Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Pairings

Amile & Phoebe take it to the movies with none other than Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama. It’s a film that asks a deceptively simple question: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?

When Emma, played by Zendaya, reveals her answer, the confession completely changes the way her friends and fiancé (played by Robert Pattinson) see her. We discover the moral outrage that follows and unpack the uncomfortable gap between what we think and actually do. It will leave you wondering whether a person’s worst thought can ever be worse than someone else’s worst action. Does intention matter if you never followed through?

This episode pairs well with:

• The Drama dir. by (2026)
• Minority Report dir. by Steven Spielberg (2002)
• After The Hunt dir. by Luca Guadagnino (2025)
• Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty
• The group chat becoming a court of public opinion.
• Deciding on which Cabernet Sauvignon goes with the wedding breakfast.

Shall we do more movies? Happy listening!

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amile & Phoebe use Paul Lynch's Booker winning novel, Prophet Song, to discuss the creep of fascism and surveillance in today's culture.

They reflect on Tony Benn’s famous speech about refugee mothers from war-torn lands and explore the psychology of living under constant threat. They move from moments in the novel, including when Eilish forcibly cuts her daughters hair, to real life scenarios.

Why it easier to recognise fascism when it happens somewhere else? What happens when we stop seeing refugees as political subjects?

This episode pairs well with:

• Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
• Julia by Sandra Newman
• End Times Fascism by Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor
• Sarafina! (Story by Mbongeni Ngem) dir. by Darrell Roodt (1992)
• The Long Walk (Book by Stephen King) dir by F. Lawrence (2025)
• Watching those British Army recruitment adverts.
• Following Miss Rachel for her commentary on pop culture.
• A Jameson, neat.

Happy listening!

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Amile & Phoebe venture further back in time with James Baldwin’s 1956 masterpiece, Giovanni’s Room. As they discuss the social climate that forced Baldwin & his characters into literal and figurative exile, they consider the extraordinary subversiveness of writing so openly about gay desire in the 1950s.

But the conversation quickly becomes about more than sexuality. They unpack masculinity, respectability & the uncomfortable ways in which lovers can become collateral damage for those who are afraid to be known.

From the claustrophobic sanctuary of Giovanni’s room to the tragedy of choosing belonging over honesty, they reflect on the familiar patterns of emotional detachment that run throughout the novel.

This episode pairs well with:

• Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
• Looking for Lorraine by Imani Perry
• Brokeback Mountain (2005), dir. Ang Lee
• Passages (2023), dir. Ira Sachs
• Pulling an all-nighter to watch the sun rise over the Seine.
• Wondering why the socially acceptable option feels unfulfilling.
• A French 75, of course.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 2nd part of their dissection of MJ Corey’s Dekonstructing the Kardashians, Amile & Phoebe distil the family's media playbook down to its core. They examine what happens when hyper-visibility evolves into a self-sustaining corporate empire.

They revisit some of the legendary conspiracies from the "Kardashian Curse " to Amile’s naive theory that Kanye’s demise was actually a piece of high-concept performance art.

Along the way, they ask the hard questions. Just how far is Kim willing to go in service of the feed? Why has Khloé become the tragic, relatable figurehead of modern American anxiety? And did anyone actually buy Rob’s socks?

This episode pairs well with:

• Dekonstructing the Kardashians by MJ Corey
• For the Culture by Marcus Collins 
• The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord
• Succession (2018, HBO)
• Aggressively organising your pantry into labelled glass containers.
• An ice-cold can of UPDATE, because even Kim’s energy has a personal brand.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the girls turn to MJ Corey's Dekonstructing the Kardashians to examine how one family transformed the mechanics of modern celebrity. For the 1st part of their dissection, Amile & Phoebe have no qualms admitting they've been Kardashian fans, passive consumers and occasional apologists throughout their 19-year reality television reign.

They contrast an older celebrity culture built on mystery, distance and carefully controlled appearances with today's demand for constant visibility. Is hyper-visibility and (faux vulnerability) a form of empowerment—or the ultimate trap for a society obsessed with Keeping Up?

