like an emotional fog had lifted, 246 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 2: like she was a brand new, much happier person. So Ashley, 247 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 2: seeing all of this, decides to go off birth control 248 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 2: pills cult Turkey, which is not recommended by doctors, even 249 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 2: though she is in a newish relationship with someone and 250 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 2: they both agreed it is too early to even be 251 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,719 Speaker 2: thinking of about kids. So who is Ashley without birth control? Well, 252 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,160 Speaker 2: turns out she's a mom because just one year after 253 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 2: she stopped taking your pill, those pills, she became a mother. 254 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 3: Her baby was four months old when that article was written. 255 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 2: And so I thought that was such a funny way 256 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 2: for the article to start, thinking that if I go 257 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 2: off the pill, I'll have some vaguely better life, and 258 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 2: it's like, no. 259 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 3: Who are you not on the pill? 260 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 2: Probably a parent, to be honest, if you're having sex, 261 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:52,360 Speaker 2: probably a parent. 262 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 6: A mean and then other things. 263 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:12,080 Speaker 4: There's so much to this conversation because I think we've 264 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 4: already kind of hinted towards things like this in our 265 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 4: talk about chidwives, and then also the yoga pipeline, the 266 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 4: influencers in that wellness circle where we talk about this 267 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 4: level of misinformation and being like, if you do all 268 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 4: these things naturally that you're going to be so blessed 269 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 4: with just being a stay at home mom and being 270 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 4: able to take care of your family and yourself, you're 271 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 4: going to feel healthy and light and young and feel complete. 272 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 6: But all this is in a rhetoric. 273 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 4: To a very very dangerous conversation about the loss of 274 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 4: rights for those who are marginalized and specifically those who 275 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 4: have uteresses in this moment. But they are really doing 276 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 4: a great job and changing, like feminism is is being 277 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 4: able to be a MoMA, stay at home. Wouldn't you 278 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 4: rather do that than have to struggle by yourself in 279 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 4: a world that doesn't appreciate you. Type of conversation, so 280 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 4: it seems like this is one more narrative for the 281 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 4: wellness chain, which is an odd and very tricky, tricky conversation. 282 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, you put that so well, and you know, 283 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 2: there is nothing wrong with wanting to become a parent. 284 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 2: There's nothing wrong with staying at home and not doing 285 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 2: wage earning work if that is your choice and you 286 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 2: can swing it. All of those things are great, and 287 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 2: the point of feminism is that people should be able 288 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 2: to have the choices that work for them. However, having 289 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 2: an entire media ecosystem that essentially rebrands having less control 290 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 2: and less autonomy into good things is not a dynamic 291 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 2: where people get to make their own decisions. Really, when 292 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 2: you are being algorithmically fed and serviced. Because remember Ashley 293 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 2: said that she was not even seeking out content about 294 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 2: the dangers of birth control, that content found her. When 295 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 2: you are a wash in that kind of rhetoric and 296 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 2: that kind of misinformation, I would argue that you are 297 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 2: not really in a dynamic where you're able to make 298 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 2: real choices for yourself. And yeah, social media content and podcasts, 299 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 2: they are an entire media ecosystem spreading and amplifying misinformation 300 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 2: about birth control and interestingly, they're not exuplicitly warning against 301 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 2: birth control for religious or political reasons, right the same way, Sam, 302 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 2: that you were saying, Oh, it's so easy these days 303 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 2: to just have a. 304 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:33,479 Speaker 3: Boi'm just into yoga and wellness. 305 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 2: Three swipes later and you're looking at Nazi content, right, Like, 306 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 2: it's so easy and a lot of that stuff. They're 307 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 2: able to use things that feel not non political and 308 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 2: they're not being talked about exuplicitly as political, but they 309 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 2: are political. And so with this kind of birth control 310 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 2: misinformation that we're seeing increasingly on social media, it doesn't 311 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 2: come out and say, hey, we're anti birth control for 312 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 2: political or religious reason. It's because birth control is bad 313 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 2: for you. And so I think that that is a 314 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 2: pretty insidious approach because just like wellness other kinds of wellness, 315 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 2: it doesn't just appeal to people who are political or religious, 316 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 2: it also just appeals to people who are concerned about 317 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 2: their overall. 318 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 3: Health or wellness. 