Queens Podcast

Welcome back to another Queens Kiki for December 20, 2025. This week we’re talking tragic losses, Vanity Fair doing what it does best, horror films finally getting their flowers at the Golden Globes, and the pop culture chaos keeping us afloat. We break down Rob Reiner’s legacy, dissect the now-infamous Vanity Fair Trump cabinet photo spread, argue (passionately) about whether Michael B. Jordan deserved two nominations, and spiral joyfully through what we’re watching, reading, and loving right now. Pop culture, chaos, and coping — just another Kiki. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to the Kiki Queens Podcast! 00:24 Reflecting on 2025: A Year to Forget 00:45 Tarot Reading: Setting the Tone 02:48 Heartbreaking News: The Reiner Family Tragedy 04:28 Celebrating Rob Reiner's Legacy 09:00 Vanity Fair's Trump Cabinet Spread 11:19 Analyzing the Photography: Intentional or Rushed? 21:22 What we're watching/reading 27:54 Golden Globes Horror Nominations 33:12 Bowen Yang please be my friend 34:24 Byeeee Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back with Part 2 of our deep dive into Helena Blavatsky—the controversial, chaotic, and endlessly woo woo founder of modern occultism. In this episode, we follow Madame Blavatsky’s journey to America, where she teams up with Henry Steele Olcott and steps fully into her era as a spiritualism celebrity. From the founding of Theosophy to her many scandals, disputed “miracles,” and the wild amount of cultural appropriation baked into her work, we’re unpacking the messy, fascinating legacy that shaped New Age spirituality, occult history, and the modern mystic movement. If you’ve ever wondered how one woman became the blueprint for so much 19th-century spiritualism—for better and worse—this episode has you covered. Time stamps 00:00 Intro 01:26 Helena's Lost Decade and Move to America 02:37 The Rise of Spiritualism 06:23 Helena's Struggles and New Beginnings 10:14 Meeting the Eddie Brothers 14:02 Partnership with Henry Steele Olcott 17:26 Founding the Theosophical Society 22:47 The Success of 'Isis Unveiled' 26:03 Helena's Celebrity Era 26:27 Move to India and Cultural Appropriation 29:51 Blavatsky's Popularity and Controversy in India 32:51 Health Issues and Betrayal 40:50 The Secret Doctrine and Blavatsky's Theories 45:40 Final Years and Legacy Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surprise, y'all! It's a kiki on the main feed! Katy and Nathan are stuck at home for the holidays, so obviously we’re talking shit into microphones. In this series you can expect tarot pulls, feminist history side quests, pop culture rants, internet drama (looking at you, rage bait), and whatever else is living rent-free in our brains this week. Grab a drink, grab your headphones, and come kiki with us while we gossip about the past, present, and extremely cursed timeline we’re living in. 00:00 Introduction and Holiday Plans 02:35 Thanksgiving Recap and Family Stories 03:47 One Card Tarot pull 06:14 Word of the year Rage Bait 12:11 Spotify Wrapped and Listener Stats 17:44 Wicked Fatigue and Movie Reviews 25:58 The Running Man and why are movies so long 28:39 Diddy Documentary Review 30:49 Sabrina Carpenter vs The White House 35:55 Stranger Things and Aging Cast 40:10 Frankenstein and Woke Criticism 43:18 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we dive into the chaotic, controversial, and extremely entertaining life of Helena Blavatsky — the 19th-century mystic, world traveler, occult celebrity, and eventual co-founder of the Theosophical Society. But before she became the founder (grifter?) of a major spiritual movement, she was just a kooky little girl born into the Russian aristocracy with a flair for folklore, drama, and telling everyone she could talk to ghosts. Whether you know her as a spiritual icon, a fraud, or the original chaos witch of the Victorian era, this episode explores the myths, scandals, astral projections, and truly unhinged adventures that shaped the occult revival, Victorian spiritualism, esoteric philosophy, and the early New Age movement. If you’re into messy historical women, occult weirdness, or “Ma’am, what are you doing?” energy… welcome home. Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction & chat 02:51 Introducing Helena Blavatsky 03:52 Mocktail Recipe: Black Magic Mocktail 05:55 Helena's Early Life and Family Background 28:34 Formative Years in Tiflis 30:36 Discovering Esoteric Knowledge 35:10 Helena's Paranormal Experiences 38:24 The Runaway Bride 49:14 Helena's Lost Decade 55:42 Introduction to Spiritualism Sources: Jules Evans, “Madame Blavatsky and the Perils of Mass Occultism” ⁠https://julesevans.medium.com/madame-blavatsky-and-the-perils-of-mass-occultism-333fcd765c43⁠ JSTOR Daily — “Spiritualism, Science, and the Mysterious Madame Blavatsky” ⁠https://daily.jstor.org/spiritualism-science-and-the-mysterious-madame-blavatsky/⁠ CBC Radio: Ideas — Madame Blavatsky episode ⁠https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/madame-blavatsky-a-seeker-of-truth-and-a-fraud-1.6478885⁠ Pro Theosophy Documentary ⁠https://youtu.be/WWEpVd2AaBo?si=7wPZ6MmmYE9ooSee⁠ Blavatsky & Theosophy Video Explainer ⁠https://youtu.be/WAVimQTTlgs?si=G1puAIJQwpDyApAu⁠ Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back, Queens. Today, we're heading to Brazil to get into the life of the iconic fashion designer turned political activist, Zuzu Angel. In the middle of Brazil’s 1960s–70s military dictatorship, Zuzu turned her runway into a rebellion. Her bright, tropical designs celebrated the culture her government was trying to silence, and when her son was “disappeared” for opposing the regime, she used fashion itself as protest. If you love your fashion with a side of badass activism, then this story is for you. Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction and Content Warning 00:59 Katy's Trip to Rio and Brazilian Women in History 02:29 Introducing Suzu Angel: From Fashion to Activism 03:33 Brazilian Cocktails and Listener shoutouts 06:58 Early Life of Zuzu Angel 12:26 Zuzu's Family and Early Career 16:07 Rise to Fame: Zuzu's Fashion Journey 24:36 Political Climate in Brazil 30:54 The Rise of Student Dissidence 37:47 Zuzu's Artistic Resistance 45:57 The Tragic Fate of Stuart 55:16 Zuzu's Legacy and Final Thoughts Sources: Traditional Bahian dress: https://www.alamy.com/bahiana-woman-in-traditional-dress-salvador-bahia-brazil-image1929717.html Carea Embroidery: https://vettycreations.com.au/white-threads/2013/05/22/south-american-whitework/ Letter from Alex https://americasouthandnorth.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/get-to-know-a-brazilian-zuzu-angel/ https://thestylestorian.com/2016/08/16/zuzu-angel-the-rebel-of-brazilian-fashion/ Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices