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Pop Syllabus

Pop Syllabus

Bad Moms in Pop Culture with Ej Dickson

Sep 9, 2026 · 44m

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On this episode

About this episode

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 and author of One Bad Mother 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. Follow Ej: Instagram Ej’s website: https://www.ejdickson.com/ Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Substack Merch available now!…