319 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,879 Speaker 2: And so increasing this message that's that being on birth 320 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:27,919 Speaker 2: control is at odds with being healthy well and quote 321 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 2: pure like that is the underlying message being presented here. 322 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 4: That makes me want to throw my computer because I 323 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 4: swear to God it took us so long to get 324 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 4: to the point that women can say this is a 325 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,400 Speaker 4: hormonal imbalance issue for me. And I have been struggling 326 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 4: all of my life as a teen having pains where 327 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 4: it took me out for two or three days, or 328 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,679 Speaker 4: having this mood disorders that did not make sense, and 329 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 4: feeling like I'm in hell every period or rough three 330 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:56,920 Speaker 4: weeks out of the month, Like I remember growing up 331 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 4: being told these are the things you're just that's just 332 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 4: being a one. And it took us so long to 333 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 4: finally get to a point and be like, oh, maybe 334 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 4: we should. There should be research and there should be 335 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 4: medical actions that can happen that could help us. And 336 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 4: I felt like we go there for like just the 337 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 4: split second, like we were actually accepting that as an okay, 338 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:21,119 Speaker 4: that might be okay for us to have. 339 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I'm glad that you said that, because I 340 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 2: want to be like very clear, hormonal worth control is 341 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 2: not for everyone. It can have side effects. Case and point, 342 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 2: it was not a good option for me because it 343 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 2: gave me headaches. So this is not me saying everybody 344 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:38,880 Speaker 2: should go out there and get on hormonal birth control. 345 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,199 Speaker 2: People should talk to their doctor and figure out what 346 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 2: kind of birth control is right for them. If birth 347 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 2: control is right for them, there are all kinds of 348 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,920 Speaker 2: non hormonal birth control options to consider. Again, people should 349 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 2: be talking to their medical professionals. They should not be 350 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:58,119 Speaker 2: trusting random influencers on social media or random podcasters. But 351 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 2: right now, those people who are really speaking the loudest 352 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 2: and frankly kind of owning the conversation about birth control, 353 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 2: and people are listening. 354 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 3: They really have an audience. 355 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,919 Speaker 6: And it's coming back, coming back to that old school 356 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 6: thought of you just need to deal with it. 357 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 4: It's putting more things in your body doesn't help you 358 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 4: all these things and really being like you need to 359 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 4: let your body work itself out, and really telling people 360 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 4: to suffer because it's a wellness thing. 361 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 2: It's like, literally, yeah, you want to be pure, you know, 362 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:33,360 Speaker 2: it's just birth control is just bad for you. And honestly, 363 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 2: the kinds of stuff that people say about birth control 364 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 2: is crap, just a little bit of a summary. So 365 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 2: Alex Clark, who hosts Culture Apothecary, which is sort of 366 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 2: a conservative wellness podcast on the Late Charlie Kirks Network, 367 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,640 Speaker 2: turning quints to USA. She has suggested that the way 368 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:54,400 Speaker 2: that women are prescribed birth control is linked to fertility issues, 369 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 2: which it isn't. She's also even said that birth control 370 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 2: pills can false make women feel that they might be bisexual, 371 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,480 Speaker 2: which I don't think I need to tell anybody, but 372 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 2: just in case that's not true, birth control pills cannot 373 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 2: turn you queer or gay. 374 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 3: Genuine reaction. 375 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:21,639 Speaker 4: I was already. 376 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 2: On an episode of Joe Rogan's podcast, Callie Means, who 377 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,719 Speaker 2: now is an advisor to help Secretary Robert F. Kennedy 378 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 2: Junior basically said that the medical industry views worth control 379 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 2: as recurring revenue, and that the reason that they're trying 380 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 2: to get people to take the pill is because it's 381 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,919 Speaker 2: recurring revenue, and that, oh, if you can get somebody 382 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 2: to be on the pill, they're going to be taking 383 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 2: it for most of their lives. And that's it's this 384 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 2: implied conspiracy that no, no, this is not medication that 385 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,360 Speaker 2: might genuinely help somebody or might genuinely give somebody more 386 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,920 Speaker 2: autonomy or more choice. No, no, no, no no, it's a way 387 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 2: to just make big Pharma is making money off of 388 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:03,199 Speaker 2: you to harm you. 389 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 4: God, they are so good about taking this type of 390 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,880 Speaker 4: rhetoric and I say they as being like anti abortion 391 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 4: slash anti uterus, anti marginal arts people group community and 392 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,199 Speaker 4: taking things and making sure to do a conspiracy to 393 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:20,639 Speaker 4: really freak everybody out. Be like, no, no, but this 394 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:24,159 Speaker 4: is what's really happening. It's not because I'm being anti abortion. 395 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:25,160 Speaker 4: I don't know what you're talking about. 396 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, And so it's it's so true because when you 397 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,960 Speaker 2: look up birth control on TikTok, you'll find women talking 398 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 2: about how birth control like room into their bodies quote 399 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,639 Speaker 2: unquote by making them gain weight or taking their libidos. 400 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 2: And these are things that actually can be symptoms of 401 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 2: hormonal birth control. 402 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 3: So they're not wrong. 403 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:45,440 Speaker 2: But the thing is, like, if I were to make 404 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 2: a TikTok about how my doctor took me off birth 405 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 2: control because it was giving me headaches, this is not 406 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 2: gonna be advice for everybody, right, Like, it's it's very 407 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:56,480 Speaker 2: specific to me and my body. And importantly, the dominant 408 00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 2: messages on social media frame birth control a conversation that 409 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 2: is not like, oh, talk to your doctor if birth 410 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:06,440 Speaker 2: control is giving you this specific side effect. No, no, no, 411 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 2: it is your doctor is in cahoots with the government 412 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 2: to lie to you by actually forcing you to be 413 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 2: on birth control that is harming you. 414 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 3: Right, It's I honestly wouldn't have a problem. Well, I 415 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 3: don't know. 416 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 2: I guess I feel like it gets dicey when you're 417 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 2: putting medical advice online if you're not a doctor. But 418 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:29,159 Speaker 2: I honestly wouldn't have that big of a problem with 419 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 2: it if it was just like, here's my side effect 420 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:34,959 Speaker 2: and this is what I did. Instead, it's this purposely 421 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:40,439 Speaker 2: conspiratorial thing that is so obviously being phrased in the 422 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 2: most inflammatory way to get engagement. Like The New York 423 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,439 Speaker 2: Times spoke to one of these influencers who has like 424 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 2: just under one hundred thousand followers, who went on TikTok 425 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,200 Speaker 2: and talked about birth control as being evil. 426 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 3: And then said, well, obviously I exaggerate on social media. 