You Can't Say That (Part 1)
A year after 'The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling', where do things stand?
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Hello listeners,
First off, some fun news: Apple Podcasts placed us on their New and Noteworthy list!
That’s right, our curiosity-driven, empathy-centric journalism is featured right next to Rachel Maddow, true crime, and a show about gay dogs. What a time to be in the media biz! All joking aside, our thanks to whoever at Apple is a fan. Â
Now, onto the show:Â
About a year ago, the team that makes this show (Matt Boll and me, Andy Mills) along with our dear friend Megan Phelps-Roper (who also helps with each episode of Reflector), put out the final installment of The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling.Â
The show was a big hit with millions of listeners, even as it split — and in some cases enraged — media critics. Our aim was to tell the story of Rowling’s two major public controversies — both the witchcraft accusations from the late 90’s and the current backlash around sex and gender — as a way to uncover deeper truths about human nature.
Today, Megan again joins us to ask: Where do things stand now? For Rowling, for the debate around sex and gender, and for our society's willingness to have hard conversations in public.
Here in Part 1, author and journalist Helen Lewis guides us through the latest developments in women-only sports, women-only spaces, and youth transition medicine. We explore the ways in which the United States is becoming more of an outlier, and how J.K. Rowling’s career has continued to thrive amidst the backlash against her.
In Part 2, we dive into thoughts and criticism — of J.K. Rowling, of the series we made about her, and of our team itself — from three members of the trans community, each with a unique perspective. This includes two of listeners’ favorite guests from the original series: Natalie and Noah. Paid subscribers can listen to that episode right away. Click below to become a subscriber:
As always we appreciate your time and attention, and would be delighted if you’d share this show and give us a rating on Apple or Spotify. If you have any feedback, story suggestions, or criticisms, feel free to shoot us an email at hello@reflector.show
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Loved this episode! Witch Trials and The Tortoise many part series on Tavistock were the only careful documentary style walks through these topics that I’ve found. These conversations feel like walking through a bog with many chances to drown but you managed to keep a lightness with clear sign posts in the podcast series.
Appreciate the update on the media, legal, and medical views on this subject. The best part of witch trials and these episodes are the interviews with people holding differing views and having them respond to criticisms in more than 280 characters.