Straight to the Comments
Straight to the Comments
Publishing Details
About This Podcast
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.
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Recent Episodes
The 12 Clapbacks of Christmas: Twiggy, Cher, Rihanna, Millie Bobby Brown & More
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…
Did We Peak in the 90s? Why Nostalgia Feels So Powerful
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,…
Not a Woman’s Woman Revisited: The Wicked Press Tour
Following the Wicked press tours, there have been countless online conversations about Ariana Grande and her dynamic with Cynthia Erivo. So we're re-running our 2023 episode "Not a Woman’s Woman"…
Why Meghan Gets More Hate than Prince Andrew | Part 2
The second part of our Royal Special. Yesterday we broke down the patterns in the coverage and comments. But today we ask why Meghan Markle remains the lightning rod for public fury, even when the…
The Prince Andrew Scandal & the Meghan Obsession | Part 1
The Evil Queen may have obsessed over who is ‘the fairest of them all’, but today we are looking at the latest Royal scandal and asking - who really is the most hated, and what triggered it? The…
Drive Me Crazy: Frances Farmer, Britney Spears & the Legacy of the “Hysterical Woman”
Frances Farmer and Britney Spears. Two women, decades apart, who found out exactly what happens when you're famous, female, and having a breakdown in public. Today, from Victorian asylums to…
The Forever 35 Face: Who Can Afford Not to Age?
Demi Moore wins her first Golden Globe at 62 for The Substance. Pamela Anderson makes waves with her makeup-free red-carpet look in her late fifties. And L’Oréal’s Paris runway features Helen Mirren,…
Why Are Alpha Werewolves Suddenly Everywhere?
True Blood, Twilight, Buffy… so many of us can’t get enough of vampires and werewolves. But lately, our feeds have been flooded with full-on “Alpha” werewolf erotica — a darker, hungrier kind of…
Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni: Lawsuits as Entertainment | Part 2
An alleged $9 million smear campaign. Text messages bragging they could “bury” Blake in hours. And the same team behind Johnny Depp’s media assassination of Amber Heard. In Part Two, the Blake Lively…
Blake Lively and the Business of Disbelief | Part 1
Blake Lively says she was harassed and then “buried” with a sophisticated smear campaign. Justin Baldoni says he’s actually the victim. But the fiercest battle isn’t unfolding in court - it’s playing…
Reddit Roulette: Secret Money & Trauma Dumping
In the last episode of Season 3, we bring back Reddit Roulette (from Season 1, episode 10) - our mashup of all things Reddit and Chatroulette . We spin the wheel to discuss who the a****** is in a…
Elizabeth and Damian Hurley: Why Are We So Uncomfortable?
When Damian Hurley released his debut film, "Strictly Confidential," people were shocked that he directed raunchy scenes starring his own mother, Elizabeth Hurley. From critics labelling their…
Love After 40: Sam Taylor-Johnson, Kylie and Drew Barrymore
Cougar, MILF, or even a tragic singleton like 'Bridget Jones', today, we are looking at all the comments used to describe older women when it comes to love and dating. Sam Taylor-Johnson, in the…
Rebel's Revelations, Wino Forever and Lizzo Quits?
A year on since we did our "Fatshaming" episode featuring Adele, Rebel Wilson, and Lizzo, we find the three women are once again the centre of attention due to discussions about their weight. With…
‘My Truth’: Prince Harry, Hasan Minhaj and the Rise of Therapy Speak
Since Oprah brought self-help and therapy speak into the mainstream, more and more people have been talking about “speaking my truth” over telling the truth. From Prince Harry to Britney Spears, the…
Meghan Markle: The Art of a Launch
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is back with the launch of her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. Today, we are examining the mixed (putting it mildly) reactions to her launch, particularly…
Who Do You Think You Are? The Transformation of Geri Halliwell
From her iconic Union Jack dress and Girl Power persona to her current all-white dress code and role as the “devoted wife”, today we are exploring the online reactions to Geri Halliwell’s…
Our situation with the Daily Mail
Right in time for International Women’s Day and our one year anniversary, the Daily Mail launches a new podcast, called "Straight to the Comments!" - fronted by 2 young male presenters. We go into it…
Health Conspiracy Theories: Kate Middleton, Selena Gomez & Jamie Foxx
Today, we are discussing the internet's relentless speculation surrounding Kate Middleton's recent surgery announcement. From genuine concern to mind-bending conspiracy theories, we explore the…
Jodie Foster Has Notes for Gen Z
Welcome back to Season 3's first Mini! We're kicking things off with our comment guessing game, a topic that we believe will stir up strong emotions among Gen Xers (and perhaps even millennials).…
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight to the Comments has published 52 episodes since February 2023, covering topics in Documentary, Entertainment News.
Straight to the Comments is currently dormant with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 43m.
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