427 00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 3: You can't have a lukewarm take. 428 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 2: And I'm thinking, do you really want to be taking 429 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 2: medical advice from an influencer who is openly telling The 430 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,440 Speaker 2: New York Times that she needs to make things as 431 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 2: spicy and inflammatory as possible to get views on social media? 432 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:12,639 Speaker 2: Like do you not see the way that she's incentivized 433 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 2: to essentially tell the most extreme story of something as 434 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:18,719 Speaker 2: important as your health. 435 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 4: Again, it goes back to also in my mind, like 436 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 4: they're not completely wrong when it comes to women's health. 437 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 4: They don't care, so they they being pharmaceuticals. I sound 438 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:34,159 Speaker 4: very very conspiratory right now in that level of like 439 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 4: they do want to make money. It's the same reason 440 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 4: why period products are not offered for free and there's 441 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 4: an increase and there's tax on it because they can 442 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 4: make more money and they know that it's needed. And 443 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 4: instead of helping to have a cost efficient way of 444 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:49,679 Speaker 4: treating women as well as actually researching on how the 445 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,080 Speaker 4: best way to help because some of the beginning of 446 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,639 Speaker 4: birth control was real gross, real eugenics what like, it 447 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 4: was real gross, like let's let me real clear on that, 448 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 4: but instead of actually seeking to help women, it kind 449 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:02,879 Speaker 4: of had turned the other way of like, eh, we 450 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:05,879 Speaker 4: don't care enough about helping people with the uterses. We 451 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 4: don't really want to help them, but if we're going to, 452 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:11,880 Speaker 4: we're going to make it as least effective or as 453 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 4: many side effects so we can also make money and 454 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 4: let them know this is your only solution. 455 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 6: Like there's this. 456 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 4: Level of like, you're not completely wrong, but instead of 457 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,399 Speaker 4: helping in a right way, you're just making us go 458 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 4: back twenty steps. 459 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, and bad actors are so good at exploiting that 460 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 2: kind of kernel of truth. That's what they do, right, 461 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 2: And so I get it because listen, Traditionally, margin bized people, 462 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 2: especially women, are often not listened to by medical professionals, 463 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,879 Speaker 2: are often not treated with respect or care oftentimes when 464 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 2: you're talking about medicines and medical things, these are things 465 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,640 Speaker 2: that we're not tested or researched on our body specifically. 466 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 2: So all of that is true, and we're right to 467 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:55,680 Speaker 2: be pissed off about that, we're right to call that out. 468 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:57,640 Speaker 3: But what these content creators. 469 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 2: Do is that they swoop in and except like that 470 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:05,120 Speaker 2: very real problem, that very real issue, and use it 471 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 2: to push potentially harmful, untrue messages about our health. And so, yeah, 472 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:16,119 Speaker 2: I completely agree that they're not wrong, and they're not 473 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 2: wrong to be skeptical, paranoid all of that. But then 474 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 2: you have these influencers basically filling the void with lies, 475 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 2: lies that lead to people feeling more anxious and more suspicious. 476 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,919 Speaker 2: When The New York Times surveyed women about how our 477 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 2: current social media climate is making them think about birth control, 478 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,919 Speaker 2: these messages did not just make them want to stop 479 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 2: using birth control. It made them fearful, paranoid, anxious, suspicious, 480 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 2: specifically suspicious of their own doctors, and made them feel 481 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:54,200 Speaker 2: more trust toward random influencers or podcasters. So you can 482 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,680 Speaker 2: see why exploiting that kernel of truth would materially benefit 483 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 2: bad actors who are pushing these lives about birth control. 484 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think there's so much going on right 485 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 1: now with the erosion of trust that has been ongoing. 486 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 1: But you got like RFKA Junior, and he's just pushing 487 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: out all of these these things about you know, what 488 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:20,879 Speaker 1: feel like conspiracy theories to me, but to other people 489 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:25,439 Speaker 1: seem like truths. I have a friend who worked at 490 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: the CDC and she was seeing, you know, COVID really 491 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 1: exacerbated a lot of things because we were trying to 492 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: get this vaccine out, but every day, like what we 493 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: knew about it was changing, and so people started to 494 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 1: view that with mistrust. So you've got like this building mistrust. 495 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 1: And then as we talked about in the episode we 496 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 1: did about chat GPT and people seeking out health advice 497 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:57,919 Speaker 1: from chat gpt, where it's so expensive to go to 498 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,439 Speaker 1: a doctor or to go to a hospital, and so 499 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:06,159 Speaker 1: people are turning to technology, and people are turning to 500 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: these influencers and they're telling you like, this is what 501 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: you have to do. This is like it worked for 502 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 1: me us, and it's very It's a nice thing to believe. 