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In Season 2 of Dare I Say, launching May 1, host Mj Rodriguez takes us inside the sometimes heated, sometimes vulnerable, and always animated discussions that happen when two women sit down to tackle today’s most pressing issues. New episodes will be released every Friday.
“You mustn’t lower yourself for men around you. You must show him what a strong woman looks like.’’
Jameela & Jennifer
The term toxic masculinity dates back to around the 1980s, denoting a desperate clinging onto and protection of traditional masculine ideals, but its effects have been shaping society for ages. Although we know the behavior to be harmful to women, creating a culture in which they are harassed and subjugated, it’s also detrimental to men themselves, pressuring them to suppress their feelings or use violence to display power.
In this episode, actor and I Weigh campaign founder Jameela Jamil speaks to author and BAZAAR.com political contributor Jennifer Ashley Wright about the mental and emotional dangers of toxic masculinity, its prevalence in male cinematic heroes like James Bond and John Wayne, and how children are pressured to conform to gender stereotypes at such a young age.
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“Women are perceived to become liabilities the moment they become mothers. And that's just not true.’’
Kweilin & Analisa
Fostering pay parity and gender equality benefits the economy. If women all across the world participated in the economy equally to men, global growth could increase by $12 trillion, according to a study by McKinsey Global Institute. And yet, for every 100 men in leadership roles, there are 66 women. It would take an extra 39 days of work for women to earn what men did last year. And women are more likely to take low-paying jobs. How do we change that? In this episode, Kweilin Ellingrud, a senior partner at McKinsey, where she leads gender equality research, and Analisa Balares, CEO and founder of Womensphere, and commissioner of the Women's Refugee Commission, discuss how we can empower women at work through mentorship and sponsorship, eliminating biases that stunt women's and mother’s careers, and how companies can benefit from a diverse workplace.
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“You can’t even tell the story of what happened to you unless you want to breach your agreement and be open to being sued”
Gretchen & Senator Gillibrand
Do you have an arbitration clause in your employment contract? It’s possible you could have signed it without knowing. Such agreements state that a dispute an employee has with a company can be settled through private arbitration rather than in court—and that’s a huge detriment to victims of workplace harassment. Journalist Gretchen Carlson and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are trying to bring practices like forced arbitration to an end and make workplaces safer for employees, especially women. They’re sharing their stories and supporting legislation like the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Act of 2017, which would allow victims to bring their harassment cases out into the open, rather than behind closed doors where perpetrators often walk free. In this episode, Carlson, who spoke out about Roger Ailes’s sexual misconduct at Fox, and Senator Gillibrand discuss how workplaces can be made safer, how sexual assault and harassment is a bipartisan issue, and how retaliation over exposing misconduct can put victims in even more danger.
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“We do not belong to the people who hurt us”
Chanel & Evan
This episode discusses sexual assault and domestic violence.
Last fall, Chanel Miller made her identity public for the first time. For years prior, she had gone by the name Emily Doe when speaking out about her sexual assault at Stanford University in 2015. By revealing her name, the Know My Name author took control of her narrative, choosing to no longer be defined as a faceless victim. Evan Rachel Wood, also a survivor of rape and abuse, experienced somewhat of the reverse. The actress and musician used her public platform to help launch The Phoenix Act and the #IAmNotOk movement to protect and empower survivors, but she still can’t name her aggressor publicly for fear of retaliation, and to protect her family’s and her own safety.
Miller’s assaulter faced up to 14 years in prison, but he was sentenced to six months and served only three. Wood couldn’t even get a restraining order against her assaulter. Here, the two women discuss how the justice system is failing sexual assault survivors, society’s extreme expectations of the “perfect victim,” the risk of identifying both oneself and one’s abuser, and the hidden power that comes from reliving trauma while seeking justice.
If you are affected by sexual assault, you are not alone. For support or resources on your rights and options for recovery, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-HOPE or through its online chat system at online.rainn.org.
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“Democracy can’t thrive in chaos”
Jane & Peggy
Time is running out on how long the disastrous effects of climate change can continue to be ignored by those in charge. That’s why actress and activist Jane Fonda marched on Capitol Hill (and was arrested five times) for her weekly Fire Drill Fridays protests, to pressure political leaders to take action against the environmental crisis. And that’s why Peggy Shepard, co-founder of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, is empowering change on the local and national levels through grassroots organization and community-led programs. In Dare I Say’s first live event in New York, the pair sat down to discuss how civil disobedience is integral in the fight for a clean future, how communities of color are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, why it’s important for women to lead the climate conversation, and why we should heed the young people, like Greta Thunberg, leading the climate movement. As Fonda says, “Grannies unite.”
With special thanks and acknowledgement to American Express and Saks Fifth Avenue.
