Episodes
Being a butt on the internet just isn't what it used to be. From the early '90s to the age of Trump and troll farms, there's a lot to unpack about what we mean when we call someone a troll. Pippa and Karina talk trolling online and in real life with an information and media studies scholar and a vigilante Toronto blogger.
Published 11/05/19
LOLcats and starter packs. Evil Kermit and Pepe the Frog. One does not simply record a podcast episode on memes, but they can't stop all of us, let alone 30-50 feral hogs. In this mini-episode, Pippa and Karina talk memes past, present, and future to expand your brain. You love to see it.
Published 10/29/19
As the Earth responds ever more rapidly to human activity, a controversial group of scientists is proposing that we've entered a new epoch: the age of the Anthropocene. Pippa and Karina sit down with earth scientists and a documentary filmmaker to talk about how the crisis is packaged and why word choice is so important to the future of the climate.
Published 10/22/19
Dude, that's craaazy. In this mini episode, Pippa and Karina discuss one of the most-used adjectives in their vocabulary, what they mean when they use the word "crazy," and the subtle ways that ableist language can creep into casual conversation.
Published 10/15/19
With an opioid epidemic sweeping North America, there has never been a more urgent time to question how we talk about people who use drugs. Pippa and Karina dive into diagnostic manuals to track the history of how doctors have written about addiction, and talk to a methadone user and a self-professed addict on how labels can both help and hurt.
Published 10/08/19
Polyamory in North America is on the rise-and with it comes a plethora of brand-new words to describe how non-monogamous relationships work, like "polycule" and "compersion". Karina and Pippa talk to a polyamorous reporter and a family lawyer about this linguistic wellspring and the stumbling blocks that poly families face in Canada.
Published 10/01/19
Listen to hosts Pippa Johnstone and Karina Palmitesta in season 2 of Word Bomb. Subscribe now!
Published 09/26/19
In this episode, Karina and Pippa consider the word Native, using it to explore Canada's painful colonial past and present. They discuss the labels applied to Indigenous peoples and sit down with two Indigenous artists to talk self-identification, word choice, and the power of capitalization.
Published 11/13/18
What happens when landlords evict tenants to renovate their units and triple the rents? Bitter disputes, drawn-out court battles, fierce housing activism - and a brand-new portmanteau that's catching on so fast, it seems poised for dictionary status. Pippa and Karina discuss the phenomenon of "renoviction" in Canada and interview the word's creator.
Published 11/06/18
Girlfriend, boyfriend, S.O., bae, better half, sweetheart, beau ... what's in a name? Pippa and Karina debate and dismantle all the names you may choose to call that special someone and discuss the social utility of the word partner - and its important LGBTQ backstory.
Published 10/30/18
Pippa and Karina journey from the fifteenth century to the present day, tracing the course of a small word with an outsized impact. As singular "they" gains ground as the gender-neutral pronoun of choice for nonbinary folks, are publications and the public following suit?
Published 10/23/18
Why are people so hung up on the word "moist"? Pippa and Karina wade into the damp, the humid and the slightly wet as they dismantle English's most hated word (and repeat it enough to cure themselves of word aversion).
Published 10/16/18
TW: everything. This week, Pippa and Karina tackle the word "trigger", interviewing a PhD student, a mental health advocate and a filmmaker. Safe spaces, content warnings and "snowflakes" all feature in this exploration of the words we use when we talk about trauma.
Published 10/09/18
In our very first episode of Word Bomb, hosts Pippa Johnstone and Karina Palmitesta discuss the word "fat," bias, and the "euphemism treadmill."
Published 10/02/18
What does it mean to "doxx somebody?" Word Bomb hosts Pippa Johnstone and Karina Palmitesta delve deep into the dark history of an ever-evolving culture of online discourse.
Published 10/02/18
What does it mean when we pepper everything we say with "like"? Word Bomb hosts Pippa Johnstone and Karina Palmitesta take a good, hard listen to their own speech patterns and reveal some surprising stats.
Published 10/02/18
Language moves fast and Word Bomb is here to help. Unpacking one explosive word per week, hosts Pippa Johnstone and Karina Palmitesta talk to experts and dive deep into lived experiences to share stories the dictionary doesn't tell you.
Published 09/23/18