503 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 1: It's a nice thing to think, Oh, I could control that. 504 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 1: If I just stopped taking birth control, then maybe I 505 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: will be more in control of my body. And you know, 506 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,720 Speaker 1: you couple that with like lack of sexual education. It's 507 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 1: just a real mess that we have going on right now. 508 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 2: And I think I like that comparison to the chat 509 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:45,640 Speaker 2: gept example, because you know, I don't want to shame 510 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 2: anybody who was using chat gept or doctor Google to 511 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 2: figure out what's wrong with them in a climate where 512 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 2: just having access to medical care is so inaccessible. However, 513 00:27:56,920 --> 00:28:01,199 Speaker 2: the answer to me is not here, take this unreliable 514 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 2: tool chat youpt and use that. The answer is, let's 515 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 2: make healthcare more accessible for everybody. And I think similarly, 516 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 2: the answer here should not be, oh well, let's just 517 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:15,719 Speaker 2: have an entire ecosystem of podcasters and influencers who are 518 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 2: personally incentivized to make people fearful. 519 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 3: It's let's have a medical. 520 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:22,880 Speaker 2: Industry that actually listens to people and that people feel 521 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,639 Speaker 2: like they can actually trust, Like it's it's such a 522 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,879 Speaker 2: it's it's just not a real solution. I understand how 523 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 2: in a climate where it is confusing to figure out 524 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 2: decisions for your own health and your own body, and 525 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 2: we have people who I would say are influencers at 526 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 2: the highest level of government making our health decisions, I 527 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:48,800 Speaker 2: understand it is a funky climate. But the answer is not, oh, 528 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 2: just empower the influencers and podcasters to essentially act as doctors. Now, 529 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 2: it is how do we have a more reasonable climate 530 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 2: that people can trust when it comes to our health 531 00:28:58,920 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 2: and our bodies. 532 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 1: Absolutely, And I really found this next part you have 533 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: in your outline really interesting because I never heard of 534 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: it before. I'm very familiar with the placebo effects, but 535 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: I was not familiar with its polar opposite. 536 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 3: Yes, the no cibo effect. 537 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 2: So that comes from doctors Rebecca Webster and Lorna Reed, 538 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 2: the co authors of a first of its kind study 539 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 2: in a journal called Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 540 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 2: So they coined the no cebo effect, which is kind 541 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 2: of the opposite of the polacebo effect, where when people 542 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 2: start taking a medication, they then start associating that medication 543 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 2: with negative impacts. Right, So placebo effect is I have 544 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:42,480 Speaker 2: not been given a medication. 545 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 3: But I think it's working for me. 546 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 2: I think I have positive impacts because of it, even 547 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 2: though I didn't really take it. The opposite of that is, 548 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 2: I am genuinely taking the medicine and now I am 549 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 2: associating it with negative impacts. 550 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 3: And so their. 551 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 2: Study found that the no cebo effect involved four psychological 552 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 2: factors that were associated with women having a negative experience 553 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 2: of her birth control pills. They were an expectation at 554 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 2: the outset that the pill would be harmful, low confidence 555 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 2: in how medicines are developed, a belief that medicines are 556 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:13,000 Speaker 2: overused and harmful, and a belief that they are sensitive 557 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:17,719 Speaker 2: to medicines. So, yeah, it is interesting that you know, 558 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 2: when people are taking medication, they would then be reporting, Oh, 559 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 2: it has made me fearful of this medication, and it 560 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 2: has made not trust this medication. 561 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 3: And social media. 562 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 2: We almost kind of can't talk about this phenomenon without 563 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:34,360 Speaker 2: talking about social media because it's definitely a factor. Earlier 564 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 2: this year, a study by public health researchers at Latrobe 565 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 2: University found that among the top one hundred TikTok videos 566 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 2: about reproductive health, just ten percent were from medical professionals. 567 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 2: About fifty percent of creators made comments rejecting hormonal contraception. 568 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 2: The top one hundred most popular tiktoks about birth control 569 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 2: had to mass some five billion views. And so think 570 00:30:57,960 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 2: about that. 571 00:30:58,480 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 3: There's just there. 572 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:04,920 Speaker 2: It's just that much more difficult for accurate content, lot 573 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 2: alone accurate content that is being made by an actual 574 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 2: healthcare professional to get traction when you're talking about a 575 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 2: climate like TikTok, where overwhelmingly the content that is doing 576 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 2: well and performing well and being a surface for folks 577 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 2: is content that is made by influencers and content creators 578 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 2: that is not based an actual fact about reproductive care. 579 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm starting to getting a lot of stuff on 580 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 4: my specific TikTok where I'm like Oracle, I feel like 581 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 4: it's already having a. 582 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 6: Lot of influence. 