• Dekonstructing the Kardashians by MJ Corey
• We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
• All About Eve dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1950)
• The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016)
• Marrying for the network, not just the networth.
• A bone-dry, filthy Dirty Vodka Martini (à la Mother Kris)

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to live in a tastefully decorated apartment, have good politics and know the best natural wine bar in town? And why did personal taste and aesthetic become such an important part of our identity.

Amile & Phoebe respond to Vincenzo Latronico's scathing assessment of millennials in his translated novel Perfection.They discuss the strange emptiness of a lifestyle built around the right objects, opinions and experiences.

This episode pairs well with:

• Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico
• The Lonely City by Olivia Laing
• All Falls Down (2004) by Kanye West
• Describing yourself as a "creative” or “dot connector”.
• Citing Bourdain as your personal hero, but not knowing why.
• Unironically relating to Rick Rubin’s quotes on taste.
• A citrus-forward craft beer from the local brewery.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a star-studded Nigerian adaptation of Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway on the horizon, Amile and Phoebe return to the novel's intimate world of parties, private thoughts and social performance.

Despite its famously demanding stream-of-consciousness style, the novel opens up a conversation about what it means to be considered by someone we love and the ways we protect ourselves and others from difficult truths.

From Clarissa's drawing room to the comment section, they consider how critique moves through society. They ask who gets to judge, who gets judged, and how quickly criticism can become cruelty. They ask what the general critique of Ariana Grande says about society.

This episode pairs well with:

• Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
• Assembly by Natasha Brown
• Clarissa (release date: Dec 2026), dir. Arie and Chuko Esiri
• Lucky (2000) by Britney Spears
• Calling it love when what you meant was security.
• Debating whether consideration is the highest form of love.
• Your favourite glass of Cabernet Sauvnon to help you mask.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh off another summer of record-breaking heatwaves across England, wildfires sweeping through Europe, and worldwide concern over the environmental cost of data centres, Amile and Phoebe turn to Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass.

In this conversation, they discuss stewardship, reciprocity, and our responsibility to the natural world. Drawing on Kimmerer's unique perspective as a botanist & member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, they select the stories of indigenous wisdom that stayed with them. You will leave this episode thinking about how we can rectify things for the generations to come.

This episode pairs well with:

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• It's Not That Radical by Mikaela Loach
• WALL-E (2008), dir. Andrew Stanton
• That viral "Hacks" episode on AI (S5, Episode 6: QuikScribbl)

• Experiencing civic responsibility for the first time at Burning Man
• A mug of nettle tea brewed from whatever's growing nearby

Happy listening! What should we read next?

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Only one book can make for a conversation peppered with equal amounts of laughter and cringe. Yes, Tony Tulathimutte's Rejection.

Across a series of 4 painfully funny essays, Amile and Phoebe discuss rejection in all its forms: romantic, social and self-inflicted. From the "nice guy" performing wokeness in exchange for companionship, to the young woman lost in an obsessive spiral of limerence, no one’s stories (including their own!) escapes unexamined.

Perhaps the rejection itself isn't what we're most afraid of. Perhaps it's what the rejection reveals about our deepest insecurities.

This episode pairs well with:

• Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte
• So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
• Queenie by Candy Carty-Williams
• Why Did I Get Married? (2007), dir. by Tyler Perry
• He's Just Not That Into You (2009), dir. by Ken Kwapis
• Binge watching Chewing Gum or Fleabag over the weekend.
• Sending "No worries!" when there are, in fact, many worries.
• Seeking a partner who triggers your childhood wounds.
• One more drink than you planned on having.

Enjoy listening!

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh off reading Divya Maniar's soon-to-be-released novel After Care, Amile and Phoebe discuss the strange afterlife of reality television and the unspoken pressure to remain visible long after the cameras stop rolling.

Through the story of Grace, a former reality star intent on clawing her way back into the public eye, they explore influencer culture, the attention economy, and the blurred line between authenticity and performance. They ask whether social media has turned all of us into our own publicists, carefully curating lives designed to be consumed.

What happens when our identity hinges on being watched? And what responsibilities do the watchers have in return?

