Bitches Love Nuance

“Bitches hate nuance,” Eliza McLamb and Julia Hava whisper in my ear. Hosts of the hit podcast “Binchtopia,” the two twenty-somethings have covered everything from the history of furries to the opioid crisis. Their niche but dedicated cult following finally pushed me to listen, and after one episode, I was hooked. Wondering what drug they put in their episodes to make  me giggle as much as I did think, I came to recognize the power of the female vernacular. 

While a lot of this vocabulary can be attributed to “chronically online” language, which in large part is derived from AAVE (African American Vernacular English), the delivery and approach to conversations in the podcast has underlying feminine tones. They create a safe atmosphere that allows their message to resonate deeper with their audience. The energy they embody is seen when they respectfully disagree with each other and tackle real world issues. In a culture where news and media is dominated by the male perspective, it’s a breath of fresh air to hear takes rooted in empathy and research, conveyed with  an approachable  tone. Too often, scholarly discussions are riddled with highly academic vocabulary that creates a barrier to understanding the content. Although both hosts are well educated, they speak in modern and accessible language. 

While the online language they use is often regarded as uneducated, to the right audience, it's a strong medium to push their commentary. The social signifiers of relatability — that they consume the same media and emphasize the same parts of a sentence as their listeners — build a trustworthy relationship.

While the intros to the episodes sound like you and your high school friends in your prime, once they segue into the episode’s  content, they source their academic articles and speak on them poignantly. They relate the topics to pop culture, bring in perspectives from fan submissions, and provide relevant history. I’m holding in a laugh while listening, and yet the topics creep into my mind as I'm brushing my teeth, walking to class, or contributing to class discussions.

However, as with all things feminine, the audience is divided. For their majority-women audience who use the same slang, the words of Bitchtopia can flow directly into their thoughts. Contrastingly, those who aren’t on the same side of the internet can feel isolated or elitist, furthering their divide. In large part driven by patriarchal notions of looking down on womanly interests, expressions, and language, the feminine energy of the episodes is tossed aside as a sign the hosts have nothing important to say. This sad division bars many male listeners from understanding the perspectives that women can bring to the table on a variety of topics. While this topic goes both ways and in many dimensions, this side of the issue is very prevalent in discussion of the podcast. 

All this being said, there are points in the episodes where I cringe or disagree with the hosts. Instead of switching to music like I normally would, I’ve found it’s good practice for listening to someone say things you disagree with. Not being able to interrupt with a rebuttal, it’s an exercise in listening and encourages the ability to hear and move on from minor differences.

If you’re a longtime “Binchie” looking for a re-listen or just feel inclined to dip your toe into the world of Binchtopia, here are some episodes I’d recommend:

For laughs - Traumageddon 2: Hallucinogenic Hell 

For political commentary - Dispatch From the Coastal Elite 

For insight and inspiration - Wherever You Go, There You Are