583 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 4: And I'm sure Bridget you may have already talked about 584 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 4: it on your show or you're thinking on it, whatever 585 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:44,680 Speaker 4: whatnot with the whole new takeover with the company that 586 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 4: is very much associated with the Trump administration, Peter Pill, 587 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 4: all those people, and then there's even more bet worst 588 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 4: players that I can't remember their name because they're so dark. 589 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 2: To me, it's funny that you mentioned Peter Teal because 590 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 2: that podcaster I was talking about that the time spoke 591 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 2: to Alex Clark from the conservative wellness podcast Culture Apothecary. 592 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:07,160 Speaker 2: She says something that I hear quite a bit. She says, Oh, well, 593 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 2: I don't use birth control, and you don't actually need 594 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:13,680 Speaker 2: birth control if you just track your period. She says, 595 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 2: we are not given full informed consent when it comes 596 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 2: to the pill. Clark began taking her monal birth control 597 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 2: as a teenager and stop in twenty eighteen, eventually switching 598 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 2: to tracking her menstrual cycle on her phone. She says 599 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 2: she has used the app's Flow and twenty eight the 600 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 2: last of which was founded by the creators of the 601 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,160 Speaker 2: conservative EV magazine, which we talked about you and I 602 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:36,600 Speaker 2: all on the show, and backed by right wing kingmaker 603 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:40,760 Speaker 2: Peter Teal. Both are a fast growing, multi billion dollar 604 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 2: market for women's health technology. So this is something that 605 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 2: I often hear in this space, like, oh, you don't 606 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 2: need birth control if you just track your cycle, and 607 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:53,480 Speaker 2: conveniently you can use these apps owned by billionaire Trump 608 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 2: crony and if you watch that South Park episode, like 609 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 2: anti Christ expert himself Peter Tea, or apps like Flow, 610 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 2: which just this year, a California jury found that Meta 611 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 2: illegally collected user health data from Flow, violating the state's 612 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 2: wiretap law. This verdict found that Flow, Google, Meta, and 613 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 2: another app analytics company called Flurry we're collecting people's private 614 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 2: menstrual health data without consent for targeted advertising. So yeah, 615 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:26,880 Speaker 2: super convenient. Don't use hormonal birth control because it's so dangerous. 616 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:31,040 Speaker 2: Instead use this app owned by a Republican technocrat. Or 617 00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 2: this app that the court says will share your intimate 618 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 2: menstrual data for money. 619 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 6: Oh goodness, is a nightmare in horror movie. 620 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 2: I told you, I will say the cryptkeeper would never 621 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:44,000 Speaker 2: get mixed up in any of this. 622 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 3: He's very pro reproductive rights for women. 623 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 4: Social media has done so much for good and bad. 624 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 4: Like there's so many things, like we were able to 625 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 4: access so much more and seeing around the world and 626 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:10,000 Speaker 4: get a little more information and data and truth, but 627 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 4: also a lot of the misinformation and disinformation that we 628 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,280 Speaker 4: have continually had to talk about because it's only getting worse. 629 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,320 Speaker 4: But like it reminds me again of like people talking 630 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:25,320 Speaker 4: trying to use the ejaculation or the minute that sperm comes. 631 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:26,600 Speaker 6: That's killing a baby. 632 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 4: I'm sorry laughing at myself in this context. And for 633 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:35,000 Speaker 4: so long I've heard my own people, like my age 634 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:39,080 Speaker 4: group of people, very intellectual, like even like pro choice 635 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:42,040 Speaker 4: before tell me after they had a baby. No, yeah, 636 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:46,440 Speaker 4: I can't use hormonal birth control because it kills you know, 637 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:49,359 Speaker 4: it has spermicide, and that means it's killing babies, and 638 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:51,400 Speaker 4: I cannot do that as a part of my religion. 639 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,200 Speaker 4: But now it's flip that because it it may have 640 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 4: worked on a few, but it's starting to work less 641 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:58,320 Speaker 4: and less, and so now that I feel like this 642 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 4: is its way of new talk, like no, no, no, 643 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,120 Speaker 4: we're not gonna talk about that as the actual problem. 644 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I mean we had that. 645 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 2: That's a very common piece of misinformation about contraceptives is 646 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 2: that they are the same as abortives or abortions. The 647 00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:18,240 Speaker 2: Trump administration just this year was trying to falsely claim 648 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 2: that certain forms of birth control are essentially the same 649 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:25,319 Speaker 2: thing as abortions in an effort to restrict access to contraceptives. 650 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:28,400 Speaker 2: And so there's nothing wrong with abortion, but abortion and 651 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:31,400 Speaker 2: birth control, as hopefully we all learn into health class 652 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:35,800 Speaker 2: are two different things. And so if contraceptives are trying 653 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:40,200 Speaker 2: to prevent in like a like an egg being fertilized, 654 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:42,919 Speaker 2: if you have no fertilized egg, it's not the same 655 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:43,720 Speaker 2: thing as an abortion. 656 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,359 Speaker 3: But the Trump administration was trying to. 657 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:50,240 Speaker 2: Use this sort of tricky false logic to essentially further 658 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:53,240 Speaker 2: restrict birth control and reproductive health more generally. 659 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:54,319 Speaker 3: Like that's really what it was. 660 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:58,080 Speaker 2: But so like that is an incredibly common piece of misinformation, 661 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:01,320 Speaker 2: And yeah, it's just that we're in a place where 662 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:05,400 Speaker 2: it's not just being traded around the back of the 663 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:10,240 Speaker 2: bus or you know, on TikTok, it is in our government. 