A podcast that explores the genre of horror through a feminist lens. Each episode dives into horror films, books, and cultural moments to examine how the genre reflects women’s fears, desires, and resistance to patriarchal power.
Witches, Sluts & Bitches: A History of the "Dangerous Woman"
What makes a woman monstrous?
For centuries, women who refused to behave the way society expected them to have been labeled either a witch, or a slut, or even a bitch, and get roped into being monsters. And horror has been particularly fascinated with turning those anxieties into something literal.
In this episode, I’m joined by Eleanor Johnson, whose new book Monstrous Bitch, examines the long, complicated history of the “dangerous woman," from the monstrous women of mythology and folklore to the witches and vampires we so often see on screen. We also talk about what happens when women actually embrace the monster and whether being called a “monstrous woman” might sometimes be the most interesting place to be.
23 Sept 2026
Milicent Patrick
Hello, Matriarchs!
Today, I want to do something a little different. If you followed me on TikTok before I started this podcast, you might remember that I used to regularly spotlight women throughout horror history whose work had been forgotten or overlooked.
Those women were the original Matriarchs, in my opinion. In fact, that series is where the name for this podcast came from. So I thought I would bring it back. And our first Matriarch has one hell of a story. And if you’re a horror fan like me, you absolutely know her work. You just might not know her name.
12 Sept 2026
The Female Director Problem Hollywood Refuses to Fix
Hello, Matriarchs!
The topic of today’s episode is something that has been weighing on my mind a lot lately. Because despite all the progress we’ve supposedly made when it comes to gender equality, Hollywood still has a massive problem with actually giving women opportunities behind the camera.
According to an annual study from USC Annenberg, women directed just 8% of the films that reached the domestic box office in 2025. And when you narrow that down to horror, somehow it gets even more depressing. Of those films, only two were horror: Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, directed by Emma Tammi and I Know What You Did Last Summer, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson.
And just to pour some salt into an already disgusting, infected wound, several major studios didn’t hire a single woman to direct one of their top films that year. This is exactly why festivals like Etheria, which specifically champion women filmmakers working in horror and sci-fi, are so important.
So for today’s episode, I’m joined by director Vivian Owen, whose short film Do Not Rewind is featured in this year’s lineup. We talked about the film, the women who inspired her, and, of course, Hollywood’s ongoing problem with actually putting women behind the lens.
12 Aug 2026
Who Decides What Women Are Allowed to Desire?
Hello, Matriarchs!
This week's episode includes a recycled conversation with Haley Piper because it coincides with the release of Jane Shoenbrun's latest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. In this episode I unpack the complicated relationship between female fantasy, desire, and shame, and how horror has long played a role in judging women for what they want. From forbidden fantasies to the ways women’s sexuality has historically been policed, I'm asking a bigger question: Who decided what women are allowed to desire in the first place?
5 Aug 2026
The Curse of Inheritance
Hello, Matriarchs!
This week, author Cynthia Gomez joins the podcast to discuss her new novel, Muñeca which is a haunting exploration of identity, class, race, and the price women pay for inheriting legacies they never chose. We also dive into what it means to be third-generation Mexican American, the complexities of navigating two cultures at once, and the feeling of existing in a cultural limbo where you're never quite "enough" of either.
28 Jul 2026
Horror's Long History of Villainizing Single Mothers
Hello, Matriarchs!
Single mothers have long occupied a complicated place in horror, often portrayed as unstable or even monstrous. In this new episode, I unpack the history of the "single mom" trope, exploring how the genre has used motherhood and societal fears to shape some of its most memorable characters.
Later I'm joined by author Emma Cleary to discuss her creepy debut novel, After Birth. We dive into postpartum horror, the pressures of modern motherhood, and why maternal fears make such fertile ground for the genre. See what I did there?! Whether you're a horror fan or just fascinated by the cultural anxieties horror reflects back at us, this episode is for you.
23 Jun 2026
The Good Guy Trap
In this episode I’m getting into the “good guy” trope in horror and why it never really feels as safe as it’s supposed to. I talk about how horror keeps showing us this familiar figure: the man who seems kind, steady, “different from the others”… until he isn’t. And how often that image is less about who he actually is, and more about what we want to believe about him. Later on I sit down with author CJ Leede to talk about her new novel Headlights as well as her debut novel, Maeve Fly. We get into femininity, violence, and what it means when women are written as both vulnerable and terrifying at the same time.
