She's Just Not That Into You

For our second film club episode, we discussed Black Doves, a Netflix Original TV series. It's set in London and centres on a strong female protagonist Helen Webb (played by Kiera Knightley) who leads a double life as an undercover spy.

This six-episode series is an interesting mix of action-packed spy movie, thriller and murder mystery, with a good dose of self-deprecating British humour, and powerful female characters.

We discussed the elements of the show that we found progressive and gender-subversive:

the way the female characters are depicted is not misogynistic, nor are they objectified

the completely platonic friendship between Helen and Sam: it's rare to see a male-female relationship that doesn't centre on the woman being the romantic love interest

the show focuses on mature women rather than young and sexualised female characters

the fact that Helen is a woman doesn't dictate how the plot unfolds

all of the main players in the world of the TV show are women

violent physical fights between women

the conflict and rivalry between female characters doesn't involve them fighting over a man

most of the deep emotions and tenderness actually comes from the male characters and their stories.

We also discussed how British the show is: the setting, the characters, certain specific cultural contexts, and the self-deprecating humour!

We also touched on some things that we found a little problematic with the TV series: some logical gaps in the plot, the lack of diversity and equality in the casting of characters, and the real life story that the series' narrative was based on.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow us and leave a review. And if you have any ideas or topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes, feel free to send us an email—we’d love to hear from you!

Send your stories and inquiries: [email protected]
Follow us on Instagram: shesjustpodcast

Podcast Logo Artwork by Chami (@chami.jpg)

Intro Music: Picture Perfect Gurl by SPARKZ
(The first three episodes: Out Loud by Beat Mekanik (Free Music Archive | CC BY))
Outro Music: 2010 Pop by Akira Sora (Free Music Archive | CC BY)

Giving up men is becoming a trend! And it all started with the 4B movement. In Korean, 4B stands for four “no’s”: no dating men, no sex with men, no marrying men, and no having children with men. It’s a bold feminist movement created by Korean feminists to break away from the toxic patriarchal system and build a community that truly centers on women and their needs.

In this episode, we spoke with Haein Shim—a passionate women’s rights activist, documentary producer, and freelance journalist—to unpack what the 4B movement is all about and why it’s resonating so deeply with young women in Korea and beyond. Haein also shares her personal journey from being an anti-feminist to fully embracing feminist ideals, and talks about how the 4B movement connects with other feminist movements like the Escape the Corset movement.

Throughout the conversation, we discuss why the 4B movement has been controversial in Korea, and explore the real challenges that feminists face in a society that often misunderstands and misrepresents their motives. We discuss the power dynamics at play and highlight why reclaiming women’s agency and autonomy is more important now than ever. Haein also shares how the 4B movement is very inclusive compared to other feminist movements, especially for women from lower socio-economic or low income backgrounds, or who don’t have access to a college education.
Haein opens up about her own experiences with societal pressure and why she believes prioritising women’s lives and choices is essential for change. We also challenge the Western perspective on feminism, emphasising the need for a more inclusive understanding that respects diverse experiences.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow us and leave a review. And if you have any ideas or topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes, feel free to send us an email—we’d love to hear from you!

Send your stories and inquiries: [email protected]
Follow us on Instagram: shesjustpodcast

Podcast Logo Artwork by Chami (@chami.jpg)

Intro Music: Picture Perfect Gurl by SPARKZ
(The first three episodes: Out Loud by Beat Mekanik (Free Music Archive | CC BY))
Outro Music: 2010 Pop by Akira Sora (Free Music Archive | CC BY)

In this episode, we discussed 10 things we wish we'd known when we were 21, summarising all the life lessons that we learnt from our 20s.

We discussed everything from the importance of investing in your experiences and reading more books, to why you shouldn't compare yourself to others or feel pressure to meet social expectations.

It's a fun conversation where we share lots of our personal stories and experiences!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow us and leave a review. And if you have any ideas or topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes, feel free to send us an email—we’d love to hear from you!