This episode pairs well with:

• After Care by Divya Maniar [pre-order for Oct 2026]
• The Truman Show (1998), dir. Peter Weir
• Black Mirror: "Nosedive" (Netflix, 2016)
• Miriam: Death of a Reality Star (Channel 4, 2024)
• Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth (2025)

• Commenting "what are they doing working at a checkout?"
• Wondering whether you're living for yourself or a personal brand
• Choosing the Montepulciano over the Tempranillo for social clout

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amile & Phoebe use their next read as a springboard to discuss familial disharmony, competing ideas of freedom & the relational ties that can both sustain and hold us back.

Tangerinn by Emanuela Anechoum is an intimate portrait of family identity & the complicated relationships that shape us. The story begins with an Italian Moroccan woman who returns to her childhood home of Calabria upon the death of her father.

They also explore the tensions that linger between Mina, her hijab-wearing sister, her emotionally absent mother & the father who built the family business from the ground up. In the end, they ask whether home is somewhere we return to or something we carry with us.

This episode pairs well with: 

• Tangerinn by Emanuela Anechoum
• The Farewell (2019), dir. Lulu Wang
• Bless The Daughter Raised By A Voice In Her Head by Warsan Shire

• Swapping your shagpile rug for a handwoven Berber heirloom
• Arguing with your sister over who makes the better feminist
• A Negroni sbagliato (with prosecco in it, duh)

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our first-ever recap episode, we revisit the conversations that lingered long after the microphones were switched off.

From Love Island analogies to our very different reactions to the Barbie movie, we reflect on the cultural moments that divided us, surprised us, and challenged the way we think.

We also highlighted some of our favourite books from the season including Reel, Yesteryear, Strangers, and Lost Boys, asking whether time (or netizen reactions!) has changed the way we view them.

Think of it as one last drink before the next chapter.

This episode pairs well with:

• Returning to your favourite highlighted passage
• Turning your boyfriend into a fan of reality television
• Romanticising barista FIRE
• Texting, "I finally read the book!"
• Choosing the long conversation over the hot take

Toasting to another 20 episodes!

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

South Korea is home to one of the world's lowest birth rates, the radical feminist 4B movement, and some of the best performing IVF clinics. This juxtaposition provides the perfect backdrop for Amile and Phoebe's next deep dive into Kim Eui-Kyung's brilliant translated novel, Hello Baby.

Using the novel as a springboard, they discuss fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, the choice to pursue motherhood...or opt out entirely. They highlight the quiet camraderie that exists between people navigating infertility. They also question the balance between the need for privacy and support in that first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

This episode pairs well with:

• Hello Baby by Kim Eui-Kyung
• Joy (2024), dir. Ben Taylor
• The Baby Decision by Merle Bombardieri
• Missed (2020), a poem by Elizabeth Day, written after baby loss
• Creating a groupchat for the girlies going through it.
• Finding out that the 4B movement has 4 central rules.
• Raising a glass of light Beaujolais & making a toast to hope.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a world where selling "identity art" might guarantee an extra $10,000 in the bank or a greenlit film in Hollywood, Amile & Phoebe question what happens when blackness becomes commodified. They also examine contemporary debates around authorship, influence and recognition. Yes, Patrick Ta, we are looking at you.

Using Brandon Taylor's Minor Black Figures as a springboard, they explore a world full of competing acts of perception. They compare Wyeth's strained relationships with his friends to the slow paced kinship with his lover, Keating.

The episode ends on familiar ground: intimacy. Borrowing from Timothy Keller's observation that "to be loved is to be known", they reflect on who sees us as we desire to be seen.

This episode pairs well with:

• Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor
• American Fiction (2023), dir. Cord Jefferson
• This Is America (2018, song) by Childish Gambino
• AMERIICAN REQUIEM (2024, song) by Beyonce

• Admiring the work of Danielle McKinney
• Learning the difference between intention and impact
• Buying dried sorrel to make Grandma’s Red Drink recipe

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At last! Amile and Phoebe discuss Lena Dunham's hotly anticipated memoir, Famesick. They remember the cultural phenomenon that was Girls, reflecting on why its messy protagonists felt so jarring in a world of bandage dresses, millennial ambition & carefully curated femininity.