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Introducing Season 2 of Dare I Say
Our host, Mj Rodriguez, previews season two of Dare I Say. We bring women together to discuss the activism and change they are inciting in the world. Whether it’s Jane Fonda and Peggy Shepard discussing the climate crisis and the need for collective action, Chanel Miller and Evan Rachel Wood advocating for better protections for survivors of sexual assault, or Jameela Jamil and Jennifer Ashley Wright talking about the dangers of toxic masculinity, we hear the honest and vulnerable discussions between the women who dare to dream of a better, more inclusive future.
"Polyester is plastic"
MAXINE & LINDA
Sixty percent of our clothing ends up in the trash within a year of it being made. Our landfills are filling up, and the countries we rely on to house our trash are refusing it. In this frank conversation, Harper’s BAZAAR’s Digital Features Director, Olivia Fleming, and the founder of New Standard Institute, Maxine Bedat, call in to Los Angeles to speak with Linda Greer, an environmental toxicologist and creator of the NRDC’s Clean By Design program, to discuss the ugly truths behind our beautiful clothing.
Why are there so many chemicals used to make our clothes? Are products made from recycled plastic bottles really good for the environment? How can we get the brands we love to do better?
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"More plastics than fish"
MARIA & CAMILLA
New York produces 12,000 tons of waste every day. Out of that 12,000 tons, only 17 percent is recycled. In this no-nonsense conversation, the founder of no-waste restaurant west~bourne, Camilla Marcus, and the President of the United Nations General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa, discuss solutions small and large to plastic pollution. Who is responsible for weaning society off its toxic addiction to plastic? And who should bear the brunt of regulation: consumers, corporations, restaurants, or manufacturers?
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"White supremacy is closer to the surface than I ever realized"
JANE & PATRISSE
The movie star, the activist, and the phone call that connected them. Jane Fonda and Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors sit down over coffee in L.A. to untangle the harsh realities of racism in America today. What can activists learn from the protest movements of the past? Why do white people need to confront their privilege? What can be done to reform the overcrowded jail system in Los Angeles County? One thing is for sure: 2019 is no time to be tame.
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"Courage is contagious"
MARIA & ANA MARIA
Who were those brave women who cornered Senator Flake in the elevator? Ana Maria Archila and Maria Gallagher became famous overnight for sharing a deep, personal secret on national television. In the days and months that followed, the duo became targets of abusive messages and violent threats, highlighting a culture that is founded on keeping women quiet. For Maria, who is just 23 years old, she had never said the term “sexually assaulted” out loud. For Ana Maria, the moment was about reclaiming her shame; it was an example of how women across the country are bringing democracy alive—in hallways, in coffee shops, in airports, and in elevators. In an emotional and poignant conversation, the pair sit down to discuss why it is so important to listen to survivors, and how the conversation around consent needs an overhaul.
Trigger warning: This episode includes conversations about sexual assault.
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"Not all curvy women have tried and failed at being skinny"
PRECIOUS & CANDICE
Being curvy is not a political statement, nor is it a last resort. In this passionate and jolting conversation, models Candice Huffine and Precious Lee open up about fashion’s major diversity problem, debunking myths and misconceptions about being curvy, while musing on what a genuine attempt at inclusivity in fashion looks like. Spoiler: it’s not about filling quotas.
Precious was the first black curvy model to appear in Sports Illustrated and Candice was the first curvy model to make the prestigious Pirelli calendar.
"I always ask, ‘boy, girl or trans?’"
LAVERNE & ROSARIO
Remember when you couldn’t say “vagina” on national television? Rosario Dawson does. The actress and activist sits down with Laverne Cox in Los Angeles for an intimate discussion about intersectional feminism, the bonds that unite us, and the silences that break us, in a time when anti-trans legislation is proliferating and civil rights are under attack. Americans can’t afford to be complacent.
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"We could go back to a time where thousands of women die"
SARAH & LEANA
Roe v. Wade is teetering. Plans to strip funding to Planned Parenthood are underway. State legislatures across the U.S. are introducing motions to limit women’s reproductive rights and their access to healthcare. It’s only a matter of time before a case wends its way to the Supreme Court, which no longer has a pro-Roe majority. What happens when that day arrives? Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who won the landmark 1973 case to legalize abortion, and Planned Parenthood’s new President, Dr. Leana Wen, weigh in from Texas.
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INTRODUCING DARE I SAY
Our host, Olivia Wilde, teases season one of Dare I Say. From Texas and D.C. to Los Angeles and New York, we traveled across the country to sit down with activists who seek the truth, leaders who speak truth to power, and role models who encourage us to live our truth for honest conversations we’d otherwise never be privy to. Whether it’s dissecting the reality behind LGBTQIA rights with Laverne Cox and Rosario Dawson, or delving into the unapologetic lack of diversity in the fashion industry with models Candice Huffine and Precious Lee, our guests say what others don’t dare to.
