Broadly Meets

Rose McGowan came to rise in the late 90's after acting in The Doom Generation, pop horror hit Scream and grindhouse releases like Planet Terror for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. She had a sordid love affair with Marilyn Manson that resulted in nearly naked red carpet appearances among other media drama. But the bombshell and took a haitus from Hollywood after an accident and realized she was tired and disturbed by her status as a sex symbol. She's now back on the scene, calling out the sexist encounters she endured, and taking her creativity into her own hands as a director.

Virginie Despentes is a radical, pro-sex feminist writer and filmmaker and former prostitute whose work has inspired hatred and country-wide censorship as well as devoted fans. Although she maintains a feverish cult status among feminists and radical/alternative groups in the United States (and although she is a huge public figure in France) Despentes has seen little media coverage in the US—and there has never been an in-depth profile or interview with her in English.

Singer, songwriter, activist, and outspoken feminist, Kate Nash is a woman with a cause. Mixing punk lyrics with a pop style, the English artist is using music and the internet alike to encourage women around the world to speak up about whatever they can and want. Empowered by the Riot Grrrl movement of the 90s, she's maintained a unique DIY ethos throughout her career, founding an all-girls after-school music program in the UK and releasing an album on her own label. Most recently, Nash launched the "female Wayne's World," an online channel called Girl Gang TV. Produced in Nash's garage with the goal of making cool shit that everyone could get involved with, Girl Gang TV is an outlet for connecting with fans and creators online. Broadly host JD Samson meets with Nash to talk about the channel, acne, the importance (or not) of being relatable, MySpace, and how women making an impact.

New York state senator Kristen Gillibrand has campaigned for women's equality throughout her entire political career. Once a corporate lawyer, she's now nationally recognized as a tireless advocate for human trafficking victims, a champion of paid family maternity leave, an activist in the fight to end campus rape. In 2009, she passed the historic Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill signed into law by President Obama. In this episode of Broadly Meets, we join Senator Gillibrand at a human trafficking hearing in Queens, New York—where she meets with the survivors who are directly impacted by her legislation—then talk with the Senator about her commitment to pushing women's voices to the forefront in politics and how she deals with sexism in Washington.

Cris Cyborg is an MMA champion from Brazil and arguably one of the world's greatest fighters. But in 2011, Cyborg tested positive for steroids and the announcement compromised her title and eventually her career, placing her on a one year suspension. Since her return to the ring she's tested negative for perfomance enhancing drugs, though she continues to find herself vilified by the media and her peers. This type of scandal, of course, is not unique to Cyborg nor to mixed martial arts. In this episode of Broadly Meets, fighter and host Jill Morley talks with Cyborg about steroids, women fighters, and Ronda Rousey.

As a Korean-American and an openly bisexual entertainer, Cho uses her stand-up and one-woman shows as a platform to discuss her personal life and politics, bringing honesty and activism to the stage. In the past decade, she has produced a Broadway show, launched multiple national tours, and sold out rooms around the country. On stage and off she's been a perpetual voice to marginalized communities and her next show, There Is No I In Team But There Is A Cho In Psycho, is no exception.

Marilyn Minter is no minimalist. In the years since, she's moved from that controversy into both pop culture and art-world successes that include a shows at the Venice Biennale and works hanging on Jay Z and Beyonce's walls. Although her beautiful images—of lipsticked mouths sucking on jewels and pearls, of silver high heels kick through dirty water, or of purposefully grown-out pubic hair—may at times seem superficial, Minter is nevertheless constantly considering themes like imperfections, female sexuality, and the subversion of female representation in fashion. A retrospective of her work, Pretty/Dirty, is currently traveling the country and will reach the Brooklyn Museum in 2016.

Rally race car driving is a multi-million dollar industry and it is considered by many to be one of the most treacherous sports of its kind. Unlike Formula One racing, rallying doesn't take place on a track, and crashing and car flipping are common occurrences. Verena Mei is one of the only female rally race car drivers in America. A trained stunt driver, with former careers in modeling and acting, she has managed to penetrate the male dominated sport, gain respect, and become a serious threat to the competition. In this episode of Broadly Meets, Jaimie Sanchez sits down with Verena to talk about what it's like to be one of the only chicks in one of the most dangerous motor sports in the world.

The prolific British writer, TV broadcaster, and self-described "strident feminist" Caitlin Moran is one of those people who seems destined to do what she does. Growing up in government housing with seven younger siblings, Moran learned to fend for herself early on. By the time she started writing her column for the Times of London at age 18—which she still does, now, at age 40—she had written a novel, won the Observer's Young Reporter award, started working as a journalist at a weekly music magazine, and begun hosting a music television show called Naked City, peppering it all with her signature raunchy-yet-right-on sense of humor. Since then, she has gone on to interview the likes of Lady Gaga and Courtney Love, write a New York Times best-selling essay collection (How to Be a Woman), and work as a screenwriter on Raised by Wolves, a sitcom based on her apparently riotous childhood. All this while maintaining a very active Twitter presence.

Margaret Atwood is one of a few writers who defy categorization. Published in over 35 countries, the award-winning Canadian author is as beloved by critics as she is high school students, as prolific with novels as she is her tweets. We recently sat down with Atwood to discuss her long, varied career, the state of women's rights today, and whether she's noticed that speculative fiction books she published in the 80s have started coming true.

