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Raised on a steady diet of Technicolor musicals and library books, Cristen Conger always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. While working toward her journalism degree at the University of Georgia, she learned to avoid starry-eyed statements about childhood dreams and stick to hard facts. After graduating, Cristen decided she'd spent enough time chasing down REM band members in Athens and hitched up the road to Atlanta where she jumped on board with the award-winning website HowStuffWorks.com.
As a former writer and blogger for HowStuffWorks and a contributing writer for Discovery News, Cristen specialized in technology and the science of everyday living. Her articles have been featured on Huffington Post, ABC Science and MSNBC.com. She also started and co-hosted the popular Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast, which explores gender issues such as relationships, careers and women's history. A graduate of University of Georgia, where she majored in journalism, Cristen reads, writes, runs and dabbles in improv comedy.
Recent Contributions
Why Do Spotted Hyenas Laugh?
With their fierce jaws and cunning hunting tactics, spotted hyenas don't seem to have much to joke about. So what do those spine-chilling peals of laughter really mean?
If a Peacock Loses His Tail Feathers, Do They Grow Back?
Whether used in fashion or complicated mating rituals, peacock feathers drive the ladies crazy. But, what happens when a peacock loses his last feather? Will he become a fashion-don't?
How Matchmakers Work
Matchmakers have paired up couples for centuries, and it doesn't seem as though laxer social rules and online dating has slackened their market. From traditional shadchans to professional Cupids, what does the modern matchmaker do?
Classic Episode: Single Moms, Then and Now
Raising a family can be challenging, especially as a single parent. In time for Mother's Day, Cristen and Caroline highlight the history of single moms and debunk the longstanding social stigma against them.
Classic Episode: Is catcalling harassment?
Why do some men yell at women on the street? Cristen and Caroline discuss why catcalling happens and women's century-long fight against street harassment.
Classic Episode: The Vegetarian Gender
Why are women likelier to be vegetarian and vegan? Cristen and Caroline cook up a podcast feast of facts about the history of vegetarianism and what gender has to do with foregoing meat.
Classic Episode: Women of a Certain Age
Are certain societal hangups about women of a certain age timeless? Cristen and Caroline take a look at why many women describe aging as a process of gradually becoming invisible.
Classic Episode: The Notorious RBG
Supreme Court Justic Ruth Bader Ginsburg, aka The Notorious RBG, has become a pop cultural rock star for her judicial outspokenness on equality and reproductive rights. Cristen and Caroline delve into her incredible biography and what has propelled her recent popularity among young women.
Classic Episode: Lady Stoners
Pop culture stereotypes marijuana users as lovable, underachieving stoner guys, but what about weed-loving women? Cristen and Caroline discuss the past and present of women's relationship with weed and intersections of gender and the pot industry.
Classic Episode: Beyonce's Feminism
The release of Beyonce's secret "visual album" in December 2013 was hailed as her feminist manifesto, setting off an internet-wide discussion about the mega-star's public image versus her personal politics. Cristen and Caroline weigh in on the pop cultural significance of Beyonce's feminism.
Classic Episode: The Revenge Porn Wars
Sometimes termed "cyber rape," revenge porn refers to sexually explicit images and videos nonconsensually shared on the internet. Cristen and Caroline chart the horrifying rise of revenge porn, why it happens, how it affects the victims and how the digital laws are evolving to criminalize it.
Classic Episode: The Secret History of International Women's Day
International Women's Day, celebrated every March 8, is a holiday inspired by factory women going on strike for better wages and working conditions. Cristen and Caroline explore why the (sometimes fake) history of the commemorative day is central to working-class issues within feminism then and now.
Classic Episode: Living Dolls: A History of Fashion Modeling
When did models begin strutting down the catwalk? Cristen and Caroline size up the history of modeling and how it's influenced beauty culture at large.
Classic Episode: Social Justice Warriors
Can social media change the world? So-called social justice warriors, slactivists and hashtag activists think so. In this episode, Cristen and Caroline dissect social media activism and its backlash and ponder the perils of political correctness.
Classic Episode: A Controversial Woman
Who really was Susan B. Anthony, figurehead of American women's suffrage? In celebration of her birthday, Cristen and Caroline explore Anthony's fascinating biography and the less well-known, controversial aspects of her singleminded crusade for the women's vote.
Classic Episode: Hey, Ladies!
The word "lady" has undergone a reclamation of sorts in recent years, but it still carries a lot of baggage, thanks to its gender-loaded etymology. Cristen and Caroline get down to the history, use and varying meanings of what it means to be a "lady" today.
Classic Episode: The Body Shaming Epidemic
Weight bias, also known as fat-shaming, has serious real-world impacts on overweight and obese women. Now, thin women are making their voices heard about so-called "skinny shaming" as well. Cristen and Caroline discuss the harmful spectrum of body shaming and what women can do to stop it.
Women With Autism Aren't Getting Diagnosed
But the Twitter hashtag #SheCantBeAutistic started by Guardian columnist Nicola Clark is trying to bring attention to the issue, one tweet at a time.
Finding Lisa Frank
Lisa Frank is a real person, and she has a stable of sad unicorns and wilted rainbows hidden away in her closet. Cristen and Caroline explore Lisa Frank's rise to girlhood fame and descent into corporate chaos.
Sports Boobs
Studies have found that breasts have a significant impact of if and how girls and women exercise. Cristen and Caroline work out how breast variety, bounce embarrassment and sports bra technology impact female fitness.
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