The Great Equalizer Podcast: Is Cardi B’s WAP a celebration of female sexuality or is it a bit much?

Charlene and Sam have a chat about Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's "WAP".

Picture: Youtube screenshot

This week’s episode of The Great Equalizer is, by nature, explicit (even for us). But there’s a lot here that we feel needs to be addressed so – despite some misgivings – we decided to open the discourse about a topic that has so many women, and mothers, uncomfortably divided. This episode is about a little song that’s made one helluva impact. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s hip-hop hit – WAP – has made (and continues to make) chart history, while pissing off a whole boatload of people in the process.

ICYMI, The Guardian has said it best, describing the song (and the music video in particular) as an unapologetic celebration of female sexuality and sensuality. “It isn’t shy or coy, it’s about the loud articulation of female desire for sex, as they want it, and it centers them as active participants with agency”. For many, this song represents sexual expression and emancipation. It’s a big F-You to both prudes and “the Patriarchy”. Detractors, meanwhile, believe it has “set the entire female gender back by 100 years” and see it as decidedly antifeminist in nature. So which is it? Well… We weren’t so sure ourselves when we set out on this journey.

Cue our expert guests, writer and outspoken female rights advocate Shana Fife, and intimacy coach/sensuality goddess Karis Topkin, and you’ve got yourselves an eye-opening discussion, ladies and gents (to say the least). Guys, WAP has a shock factor to it that had even the TGE ladies spellbound, speechless and clutching for those fragile (read: judgy) white pearls (here’s looking at you Sam Herbst). Still, there’s no denying that it’s a cultural phenomenon that revealed a lot about our society, and ourselves. Please tune in and let us know what you think? Remember, #nojudgies.