As the conversation unfolds, they revisit the backlash directed at Lena from the moment she entered public life. Together, they unpack the harsh realities of fame, the impact of body image and the constant expectation of productivity. They also consider the appeal of the "cool guy" and society's tendency to deem certain women as off-putting. Or worse, merely "fine".

This episode pairs well with:

• Famesick by Lena Dunham
• Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
• Frances Ha (2012), dir. Noah Baumbach
• Lucky (song, 2000) by Britney Spears

• An Hervé Léger bandage dress you couldn't afford in 2012
• Deciding to retire your people pleasing tendencies
• An espresso martini made with an extra shot of espresso

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amile and Phoebe discover one of the most provocative protagonists they've encountered in Imani Thompson’s debut, Honey. After a seemingly ordinary bee sting becomes a life-or-death trolley problem, they unpack Ysra's relationship with revenge and the men who cross her.

From childhood memories of learning about "bases" to the everyday realities of misogyny and misogynoir, they explore the limits of male allyship.

In Ysra, they encounter a woman who is equal parts principled, unhinged, and charming: someone determined to distance herself from what she percieves as the weaknesses of femininity, whilst imagining herself as a quasi-heroine of a deeply patriarchial world.

If you're in need of a summer read, look no further.

This episode pairs well with:

• Honey by Imani Thompson
• Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates
• Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case (Netflix), 2023
• Gone Girl (2014), dir. David Fincher
• Keeping a spreadsheet of all the people who hurt you
• Stealing your protégés work whilst having an affair with her
• Counting a Pimm's as 1 of your 5 a day

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beginning with the biblical story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, Amile & Phoebe trace the ways in which women’s choices have long been shaped by patriarchal forces.

Phoebe reflects on her experience of growing up culturally Catholic in Ireland. She shares personal insights from her time volunteering with the Repeal the Eighth campaign and the stories that shaped public understanding of abortion access. They also turn to America, drawing parallels between Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and Liberty University’s Godparent Home.

Through the character of Bill Furlong in Clare Keegan’s Small Things Like These, they discuss what it means to act morally within systems built upon silence. Can small acts of courage ever truly be enough?

This episode pairs well with:

• Small Things Like These by Clare Keegan
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Quiet Girl (Irish title: An Cailín Ciúin), 2022
• Liberty Lost (Audible Original podcast)
• Remembering Savita Halappanavar
• Lighting a candle for someone you never met

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Turning to Kennedy Ryan’s Reel, Amile & Phoebe discuss romantasy & the male romantic leads who populate these worlds. Alongside the fantasy of emotionally intelligent billionaires and artistically gfted providers, they discuss the blackness of Reel & the importance of specificity and lived experience in storytelling.

Through Neevah’s health battles and Dessi Blue's adventures, they delight in the ways in which the characters are written with texture, vulnerability, and interiority. They ask whether the fantasy of the “perfect man” is really about romance at all or whether it’s simply about being seen.

This episode pairs well with:

• Reel by Kennedy Ryan
• Score by Kennedy Ryan
• The 40 Days of Dating Social Experiment
• Men wearing slutty little reading glasses non-ironically
• A lychee martini with a single rose petal floating on top

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Set between Martha’s Vineyard and New York’s Upper East Side, Strangers by Belle Burden initially feels worlds away. But as Amile & Phoebe unpack its themes of marriage, compromise, and reinvention…familiar pressures emerge.

Alongside the practical realities of divorce and prenups, they interrogate the public response to Belle’s story, and the tendency to dismiss certain experiences. They discuss the pursuit of becoming “wifey” & whether it's ever worth losing yourself for love.

This episode pairs well with:

• Strangers by Belle Burden
• BEEF, Season 2 (2026, Netflix)
• Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing? Chanté Joseph, British Vogue.
• Knowing Klay Thompson because of Megan Thee Stallion
• Looking in the mirror and saying, “Stand up, girl!”
• A glass of Provençal rosé, grown the same year you got married.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amile and Phoebe continue their deep dive into Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear. Spoilers included this time!

Using the novel as a springboard, they explore the tension between modern femininity and masculinity.

