Bad Moms in Pop Culture with Ej Dickson

We love to talk about motherhood like there’s a right way to do it. But the rules have never been as simple as they seem. This week, Christiana sits down with WIRED senior culture writer Ej Dickson to explore the cultural history of the “bad mom,” from the “welfare queen” to today’s MAHA moms, momfluencers, tradwives, and stage moms. They unpack why the ideal of the “good mother” has always been complicated, why dads seem to get a much easier assignment, and how motherhood became one of our favorite ways to police women. Ej’s website: https://www.ejdickson.com/ Follow Ej on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ejdickson/?... Ej’s book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/book... Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:30 Meet Ej Dickson 03:15 The idea of the “bad mom” as a social tool 05:15 The idea of the “good mother” is inherently racist 07:40 The trope of “the welfare queen” 09:01 MAHA moms 14:05 Stage moms vs. coach dads 24:54 Momfluencers and tradwives 33:49 Reporting on women on the political right 35:50 The shift away from community Subscribe: Youtube:    / @popsyllabus   Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/494Te9W... MERCH OUT NOW! https://popsyllabus.com/ Follow us: Instagram:   / popsyllabus   TikTok:   / popsyllabus   Substack: https://popsyllabus.substack.com/ Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com #Momfluencers #MAHA #KekePalmer #Tradwives #MedicalMamas #ChristianaMbakweMedina