Circling the Drain
A podcast about the period BEFORE you stop getting your period. The concept of a woman "circling the drain" conjures up negative imagery for some, but the origin of this as the name of the podcast has a story. A friend, in her 30's at the time, was listing her ailments to a male physician who clearly had a terrible bedside manner, because he responded to her complaints by shrugging his shoulders in a dismissive fashion and saying something like, "I don't know what to tell you. From now on, you're basically just circling the drain!" Co-hosts Ellie and Julia have been laughing at the audacity of this tone-deaf interaction ever since, and when they decided to start this podcast about the plight of the aging woman, they chose to reclaim and repurpose the phrase in the spirit of humor. Every human on the planet is circling the drain from the moment we are born. The question is, how slowly and gracefully can we spiral? And can we minimize the discomfort while we whirl? Perimenopausal co-hosts Ellie and Julia take a deep dive into the sometimes embarrassing, often hilarious, and always bewildering issues of the hormonal changes that take place in midlife. Through honest accounts, thoughtful interviews, and group panel discussions, their mission is to make you chuckle, make you nod your head in recognition, and hopefully make some scientific progress.
Our Editor's Take
The Circling the Drain podcast is about women's health. It's a comfortable space to learn about changes in the female body. Topics range from perimenopause to orgasms. Hosts Ellie Dvorkin Dunn and Julia Granacki help listeners feel comfortable and laugh. The title indicates the humorous tone.
Ellie and Julia have been friends for two decades. They met in college and bonded during a high-speed car chase. Ellie is a writer, comedic entertainer, and mother. Julia is a Pilates instructor, published author, and storyteller. The Circling the Drain hosts share their stories on the podcast. They also get advice from experts.
New York City is home to the Circling the Drain podcast. Episodes feature guests like medical professionals and therapists. The goal is to raise awareness and create a safe place for listeners to learn about their bodies. Different episode formats, like interviews and panels, keep things interesting. Much of the content is for women who are in their late 30s and their 40s. The show discusses the changes in their bodies before menopause.
In one Circling the Drain episode, the hosts interview Meridith Maskara. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scouts of Greater New York. She also has five daughters, so women's health is an important part of her life.
In another episode, hosts enjoy laughs with guest Rachel Fine discussing "The Currency of Youth and Cleavage." Fine is an entrepreneur in the Tampa Bay area and the inventor of Shittens. The friends also discuss the little-known disease May-Thurner Syndrome. "Rock Stars Go Through Menopause Too with Kay Hanley and Elizabeth Hanley-Grande" brings the hosts back to high school. They talk basements, rock stars, and the Katy Perry song "Circle the Drain."
Circling the Drain podcast begins with music. Each episode ends with a segment called "Deep sh*t from a woke kid." A child's voice shares wisdom most anyone could use. Listeners can even send in recordings of a child sharing wisdom. New show episodes come out every two weeks.
Episodes