Beginning with the backlash surrounding Emma Grede’s promo tour for Start With Yourself, they consider the pulls (pitfalls!) of girlboss messaging. As the conversation unfolds, they turn to the pressures placed on men to perform a version of “traditional” masculinity that may not come naturally to them, and the consequences of building family life around rigid ideals.

This episode pairs well with:

• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
• Educated by Tara Westover
• Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey (2026, Netflix)
• Watching someone slowly rebrand their entire life online.
• Searching for tinctures instead of antibiotics.

Leave us a 5 star rating (and a comment) please!

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For their first foray into fiction this season, Amile and Phoebe turn to Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear. Through the character of Natalie, a self-styled tradwife, they explore what it means to perform the role of the “perfect” woman, and why some versions of femininity are so addictive to consume online.

As they unpack her story, they revisit themes from earlier episodes through a refreshed lens...from the second shift to motherhood and of course, the manosphere.

This episode pairs well with:

• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
• Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
• Unchosen (2026 TV series)
• Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke (2025, Hulu)
• Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025, Netflix)

• Swapping your wholemeal loaf for sourdough.
• Praying that your raw milk is free from listeria.

Make sure to read the book!

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second of their Pixel Flesh deep dive, Amile and Phoebe turn to the idea of beauty maintenance. Comparing their TikTok algorithms, they discuss the shift towards more intensive, expensive and invasive forms of upkeep.

They reflect on the ever-growing rejection of ageing and fatness, and the pressures that sustain these insecurities. Moving between viral advice, personal dilemmas, and cultural expectation, they consider what it means to invest in the face and body over time. From skincare and fitness to medications and injectables, how far are we willing to go?

This episode pairs well with:

• Warning (poem) by Jenny Joseph
• The Year All My Friends Got Botox by E.Clein (The Cut, April 2026)
• The Substance (2024), dir. Coralie Fargeat
• Getting a blepharoplasty without telling anyone
• An iced matcha with added collagen

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first of a two-part series inspired by Ellen Atlanta’s Pixel Flesh, Amile and Phoebe explore the evolving landscape of beauty in the digital age. From size zero to “slim-thick”, and video vixens to the Kardashian era, they trace how beauty standards have intensified online.

Reflecting on their different experiences growing up and what they thought of the Olsen Twins. Most apparent is the tension between critique and participation. How does one resist beauty ideals while still engaging in the rituals that sustain them? From filters and fitness to neurotoxins and aesthetic treatments, the list is endless. Join them as they discuss what it means to perform beauty in a world where being seen has never mattered more.

This episode pairs well with:

• Pixel Flesh by Ellen Atlanta
• "Pretty Hurts" (2013) by Beyonce
• "Unpretty" (1999) by TLC
• Checking your reflection in the front-facing camera.
• Saying “it’s just maintenance” and half-believing it.
• A Belvedere vodka soda with three lemons

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores grooming in childhood. Drawing on cultural touchpoints from My Dark Vanessa to Lolita and Cat Person, they examine the archetype of the “inappropriate adult” and the subtle ways in which boundaries are pushed.

Alongside this, they consider the idea of the “imperfect victim”. Who do we protect? And who do we turn a blind eye to? With a focus on British and Western culture, they reflect on how narratives are shaped, mobilised, and oftentimes, weaponised to serve wider agendas.

This episode pairs well with:

• My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
• Half His Age by Jeanette McCurdy
• “Cat Person” (2017), The New Yorker
• Charlene (The Crime Desk podcast)
• Lucky Boy (Tortoise Media podcast)

• Pandering to power instead of trusting your gut.
• A cup of tea gone cold.

Happy listening!

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second part of their Chums deep dive, Amile and Phoebe turn to the figures and cultural touchpoints that continue to shape Britain’s class system. From Jacob Rees-Mogg to Princess Diana and The Crown, they reflect on how class remains deeply embedded in British life, and why access to its upper echelons is rarely as fluid as it first appears.

Phoebe shares why Brexit was the worst referendum of all time. Amile explains why she’s never read the Metro. They end by reflecting on the tension between disillusionment and hope & what it might mean to stay engaged in a system that doesn’t always feel built for you.