13 May 2026
Why Hollywood Treats Aging Women Like Horror Stories
Hello, Matriarchs! In this episode, I’m diving into the horror of aging as a woman in Hollywood and the cultural fear that surrounds it. Using films like Sunset Boulevard and The Substance as a lens, I explore why aging men in film are often granted complexity and continued desirability, while aging women are pushed toward invisibility and ridicule.
28 Apr 2026
The Consent Illusion: What Kink Gets Right About Power and Communication
Why do men rape women? It’s a question people have been asking for years and one that still doesn’t have an easy answer. In this episode, I’m digging into how we actually learn to recognize consent and how often that understanding is shaped by implication instead of clear communication. I start with a recent CNN article that exposed an online network of men sharing and encouraging content about drugging and assaulting their partners while they’re unconscious, and use it as a jumping-off point to look at how these ideas are circulating in plain sight. From there, I break down what the data really says about sexual assault, and why simply knowing what consent is doesn’t always mean people respect it. Later, I’m joined by Hailey Piper, author of A Game in Yellow, to talk about kink, communication, and what those dynamics can teach us about consent and intimacy.
21 Apr 2026
Tudor History Meets Feminist Horror
In this episode I’m joined by author Rebecca Lehmann to discuss her new novel The Beheading Game, a chilling reimagining of Anne Boleyn’s story, where she rises from the dead after her execution to seek revenge on her husband, Henry VIII.
We dive into the real history of Anne, the brutal realities women faced in the Tudor era, and how their stories have been distorted or sensationalized over time.
14 Apr 2026
Why Marriage Used to Terrify Me
For a long time, marriage felt like something to fear rather than to desire. And historically, that fear wasn’t unfounded. In the 19th century, marriage often meant losing your independence, your identity, and your ability to leave.
In this episode, I unpack the history behind marriage in the Victorian era, coverture laws, and how it shaped the way I approached dating in my twenties. I also share how meeting my fiancé challenged everything I thought I knew about relationships and how I learned that love, when it’s built right, doesn’t confine you.
7 Apr 2026
The Horror Beneath Love Story
Before you press play, this episode does contain discussions on sexual assault. I examine a chilling trope that runs through horror and real life alike: when a woman’s love is weaponized. From Rosemary’s Baby to The Stepford Wives to Midsommar, I explore how devotion, trust, and emotional labor are twisted into tools of control. Then, I bring it all into the real world with Ryan Murphy’s Love Story, where the quiet erosion of identity reveals a horror that feels all too familiar.
24 Mar 2026
Authorship in the Age of AI
Hello, Matriarchs! In this episode, I’m unpacking the controversy surrounding Mia Ballard’s novel Shy Girl, from allegations of AI use to questions about editing and accountability. But instead of doing a typical takedown, I wanted to sit with the nuance. This situation isn’t just about Ballard or her book. It opens up bigger conversations about who gets to create, what ethical use of AI actually looks like, and how the publishing industry responds when something like this happens. So if you’ve been seeing this discourse online and don’t quite know what to make of it, this one’s for you.
Whyn Lewis' porftfolio: http://www.whynlewis.com/whynlewis.com/Whyn_Lewis.html
17 Mar 2026
Monstrous Women: The Power of Female Rage
What happens when women stop trying to be likable?
In this episode, I dive into the “unhinged woman” archetype in horror, and why they're often underperform at the box office. From The Bride to the cult classics that dared to center female rage, I explore why these stories are so often misunderstood. Later I’m joined by Virginia Feito, author of Victorian Psycho, to talk about repression, violence, and the darkness lurking beneath polite society.
10 Mar 2026
Sacred Fear: Polygamy, Patriarchy & Religious Horror
In this first episode of The Matriarchs of Horror, host Sandra Rose Salathe dives into the terrifying side of religion. Beginning by breaking down horror films like The Omen, The Witch, and Saint Maud, Sandra examines how each one reveals the patriarchal control lurking beneath strict religious structures.
Sandra is then joined by author Linda Hamilton to talk about her upcoming feminist gothic novel The Fourth Wife, which explores the power dynamics behind religious polygamy. Inspired by Hamilton’s Mormon ancestry and her own experiences with the church, the novel examines the ways faith, obedience, and patriarchy can become their own kind of horror.
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