Body Politics

A memoir from bestselling 'House of Glass' author Hadley Freeman, recounting her battle with anorexia from ages 14-17 in psychiatric hospitals, tracking the recovery journeys of women she was hospitalized with 20 years later, and revealing the deep connection between eating disorders and the difficulties girls face coming of age. Called 'riveting' by The New York Times.

Memorial Sloan Kettering oncologist and medical historian Dr. Elizabeth Comen unveils the collective medical history of women, exploring how medicine has long misunderstood women's bodies and how these historical oversights continue to affect women's health today.

A radical work by Cambridge economist Victoria Bateman, who has appeared naked on TV, stage, art and protests, using body and brain to deliver her message. Questions: Despite feminism's promises, why do women's bodies remain at mercy of state, society and religion? Are sexy and smart mutually exclusive? Traces bodily modesty pendulum from ancient Egypt to present, calling feminists to unite against female body repression.

UnHerd columnist Mary Harrington introduces 'reactionary feminism,' critiquing modern feminism as serving only elite professional women. She argues technological progress commodifies women's bodies and reproductive abilities, calling for a fundamental reassessment of what 'progress' means for most women.

A groundbreaking work from strength coach and social justice educator Chrissy King that blends memoir, inspiration, and practical exercises. The book reveals how diet culture and the fitness industry are rooted in white supremacy and Eurocentric beauty standards, moving beyond body positivity to something more revolutionary: body liberation, recognizing that none of us are free until all of us are.

A sharp work by feminist writer Glosswitch exploring why women in their forties and beyond seem to enrage almost everyone. In an era of identity politics, middle-aged women are portrayed as bigoted, entitled, and morally inferior. Smith traces history to reveal why this specific form of misogyny is so rampant today. Shortlisted for the 2023 Nero Book Awards.

A body horror film directed by Coralie Fargeat, starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Following washed-up actress Elisabeth who, after being fired due to ageism, uses a mysterious drug to create a younger, perfect version of herself. Through extreme body horror aesthetics, the film deeply explores crucial issues including ageism, beauty standards, body politics, female self-hatred, and patriarchal control over women's bodies, becoming a representative work of contemporary feminist horror cinema.

A surreal campus comedy directed by Emma Seligman about two queer high school students who start an after-school fight club to win over their dream cheerleader crushes. This film explores themes of queer identity, female friendship, gender power subversion, and adolescent sexual awakening through extremely exaggerated techniques, becoming a representative work of new-era queer feminism.

Through an Indigenous Peruvian woman living with inherited fear, the film examines how wartime sexual violence survives in bodies, households, music, and unequal relations of service.

There's no rioting, protesting, or marching for civil rights here. Jeanne Dielman, single mother and sometime sex worker, has a simple life: laundry, dinner, the occasional john. The mundanity of being a housewife is on achingly tedious display for three-plus hours in Chantal Akerman's experimental film. And that's why it's brilliant.

Věra Chytilová’s surrealist Czech New Wave masterpiece follows two teenage girls, both named Marie, who embark on a series of anarchic pranks and destructive games in a world going 'bad.' Through avant-garde experimentation and radical humor, the film critiques patriarchy, consumerism, and political stagnation.

Agnès Varda's 1962 masterpiece uses real-time filming to depict the psychological journey of a young singer awaiting cancer diagnosis results over two hours, standing as a landmark of both French New Wave and feminist cinema.

In this TEDxSydney talk, Stella Young critiques inspiration porn and the way nondisabled society consumes disabled people as objects of moral uplift.

Maysoon Zayid uses comedy to show how Palestinian, Muslim, female, and disabled identities intersect while challenging ableism in entertainment and public culture.

The Divine Feminist, hosted by Ceryn Rowntree, is a podcast that blends feminism with spiritual exploration, emphasizing self-reconnection, energy balance, and depatriarchalized lifestyles. The show revolves around 'thirteen keys,' exploring themes of boundaries, wildness, beauty, death, and connection, with a philosophical, healing, and action-oriented style.

Frisky History is hosted by Lacey and Robin, a podcast exploring the intersection of sex, gender, and history with humor. The show covers the evolution of sex education, contraceptive technology development, sex worker rights, political sex scandals, and historical changes in gender norms.

Masala Podcast is hosted by Sangeeta Pillai, an award-winning South Asian feminist podcast focusing on sex, body, mental health, and cultural taboos. The show features intimate narrative and critical reflection, exploring themes of shame, sexual harassment, menopause, belonging, and motherhood pressure, emphasizing diverse experiences of South Asian women and intersectional feminist perspectives.

This All My Relations episode with Kim TallBear discusses critical polyamory, Indigenous relational ethics, feminism, and settler marriage, making it a key audio resource on how sex, intimacy, and family are structured by colonial power.