664 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:17,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we are seeing the fallout and impacts of this. 665 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:21,279 Speaker 1: One thing I find interesting is I do I have 666 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:23,719 Speaker 1: some friends who are nurses, and they told me before, 667 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,279 Speaker 1: you know, people come in. People have always come in 668 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:29,319 Speaker 1: since the internet has been a thing and been like 669 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:33,600 Speaker 1: you know, I saw on WebMD, I have this. But 670 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:36,279 Speaker 1: now they're kind of coming in with this I saw 671 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 1: on TikTok. 672 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 4: Is this a thing? 673 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:41,840 Speaker 1: Should I be worried about this? And it's just just 674 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:45,880 Speaker 1: another task for them to take on of almost educating 675 00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 1: like no, no, no, no, that's not that's not what's 676 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:52,640 Speaker 1: going on. But there have been some fallouts, some more 677 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:53,760 Speaker 1: measurable than others. 678 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, So the question that I had is, well, 679 00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:01,640 Speaker 2: it definitely seems like misinformation about birth control is it's 680 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,480 Speaker 2: our platforms are washing it. But is it having an impact? 681 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:05,920 Speaker 2: And it's a little bit hard to say. It depends 682 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,080 Speaker 2: on who you ask. So the New York Times work 683 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 2: with this company trily into Health, a healthcare analytics company, 684 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,240 Speaker 2: and they conducted an analysis for The Times and found 685 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 2: a decrease in the use of hormonal birth control pills 686 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:19,800 Speaker 2: among women age eighteen to forty four. In twenty nineteen, 687 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,399 Speaker 2: thirteen point one percent of women said that they use 688 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:24,759 Speaker 2: the pill. In twenty twenty four, that number fell to 689 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:28,800 Speaker 2: ten point two percent. But researchers at the Goutbacher Institute, 690 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:31,520 Speaker 2: which is like an abortion rights organization, they say that 691 00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:34,239 Speaker 2: they have not seen an indication of a population level 692 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:38,640 Speaker 2: decrease in hormonal contraceptive use per their analysis of data 693 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 2: from the National Center for Health Statistics. 694 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:42,239 Speaker 3: And so it's not. 695 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:46,719 Speaker 2: Totally clear if this is having a specific impact that 696 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:51,600 Speaker 2: people actually are abandoning hormonal birth control. It's possible that 697 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:53,400 Speaker 2: even if they are, they're using some other kind of 698 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:56,200 Speaker 2: birth control. But we can't not talk about the way 699 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 2: that this is happening against this backdrop of an administration 700 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:04,239 Speaker 2: that is clearly just hostile toward birth control and reproductive 701 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:07,280 Speaker 2: health care in general. This spring, more than a dozen 702 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:10,840 Speaker 2: public health organizations sued the Trump administration, arguing that it 703 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:14,480 Speaker 2: was undercutting access to health services, including birth control, by 704 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:17,080 Speaker 2: withholding Title X funding. And then when you take into 705 00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:20,920 Speaker 2: effect things like Medicaid cuts, those things would leave millions 706 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:24,480 Speaker 2: of people without access to health coverage, which obviously also 707 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,799 Speaker 2: threatens to limit things like contraceptives and birth control. And 708 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 2: so all of this stuff is not happening in a vacuum, 709 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,400 Speaker 2: and I think that that's what scholars are sort of 710 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 2: worried about, right this one two punch of this growing 711 00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:42,480 Speaker 2: media climate that spreads fear lies and misinformation about birth control, 712 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:47,560 Speaker 2: also combined with these policy decisions that restrict birth control. 713 00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:50,799 Speaker 2: The New York Times spoke to Amanda Stevenson, a sociologist 714 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:54,480 Speaker 2: at the University of Colorado Boulder, who said those two processes, 715 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:58,320 Speaker 2: stigmatization and legal restrictions, are mutually reinforcing. 716 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:00,759 Speaker 3: And I guess I would say the piece of this 717 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:01,839 Speaker 3: that I find. 718 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:06,359 Speaker 2: The most interesting to me and the most telling is 719 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:10,320 Speaker 2: just sort of the way that social media has reinforced 720 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:14,879 Speaker 2: being critical or skeptical or not on birth control as 721 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:19,280 Speaker 2: a kind of identity. And here's how Doctor Jennifer Penna, 722 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:23,080 Speaker 2: the chief medical officer for the reproductive telehealth platform WISP. 723 00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:25,960 Speaker 2: She says that she sees dozens of patients each year 724 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,759 Speaker 2: who come to her with worries rooted in misinformation. They're 725 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:31,040 Speaker 2: asking her things like, is an IUD going to make 726 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:33,520 Speaker 2: me infertile if I go off birth control? How long 727 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:34,880 Speaker 2: will it take me to get out of my system? 728 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,359 Speaker 2: How can I do this naturally? With an aora ring? 729 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:39,799 Speaker 2: I want to be pure, right, like all of these 730 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:43,640 Speaker 2: things that seem so identity based, And she really traces 731 00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:48,080 Speaker 2: that back to these online wellness influencers. She says, there's 732 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 2: a cry for identity. Social media is becoming the algorithm 733 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:54,440 Speaker 2: for education, and once there's a trend, it becomes the 734 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:58,160 Speaker 2: norm for topics of conversation inside clinics. And I think 735 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:01,719 Speaker 2: that's really the thing, is that people are watching all 736 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:04,880 Speaker 2: of this content and the same way that I, you know, 737 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:07,000 Speaker 2: I'm like, oh, maybe I'm somebody who should start. 738 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:09,080 Speaker 3: Wearing more ath leisure, or maybe I'm somebody who should 739 00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:09,800 Speaker 3: drink smoothies. 740 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:13,080 Speaker 2: The same way that social media can influence me in 741 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:16,080 Speaker 2: that way, it is also influencing people to be incredibly 742 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:20,680 Speaker 2: critical and concerned about this medication. And doctors are saying, listen, 743 00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:23,279 Speaker 2: we have people coming in asking us these questions that 744 00:40:23,360 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 2: I know are rooted in online misinformation about birth control. 