Chapter 20: Debbie Stoller on frenzied female fandom, fighting for freedom, and fourth-wave feminism

  Do you remember Chapter 4 of 3 Books with Sarah Ramsey? She introduced me to BUST Magazine, the largest feminist magazine in the world, and waxed on about how BUST had incredible book recommendations… Well, they sure have a lot more than that. I picked up a copy of BUST and was blown away by the urgency, voice, and community. I also wasn’t surprised to see The New York Times and Fast Company both profile BUST over the past few months. So I trucked down to Brooklyn to see if we could learn what’s behind the curtain. I’m so delighted to introduce you to my next guest on 3 Books — founder of BUST, Master’s and PhD graduate of Yale University with thesis in the psychology of women, and rampant feminist since age six … The one and only Debbie Stoller. In addition to her three most formative books, Debbie shares her inspiration behind BUST and how pop culture influences societal views and laws. Debbie has taken the powerful influence culture has on society by turning cultural narratives on their heads, striving to make BUST into a magazine that reads like the world that would exist ‘if women won.’ Debbie sits down with me in the middle of her office in the ‘warehouse district’ in Brooklyn, NY where I ask basic questions like: What is feminism? Who got us to where we are today? And what are the major gaps between men and women in the world right now? I feel like I sound like an ignorant fool a lot in this chapter but I hope you enjoy and learn as much as I did. Huge thank you to Debbie for this opportunity. And now let’s get into Chapter 20. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How does culture reflect male and female desire differently—and what has been left out? What’s the difference between first-wave, second-wave, and third-wave feminism? How has pop culture amplified and influenced gender roles and stereotypes? How has the definition of feminism changed and shifted over the years? What would media look like if sexism didn’t exist? Leave us a voicemail! Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/20 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/