Ever notice how comment sections reveal more than the headlines?
Lisa Williams and Sarah Illingworth dive into the internet's most revealing threads, from the biggest celebrity scandals to niche online subcultures, exploring what our online reactions say about the culture we are living in right now.
Each episode, they decode the psychological motivations and deeper media narratives of online comment culture, all with a good dose of 90s nostalgia and Gen X British humour.
Shortlisted for Best Arts & Culture Podcast by the Independent Podcast Awards and an International Women's Podcast Award.
Hello, it's Lisa! I know it's been a while. We took a break after the 90s episode, and in the meantime I've gone and made a podcast of my own.
It all started with a comment on Reddit: why do we always hear about Salem, but never about any other witch trials? I knew about Vardø, a tiny town in Arctic Norway where 91 people were put to death over more than 70 years. I wanted to tell the story as a full podcast series in English for the first time, and raise awareness of what happened to the women.
Have a listen to the trailer, and you can find the episodes here: https://pod.link/6810370668
Come and say hello on Instagram too: https://www.instagram.com/vardowitchtrials
11 Dec 2025
Listen Lorenzo! The 12 Clapbacks of Christmas
Forget the turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree - this Christmas, we're giving you the gift of pure, unadulterated, delicious justice. From celebrity clapbacks and witty comment threads, to online backlashes, we’re looking at our favourite times women stood up for themselves. Get ready for a ride through body-shaming, mansplaining, trolling, and the perfect takedowns.
For our last episode of 2025 you’re going to hear from Cher, Michelle Obama, Rihanna and Cardi B to name a few…
Follow the 3 Austrian Nuns from Clapback #10 on Instagram! @nonnen_goldenstein
References & clips
Vogue article - In a Celebrity-Obsessed World, Have We Reached Peak Parasocial? By Anna Cafolla
Psychology Today article - Relax and Take Good Care of Yourself. By Dona Matthews
Psychology Today article - Do Happy Parents Raise Healthier Kids? By Michael Ungar
Guardian article - ‘Mansplaining’ was once a contender for word of the year. Here’s why we should stop using it. By Zoe Williams
Guardian article - ‘‘Smile? YOU smile.’ A new generation of stars is overthrowing the old Hollywood system, one ‘no’ at a time. By Priya Elan
A.M. Bennett et al. (2023). What is she wearing and how does he lead?: An examination of gendered stereotypes in the public discourse around women political candidates. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol 205.
New York Times video post - Did Women Ruin the Workplace? / Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?
Compact Mag article - The Great Feminization. By Helen Andrews
Women’s Agenda article - The workplace was perfect—until women showed up? By Rita Nasr
The New Yorker Article - I’m the Woman Who Ruined the Workplace. By Ariel Dumas
https://www.boldvoices.co.uk/
https://hopenothate.org.uk/
30 Nov 2025
Did We Peak in the 90s? What We Miss Most & The Power of Nostalgia
This week, Lisa takes us back to the 1990s, the last decade that wasn't lived online. A time of Drew Barrymore in Poison Ivy, Aerosmith music videos, BT phonecards, Sky magazine problem pages, waiting by the landline for your crush to call, and the intoxicating belief that anything was possible.
But was it really better, or are we just romanticising the past?
In this episode, Lisa examines the Top 7 things Gen X women miss most about the 90s, from magazines we devoured like instruction manuals, to slip dresses over white t-shirts, to dancefloors where no one was filming, to crushes that lasted months off a single glance in the corridor. Then Sarah unpacks the psychology of nostalgia, why it hits so hard, what we're really longing for, and how we might recapture that feeling.
Questions or Comments you’d like us to cover?We love answering your questions and analysing the stories you’ve found. Send them to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2tcpodcast
Enjoyed the show?Leave us a 5-star review on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others discover the podcast.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.2 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
81 ratings
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