America says it's protecting the world. But what if the real story is domination, control, and an imperial logic as old as patriarchy itself? From threatening to take over Greenland to bombings of Venezuela and Iran — we're breaking down what's actually happening with U.S. foreign invasions, and why it should concern all of us.

The United States fought a revolution to escape an empire... then built one of its own. Here's the history they probably didn't teach you in school. In this episode, we cover America's overseas imperialism, specifically focusing on the Philippines, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Evidence of patriarchy is visible in humans’ earliest written records. But what does the patriarchy in ancient texts have to do with our lives today? How might our world be different if foundational laws had been more inclusive of women? Watch the video above for surprising connections between our ancient past and our current lives.

Scientists and scholars have long debated the origins of patriarchy and asked the question: Is patriarchy… natural? Watch the video above to discover evidence from DNA and history on both sides of the debate.

Patriarchy means the rule of men, and it is one of humanity’s oldest social structures. It has affected the majority of the world’s societies and cultures throughout time. But despite its prevalence, both patriarchy and its critiques are often misunderstood. Watch the video above to understand why and learn more about the characteristics of patriarchy.

So much of the modern worldview regarding sex, gender, and the roles they play in society comes from the foundations of ancient religions that arose in the Near East, thousands of years ago. But who laid those foundations? When did they lay them? And what were the circumstances that led to their dominance? Watch the video above to learn the answers.

In this second episode on Biblical patriarchy, we uncover the patriarchal undertones of the Abrahamic covenant — circumcision. What are the origins of this ancient ritual, and how has it shaped a gender hierarchy? Explore the intersection of religion and power as we dissect the implications of this enduring tradition. Watch our video essay to unravel the intricate layers of the covenant's influence on modern society.

In the Western world, there is no more foundational culture than Ancient Greece. Greece contributed essential innovations in art, architecture, medicine, math, philosophy, theatre, and politics. And… Greece also bequeathed us a legacy of patriarchy.

As we all know, for many thousands of years, people all over the world believed in religions that included gods and goddesses. But think about the world today. We’re still very much into gods... what happened to the goddesses?

In this episode, we introduce three groundbreaking women whose work changed the world… though I'd never even heard about them until recently!

How can you change anything in your society if you can’t vote? That imbalance of power seems impossible to overcome. The men in power have religious doctrine and legal precedent, and a complete political monopoly and social tradition in their favor. Yet somehow, in the ultimate underdog victory, women managed to pull it off. But how?! Well, in the United States, it began with a movement to fight slavery. Let’s zoom in on three women to see how this happened.

Join us as we unravel the legal doctrine of coverture: a complex web of laws and societal norms that shaped centuries of gender inequality. Discover the stories of those who fought back and how their legacies continue to influence the fight for women's rights today.

We’re going to talk about one of the most iconic and misunderstood speeches in American history. It happened in Akron, Ohio on May 29, 1851 at the Ohio Women’s Convention, and it’s the famous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech by Sojourner Truth. Did you learn about Sojourner Truth in high school or college? If so, watch to the end of this video and tell me in the comments something that you learned correctly in school and something that you learned incorrectly, and why it matters.

In 1920, the United States passed the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote across the country. How did the women's suffrage activists make it happen? Did they work together, making sure all women were included? Let’s answer these questions with a blitz through time from Seneca Falls to the passage of the 19th Amendment.

We commonly finish the story of women's suffrage in 1920, but the truth is that many women and entire communities were still excluded from voting even after the 19th Amendment passed. Do you know who they were? Watch this video, and in just a few minutes you’ll have a much more complete story about three groups of Americans.

What do the gendered messages that girls and boys receive from society today have to do with the disturbing history of medical treatments like “the rest cute” and “the west cure”? Watch this video to learn about these fascinating gendered treatments for depression.

What would you do if you didn’t have access to modern birth control? In some cultures, birth control has been totally accepted. It’s used to prevent disease, women’s death in childbirth, and the huge psychological and social burden of having more children than you can care for. But in many cultures, religious and government leaders — always led by men — have prohibited the use of birth control. So today let’s look at the history of birth control in the United States.

Are there any legal limitations you can think of today that prohibit women from doing the things they want? I was recently talking with some teenage boys who heard that I’m a feminist historian and they said, “Name ONE way that women are still oppressed. There are no laws that keep women from doing anything they want to do.” Were they right? How would you have responded?

The Waveland Position Paper (and a later document, Sex and Caste) are credited by some historians as being foundational to the second wave of feminism. But what were the implications between Black and white women? What can we learn from this story that can help us today?

Have you ever thought about how western naming traditions seem to erase women? Why are the ways that women are named and addressed seemingly dependent on their relationship to men? And where did this naming tradition come from? Here's a little thought experiment that may help answer some of these questions.