Amy Ziering is a two-time Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. Her most recent film, The Hunting Ground, was shortlisted for an Oscar nomination. Alarmed by the high rates of sexual assault on college campuses, Ziering decides to find out what happens at institutions of higher learning when survivors come forward. Mirroring the narrative of her 2012 documentary, The Invisible War, where Ziering examines the epidemic of sexual assault in the United States' military, she exposes the grim incentive for college administrators to ignore campus rape. In this episode of Broadly Meets, we talk with Amy Ziering about rape culture, why perpetrators of rape are often excused, and how universities continue to ignore victims in order to preserve their reputations.

With the release of their dark, confrontationally moody, and critically acclaimed debut album, Silence Yourself (2013), Savages proved right away that their sound was frenetic and indestructible. Since then, the London-based post-punk band—formed in 2011 by Jehnny Beth, Gemma Thompson, Ayse Hassan, and Fay Milton—has maintained an uncompromising passion and presence that few others can. This January, with a shift in tone and the intention to "write the loudest songs ever," the band moved forward with the release of their sophomore album, _Adore Life_. This time—as the title suggests—they thematically embraced an affection for life and its romantic messes: sexual discovery, desire, and the dubiously transformative power of love. In this episode of Broadly Meets, host and lead singer of White Lung, Mish Way, talks to Jehnny Beth and Gemma Thompson of Savages about their new album, touring, and how there's no bullshit on stage.

In this episode of Broadly Meets, we sit down with Azealia Banks to talk—unconfined to a 140 word character limit—about her new music, why she courts controversy, and how to cast a cleansing spell with an egg.

In this episode of Broadly Meets, we sit down with Stella McCartney to gain insight into how she runs a global fashion house and still finds time to party at the Brit Awards the night before.

In this episode of Broadly Meets, Diana Tourjee visits the first lady in Gracie Mansion to discuss media scrutiny, sexual fluidity and breaking down the stigma around mental illness.

Broadly editor Callie Beusman sat down with Wendy Davis, the woman who arguably started it all: Because of her actions on that day in 2013, countless people became involved and engaged in the fight for abortion rights.

The transgender movement is now a powerful cultural force in the 21st century, but there are trans elders who have led the way for the recognition and progress that we are making today in the United State. You may recognize her from her role on Caitlyn Jenner's TV show, but Kate Bornstein has been leading a gender revolution for the last thirty years.

In this episode of Broadly Meets, Ferrario explains why she sees the ‘plus’ language as damaging and disempowering. The model talks about the repercussions of limited representation, and how a lack of diversity in body type, ethnicity, and age affects audiences. Ferrario also talks about personal challenges over the course of her career, explaining her journey towards accepting her body and self image within the notoriously cutthroat modelling game. She explains how, to her, modelling is not just a representation of physical appearance, but an opportunity to explore various aspects of her identity.

Australian actor Brenna Harding was flung into the spotlight at a young age when she appeared on a segment of popular television program Play School with her two mothers. The portrayal of same-sex parenting in 2004 caused outcry around Australia, and since then Harding has been passionately campaigning for same-sex parenting and adoption rights. The Play School moment also acted as a catalyst for Harding to get into acting. At fifteen, she landed a major role in the television series remake of Australian classic Puberty Blues. Her endearing and relatable take on the role of Sue Knight received critical acclaim, and saw her ride a new wave of fame. These days, the now 20-year-old is pursuing passions off-screen, too. Between studying Film and Media at university, Harding recently launched female collective Moonlight Feminists.

Ten years ago, Michaela Coel was a celibate, ultra-religious Pentecostal Christian who wept when her friends got tattoos and begged them to believe in Jesus. Now she's one of the biggest rising stars in television, creating and starring in Chewing Gum, the BAFTA award-winning Netflix and E4 comedy described by the New York Times as one of the best TV shows of 2016.

Broadly's Ariel Wengroff sat down with social advocate and activist, Malala Yousafzai at the UN headquarters in New York to speak about her work advocating for women's and children's rights and education, and to discuss her new project, Girl Power Trip, which kicked off its global tour in early April of 2017.

Transgender Mormon activist, Emmett Claren, has been publicly documenting his transition on YouTube. We met with Emmett right before his long-awaited surgery to remove his breasts, a surgery that risks expulsion from the Mormon Church. Emmett hopes that by being open about his own transition, he can raise awareness and acceptance for other trans people within the large Mormon community in Utah, but he faces substantial obstacles in negotiating his gender identity and his faith within a church that has historically anti-LGBTQ policies.

In this episode of Broadly Meets, we climb in bed with Alia to talk about women’s sexuality and how her personal experiences informed the writing of Duck Butter.

Desiree Akhavan is a film director, producer, screenwriter, and actress whose film 'The Miseducation of Cameron Post' won the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize. The film is a coming-of-age story of a teenager sent to a gay conversion therapy camp. Akhavan gets cozy with Broadly's Diana Tourjée and talks about how she adapted the book by Emily M. Danforth, as well as how her personal experiences influenced scenes from the film.

Apolonia Lapiedra is Spain’s fastest rising porn star, but not long ago, she worked in rural Spain picking fruit and vegetables. Her life took a very different turn after she met the infamous porn producer Ramiro Lapiedra, who is now her boyfriend. In this episode of Broadly Meets, we follow Apolonia during one of her shoots to talk about sex, fame and going your own way.