Send your stories and inquiries: [email protected]
Follow us on Instagram: shesjustpodcast

Podcast Logo Artwork by Chami (@chami.jpg)

Intro Music: Picture Perfect Gurl by SPARKZ
(The first three episodes: Out Loud by Beat Mekanik (Free Music Archive | CC BY))
Outro Music: 2010 Pop by Akira Sora (Free Music Archive | CC BY)

In this episode, we discuss how beauty standards universally affect women in every country all over the world, and how we can free ourselves.

Beauty standards are highly subjective, shaped by the cultural and historical context of each specific society. But no matter where you live, how old you are, what your background is, how powerful you are or how much money you have, no woman on the planet can escape beauty standards.

Firstly, we discuss all the different types of beauty standards and expectations that are placed on women that men don't have to deal with, including all the crazy things that women around the world do in the pursuit of beauty, from plastic surgery and vagina whitening(!), to wearing make-up and removing pubic hair.

We also talk about our own personal experiences and struggles with beauty standards, and touch on how these have differed so much based on the different countries we've lived in.

And finally, we share advice for how to unlearn toxic beauty standards and live your life in an authentic and healthy way.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow us and leave a review. And if you have any ideas or topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes, feel free to send us an email—we’d love to hear from you!

Send your stories and inquiries: [email protected]
Follow us on Instagram: shesjustpodcast

Podcast Logo Artwork by Chami (@chami.jpg)

Intro Music: Picture Perfect Gurl by SPARKZ
(The first three episodes: Out Loud by Beat Mekanik (Free Music Archive | CC BY))
Outro Music: 2010 Pop by Akira Sora (Free Music Archive | CC BY)

In this episode, we talk about why women should never invest in a boyfriend, or a man they’re dating.

What do we mean by investing in a man? We mean investing your time, energy and money into a man you are dating (and not yet married or engaged to), by doing things such as helping him build his career, helping him buy his house, supporting him financially, moving somewhere to suit his convenience, living together with him while splitting rent 50/50 and doing most of the housework, and everything in between.

A lot of the time, women do these things for a man they're dating hoping it'll make him want to commit to them and give them marriage in return. But that's not how it works, and in this episode we unpack why not!

We're definitely not advocating for women to be financially dependent on men, nor should they be gold diggers, but there's no need to act like a wife when you're still a girlfriend, and it's not a good idea for women to invest their time and their energy into a man in exchange for the possibility of potential commitment.

We talk about the historical and cultural context for why this happens: our generation of women is the first generation ever in history who don't need to be financially dependent on men, but for centuries us women have been expected to find our own value and purpose in our male partner's success and achievement, and our societal norms and subconscious beliefs haven't kept up with these changes. And these societal norms will only change if we women change the way we behave, which we collectively have the power to do!

We discuss: all the ways that women should never invest in a man and why, how you CAN get a man to give you the commitment that you want, the risks of cohabiting with a man and why you shouldn't let a man "test out" living together with you before deciding whether he wants to marry you, when is the right time to move in together with a boyfriend, how to tell if you're investing too much, how to tell whether you're choosing to do something for your partner because you genuinely want to or are unhealthily sacrificing yourself and losing yourself in the relationship, how can you tell if a man you're dating is really serious about a long-term future together with you or not, and why the woman should never be the one who's progressing the relationship forward in any way.

We also share advice for how women who are in this situation can get out of it, and HOW you can get a man to give you the commitment that you want!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow us and leave a review. And if you have any ideas or topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes, feel free to send us an email—we’d love to hear from you!

Send your stories and inquiries: [email protected]
Follow us on Instagram: shesjustpodcast

Podcast Logo Artwork by Chami (@chami.jpg)

Intro Music: Picture Perfect Gurl by SPARKZ
(The first three episodes: Out Loud by Beat Mekanik (Free Music Archive | CC BY))
Outro Music: 2010 Pop by Akira Sora (Free Music Archive | CC BY)