745 00:40:27,239 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 6: That work pure. That's such a red flag. I want 746 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:32,200 Speaker 6: to be pure. 747 00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:35,200 Speaker 3: It's bad. 748 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 2: And what's so funny to me is that the piece 749 00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 2: talked to another young woman, like a black college activist, 750 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,960 Speaker 2: who was like, listen, I worked my ass off working 751 00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:48,640 Speaker 2: retail to pay for birth control when I was in 752 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:51,240 Speaker 2: high school myself, because I wanted to have the freedom 753 00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:54,160 Speaker 2: that birth control allowed me in my life, and I 754 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:55,800 Speaker 2: wanted to have the control that it allowed me of 755 00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:58,719 Speaker 2: my life and my choices. And so she talked about 756 00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:01,720 Speaker 2: how going to colleg now and hearing from her friends 757 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:05,200 Speaker 2: who are the same age as her, who are basically 758 00:41:05,239 --> 00:41:06,960 Speaker 2: saying like, oh, I don't want to be on birth control. 759 00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:08,759 Speaker 2: I don't want to, you know, put that stuff into 760 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:10,279 Speaker 2: my body, and how. 761 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:12,640 Speaker 3: Sad it makes her that. 762 00:41:14,160 --> 00:41:17,640 Speaker 2: In this day and age, this way of helping us 763 00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:21,560 Speaker 2: control our lives, our finances, our plans, our futures is 764 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:24,439 Speaker 2: being so stigmatized and demonized that it makes her sad. 765 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:27,799 Speaker 2: And so she became a college activist who tables on 766 00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:30,200 Speaker 2: her campus to help people get access to birth control. 767 00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:31,799 Speaker 3: And she described it like this. 768 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:35,200 Speaker 2: She said, the biggest thing I see on social media 769 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:39,600 Speaker 2: is this earthy, green girl lifestyle type. Shebang, It's like 770 00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:43,040 Speaker 2: a trendy aesthetic. And I guess that is my point. 771 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:45,680 Speaker 2: If you speak to a doctor and birth control is 772 00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:49,200 Speaker 2: not for you, more power to you. But I don't 773 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:53,120 Speaker 2: think that rejecting birth control should be a trendy identity 774 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:57,120 Speaker 2: aesthetic that you get from TikTok. Right, these are healthcare 775 00:41:57,239 --> 00:42:00,319 Speaker 2: and medical decisions. This is a decision whether or not 776 00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:02,480 Speaker 2: to take a prescription drug. That is a decision that 777 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:04,680 Speaker 2: you should be making with your doctor, not with some 778 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:11,200 Speaker 2: rando on TikTok. Because you liked her green, earthy girl esthetic, right, you. 779 00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:13,920 Speaker 4: Got a fifteen second glimpse of her made up and 780 00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:16,480 Speaker 4: seemingly happy in the Golden Hour shot. 781 00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:18,720 Speaker 6: That is not truth. 782 00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:22,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, and who knows what her life is really like? 783 00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:24,040 Speaker 3: Who knows why she is telling you this? Right? 784 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:26,000 Speaker 2: And I just think that we should really be concerned 785 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:30,280 Speaker 2: about what happens when rejecting birth control becomes this trendy 786 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 2: identity aesthetic on TikTok. More and more women are going 787 00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:38,000 Speaker 2: to be losing control and autonomy over their bodies, their plans, 788 00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:43,600 Speaker 2: their futures, their finances, and their lives without even necessarily realizing. 789 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:44,359 Speaker 3: That that's what's happening. Right. 790 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 2: The woman that The New York Times spoke to, Ashley, 791 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:48,759 Speaker 2: who was like, I wonder who I am if I'm 792 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:51,320 Speaker 2: not on birth control a parent who had a child 793 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:54,360 Speaker 2: before her and her partner were ready to have that, per. 794 00:42:54,200 --> 00:42:55,640 Speaker 3: Her own description of the situation. 795 00:42:55,840 --> 00:42:58,759 Speaker 2: And by the way, after having her child, the New 796 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:00,560 Speaker 2: York Times check back in with her, and she was like, oh, 797 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:01,320 Speaker 2: I'm on birth control. 798 00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:03,840 Speaker 3: Now I can't have another kid, you know. 799 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:06,319 Speaker 6: Yeah that was that was a follow up. 800 00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:08,120 Speaker 4: I really wanted to know, honestly, And now you're back 801 00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 4: on Are you good now? 802 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:09,520 Speaker 1: Yeah? 803 00:43:09,560 --> 00:43:13,839 Speaker 2: I mean, she like, I it's s I really don't 804 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:15,719 Speaker 2: want to make it seem like I'm saying everybody should 805 00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:17,960 Speaker 2: be on birth control. But the same thing that we 806 00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:21,120 Speaker 2: talked about with the tradwives thing we should not be 807 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:27,399 Speaker 2: pushing young people into giving up autonomy and giving up 808 00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:30,160 Speaker 2: the things that give us choices. And even if you're 809 00:43:30,200 --> 00:43:32,000 Speaker 2: not somebody who wants to or needs to be on 810 00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:34,719 Speaker 2: birth control, we should not be creating a climate where 811 00:43:34,719 --> 00:43:37,040 Speaker 2: it's stigmatized, where somebody who does need it is going 812 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:38,759 Speaker 2: to look twice at it, or I think that's that's 813 00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:41,000 Speaker 2: unsafe for me, that's dangerous for me. If I put 814 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:43,920 Speaker 2: this in my body, I am I might turn bisexual, 815 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:46,680 Speaker 2: or I might be making myself infertile, or any other 816 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:48,919 Speaker 2: kind of junk that is being amplified on social media 817 00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:52,280 Speaker 2: platforms so responsibly right now when it comes to birth control. 