This episode pairs well with:

• Chums by Simon Kuper
• The Crown (TV series)
• A Gin & Dubbonet served over ice à la the late Queen Elizabeth II
• Remembering where you were when Princess Dianna died
• Skipping past eh newspaper headlines to get to the crossword

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a special two-parter, Amile and Phoebe turn to Simon Kuper’s Chums to explore the networks shaping Britains political elite. They trace the shared paths of those in power, asking why our last 6 prime ministers were Oxford educated. From the college dorm rooms to Downing Street, they reflect on how belonging is signalled, and why entry to these spaces is rarely accidental. Along the way, they discuss the enduring question of who the system is really built for.

This episode pairs well with:

• Chums by Simon Kuper
• Engines of Privilege by David Kynaston & Francis Green
• Saltburn (2023), dir. Emerald Fennell
• A cup of Early Grey, with a splash of milk. No sugar.
• Pretending not to care which college people attended.
• Realising the same surnames keep reappearing.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The episode begins with a story of being spotted reading Gillian Anderson’s Want in public, opening into a conversation about the ways women construct intimacy when no one is watching.

Between a Nigerian Christian and an Irish Catholic, the conversation around fantasy quickly unfolds. Amile & Phoebe explore confession, contradiction & cultural taboo. They also discuss the complexity of desire & the various tropes (ergo moments of cringe) that shape it.

This episode pairs well with:

• Want by Gillian Anderson
• Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
• The Sex Lives of African Women by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah
• My Secret Garden by Nancy Friday
• A dark negroni, with a single maraschino cherry.
• Finally booking that boudoir photoshoot for your birthday.
• Using your journal to write down the thoughts you were never meant to say out loud.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Pairings, Amile and Phoebe explore the rise of the Manosphere and the appeal of the so-called red pill. They reflect on the promises offered by its figureheads, and the way that insecurity can harden into ideology, and at times extremism. From the pickup artists of the early noughties to the Looksmaxxers and Incels of present day, they trace the shifting language of online masculinity. In doing so, they consider the stories men are being told about themselves, and the world.

This episode pairs well with:

• Lost Boys by James Bloodworth
• The Will To Change by bell hooks
• The Matrix (1999), dir by The Wachowskis
• Adolescence (TV series) dir by Philip Barantini
• A smoky mezcalita in a Tajín-rimmed whiskey glass
• Striking up a conversation with a stranger in real life

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Pairings, Amile and Phoebe explore the cultural scripts shaping modern motherhood and the word every new mother seems to be whispering: Matrescence.

They reflect on the myths that romanticise motherhood, the physical and emotional realities often left unsaid, and the quiet pressures that continue to define what a “good” mother should be.

Along the way, they consider judgment and the burdens that women are still expected to carry.

• Matrescence by Lucy Jones
• Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
• Motherland, series on BBC & Netflix
• A cheeky shot of Irish cream in your hot chocolate.
• Switching jobs for the maternity benefits.
• Choosing the right godparent for your kid.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Pairings, Amile and Phoebe talk through stories that could only come from this modern age: a married woman who falls in love with her chatbot, and an app that helps you pretend to be well read. Moving between intimacy, imagination, and society, they reflect on what technology is reshaping — and what it may quietly be replacing - across childhood and adulthood.

• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• Her (2013), dir. Spike Jonze
• Black Mirror, created by Charlie Brooker
• I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
• A cold glass of Vermentino, and Salt & Vinegar crisps.
• Re-activating your library membership.
• Reading aloud to the kids in your life.

Ten points if you spotted the em dash.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In their very first episode of Pairings, Amile and Phoebe unpack the stories that shape modern womanhood. From picking up The Second Shift after a full day at work to the performance of beauty and emotional labour, they reflect on how cultural expectations and online life shape women’s inner worlds.

This episode pairs well with:

• The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf
• Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre Lorde
• Barbie (2023), dir. Greta Gerwig
• The Second Shift by Arlie Russell Hochschild
• A dry gin martini, with a twist.
• Speaking openly with your girlfriends about heteronormative relationships
• Setting expectations with your boyfriends from the get-go.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.