Feminists are often associated with two things: bra burning and man-hating. But did feminists in the 1960s ever actually burn their bras in protests? And what exactly led people to think they hated men? Watch this video to learn how the 1968 Miss America pageant helped initiate the second wave of feminism and ignite the myth of bra burning.

Have you ever noticed the patriarchy in our naming systems? What would an egalitarian naming system look like?

80% of Americans believe that women are already guaranteed equal rights in the U.S. Constitution... but... they’re actually not. And this is despite A LOT of fervent effort to get them in there. WHY ON EARTH ARE WOMEN NOT GRANTED EQUALITY IN THE CONSTITUTION? Does it even matter? Let’s get into it.

Amy is joined by Leatha Udayabhanu to discuss women building bridges… and burning them. All women have been struggling under patriarchy, so have white women been able to work together with queer women and women of color during the past 50 years?

In the 1950s, the nuclear family model had men earning money while women managed the home. With second-wave feminism in the '60s and '70s, more women joined the workforce—but was there a push for men to take on housework?

Before colonization, many Indigenous societies had egalitarian social structures, with women holding power in ways that challenge everything we think we know. It's a history largely left out of the narrative. So why was this history revised?

News flash: Being queer isn’t new. Also not new? Queer folks fighting for their rights. The controversy and the debates in the public square that are happening right now represent just one little point on a long, long timeline. But how much do you know about that fascinating timeline? And what does patriarchy have to do with it? In this video, we explore that history — from ancient times up to the Stonewall Uprising.

After countless centuries of oppression, queer folks in the US had had enough, and kicked off the Gay Liberation Movement! We’ve now arrived at the 1970s, when all that pent-up sexual repression exploded into one hell of a party... but the fight for marriage equality would still be full of trials, tribulations, and tragedy.

Have you ever noticed how obsessed America and modern media seem to be with violence and military tropes? Today we’re going to dive deep into the complicated, patriarchal ideologies of the military. No matter who you are or what you think right now, you’re definitely going to learn some new information from this video.

Has a Matriarchy ever really existed? And what exactly does "Matriarchy" even mean? Why are so many people afraid of women having more power? We unpack these questions and more in this video.

Have you seen Sabrina Carpenter’s new album cover for "Man's Best Friend"? Some people are calling it brave. Others are calling it dangerous. But everyone has an opinion. Is this feminism? Is it satire? Or is it just patriarchy in designer heels? Let's dig into patriarchy in the music industry and the sexist ideas that have been shaping our music for decades.

Do you ever find yourself longing for “the good old days"? A simpler time when everything felt easier and no one was doomscrolling? But what exactly are we remembering, and what are we leaving out? Let's dig into how nostalgia and hidden patriarchal frameworks shape our view of the past.

Have you ever noticed that the "Hero's Journey," the default narrative that seems to shape most of the world's famous stories, doesn't really fit for women and their lived experiences? In this video, we tackle how Maureen Murdock rewrote the myth of the hero for women, and what the "Heroine's Journey" reveals about our culture.
So, buckle up. We're going off the map!

Data provides the behind-the-scenes numbers that quietly shape our whole world. But have you ever considered how gaps in data might affect our everyday lives? Who gets left out, and what would happen if we filled in those gaps? Let's dive in.

What do patriarchy and imperialism have in common, and how have they shaped American history as we know it? In this video, we dive into the history and hierarchy of imperialism, its patriarchal foundations, and how these concepts have shaped the “American” identity of the past and present.

Women are routinely dismissed, misdiagnosed, and undertreated in healthcare. In this episode, we trace how centuries of medical misogyny still shape women’s health outcomes today, and what it will take to change that.

Is any choice made by women inherently a feminist choice? And if it is, then why do women sometimes vote against their own rights or interests and against the rights and interests of other women? Let's dive in and talk about "Choice Feminism."

Let's talk about weddings. What stories do wedding rituals tell about women and men? What stories do they tell about power? And if some of our beloved wedding traditions turn out to be patriarchal… do we need to let them go?

Chivalry is often framed as kindness, romance, even moral virtue. But its history tells a more complicated story: one rooted not in love, but in violence, hierarchy, and power. In this video, we trace chivalry from medieval war culture to modern dating norms, and explore how something that feels “good” on the surface can carry hidden expectations underneath.

In the middle of today's cultural "gender war," it's easy to pick a side and start throwing punches. But what if there's a deeper truth beneath all the anger and hate? In this video, we take an honest, compassionate look at misandry: what it is, where it comes from, and what can actually heal it.

Spoiler: the answer might surprise you.