818 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,600 Speaker 4: Right and again this comes back into this bigger layer, 819 00:43:55,760 --> 00:43:58,759 Speaker 4: like we probably need to do a playlist of all 820 00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:02,040 Speaker 4: of these episodes with you, because to connect these thoughts 821 00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:05,759 Speaker 4: once again, there is a connection to the Chadwives conversation 822 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:09,680 Speaker 4: that we've had the misinformation about abortion from the jump, 823 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:13,600 Speaker 4: the misinformation from things like WhatsApp who tell you it's private, 824 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:16,839 Speaker 4: but it's not using things like this as well as 825 00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:20,440 Speaker 4: this conversation, like this is a bigger chain. This is 826 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:23,319 Speaker 4: a bigger picture in a small detail that they don't 827 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:25,680 Speaker 4: actually they don't tell you that, but when you start 828 00:44:25,719 --> 00:44:28,400 Speaker 4: looking at who's behind that and why this information is coming, 829 00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:31,359 Speaker 4: it is a bigger picture and it's propaganda. 830 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:34,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, these bad actors aren't wrong. 831 00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:36,960 Speaker 2: We are being lied to you, just not the people 832 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:40,880 Speaker 2: they necessarily want us to be fearful of. And I 833 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:43,480 Speaker 2: think that's exactly my point, that all of these things 834 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:44,120 Speaker 2: are related. 835 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:47,120 Speaker 3: Tech companies are tech. 836 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:50,960 Speaker 2: Companies, and bad actors are materially benefiting from all of 837 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:54,040 Speaker 2: us being fearful and less informed about these choices that 838 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,240 Speaker 2: are so important for the way that we live our lives. 839 00:44:56,680 --> 00:44:58,680 Speaker 3: And you know, I birth control. 840 00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:01,440 Speaker 2: I'm at the stage of my life where it's not 841 00:45:01,560 --> 00:45:03,560 Speaker 2: a huge concern for me in general. 842 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:06,400 Speaker 3: But that's just the thing, birth control. 843 00:45:06,480 --> 00:45:10,000 Speaker 2: It's not just about side effects or hormones or the 844 00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:11,880 Speaker 2: ability to have sex. It is about those things, but 845 00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:16,200 Speaker 2: it's also about autonomy, the ability to make informed decisions 846 00:45:16,239 --> 00:45:19,800 Speaker 2: about our own bodies based on facts and not fear. 847 00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:23,840 Speaker 2: You know, that is something that generations of women fought for. 848 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:25,839 Speaker 2: My own mother or my own late mother, God rest 849 00:45:25,880 --> 00:45:28,080 Speaker 2: of your soul, she fought for that. And I just 850 00:45:28,080 --> 00:45:29,920 Speaker 2: don't think we should just give that up because an 851 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:33,839 Speaker 2: influencer told us to. And I think that as these 852 00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:37,560 Speaker 2: algorithms get louder than actual medical experts, it is really 853 00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:41,080 Speaker 2: worth asking who is benefiting when we stop trusting our 854 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:45,800 Speaker 2: doctors and start putting our trust in influencers and podcasters instead. 855 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:48,879 Speaker 2: And so if the question is who are you without 856 00:45:48,920 --> 00:45:53,320 Speaker 2: birth control? Hopefully not just content for somebody else's wellness 857 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:56,719 Speaker 2: grift right our wellness brand. The better question is who 858 00:45:56,840 --> 00:46:00,440 Speaker 2: could we become when we start demanding care and content 859 00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:04,120 Speaker 2: that is honest, evidence based and actually centered on us 860 00:46:04,160 --> 00:46:06,640 Speaker 2: and our bodies and what we truly actually. 861 00:46:06,239 --> 00:46:09,840 Speaker 6: Need big on the centered on us please, yes. 862 00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:18,280 Speaker 1: Oh absolutely well a very a very spooky episode indeed, 863 00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:26,720 Speaker 1: and as always, so many other things we could talk about. 864 00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:29,359 Speaker 1: We always love having you on. Thank you so much 865 00:46:29,400 --> 00:46:32,279 Speaker 1: for coming on and hallucinating these things for us as 866 00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:36,200 Speaker 1: much as they can be in our wild times. 867 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:40,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, my pleasure. And yeah, if anybody, if the cripkeeper, 868 00:46:40,920 --> 00:46:42,000 Speaker 3: if you're listening. 869 00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:50,120 Speaker 4: Oh yes, let us know about me out call me. 870 00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:53,600 Speaker 2: Don't call me, and you probably prefer to get called 871 00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:56,920 Speaker 2: by the ghostream voice ghost space. 872 00:46:57,080 --> 00:47:01,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, there was a hot line right when the movie 873 00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:03,720 Speaker 4: was coming out that you could actually send a message, 874 00:47:03,719 --> 00:47:06,520 Speaker 4: So I put Annie's in photo she got that call. 875 00:47:06,640 --> 00:47:08,960 Speaker 1: It was fun, yes, and we played it in the episode. 876 00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:12,000 Speaker 1: It scared me very very because you told I would 877 00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:14,880 Speaker 1: never answer a number that I didn't recognize, and you 878 00:47:14,920 --> 00:47:18,200 Speaker 1: sent me a text, Samantha that was like, answer the call. 879 00:47:18,320 --> 00:47:19,600 Speaker 6: You need to answer this fun call. 880 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:22,879 Speaker 3: It was a New York number. Dream Yeah, like. 881 00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:24,359 Speaker 6: You have it. You need to answer this call. 882 00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:28,000 Speaker 1: I did, and it scared me and I loved it, 883 00:47:28,040 --> 00:47:28,680 Speaker 1: so thank you. 884 00:47:29,600 --> 00:47:29,960 Speaker 3: Well. 885 00:47:30,719 --> 00:47:35,000 Speaker 1: I hope that you have more excellent horror movie times 886 00:47:35,040 --> 00:47:38,520 Speaker 1: Halloween times, uh, and we're looking forward to talking to 887 00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:40,840 Speaker 1: you again. But in the meantime, Bridget, where can the 888 00:47:40,840 --> 00:47:41,759 Speaker 1: good listeners find too? 889 00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:42,239 Speaker 5: Well? 890 00:47:42,239 --> 00:47:45,160 Speaker 2: You can find me on Instagram at Bridget Marie in DC. 891 00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:47,040 Speaker 2: You can find me on TikTok at Bridget Marie and 892 00:47:47,080 --> 00:47:49,400 Speaker 2: DC on YouTube at there are no girls on the Internet, 893 00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:50,880 Speaker 2: and you can listen to my podcast there are no 894 00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:55,480 Speaker 2: girls on the Internet. If you like spooky conversations about 895 00:47:56,040 --> 00:48:01,840 Speaker 2: our social media landscape, sure, I mean. 896 00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:07,719 Speaker 1: Honestly yes, yes, Oh well go do that, listeners, if 897 00:48:07,719 --> 00:48:09,960 Speaker 1: you haven't already, if you would like to email as 898 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:11,960 Speaker 1: you can or email as hello it's stuff I never 899 00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:13,440 Speaker 1: told you. We're also on Blue Skype moms to a 900 00:48:13,520 --> 00:48:15,719 Speaker 1: podcast or on Instagram and TikTok at stuff I Never 901 00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:18,840 Speaker 1: Told You. We're also on YouTube. We have new merchandise 902 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:20,319 Speaker 1: accomp Hero, and we have a book you can get 903 00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:22,480 Speaker 1: wherever you get your books. Thanks so start a superducer, 904 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:25,640 Speaker 1: Cosine or executive pducer my undercontributor Joey, Thank you and 905 00:48:25,640 --> 00:48:27,279 Speaker 1: thanks to you for listening. Stuff I Never Told You 906 00:48:27,360 --> 00:48:29,040 Speaker 1: is fuction my Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my 907 00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:30,640 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, you can check out the heart Radio app, 908 00:48:30,640 --> 00:48:32,520 Speaker 1: a podcast wherever you listen to your favorite show.