Respectfully Disagree is The Swaddle Team’s very own podcast series, in which we get together to discuss and dissect the issues we passionately differ on. Each Friday, one episode will be added here.

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Episode 27: Can Sexual Harassers Or Abusers Be ‘Good’ Men?

With the Boys Locker Room incident, the discussion has been about raising boys right, to be ‘good’ men. But how does society define a ‘good’ man who has committed bad acts? The team discusses, on this week’s #RespectfullyDisagree. (9 May 2020)

Episode 26: Will Lockdown Change Beauty Norms For Good?

Is the lockdown really going to change beauty norms forever, or is this just a temporary vacation? In this week’s episode, the team discusses celeb beauty routines, influencer culture, how the lockdown has changed their own relationships with beauty, and whether it will make the idea of beauty as choice more real. (1 May 2020)

Episode 25: Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories

In this week’s episode the team takes a detour from disagreeing, and respectfully comes together to discuss some of the biggest conspiracy theories about the origins of Covid19. (17 April 2020)

Episode 24: Has Lockdown Made Us Reconsider the Work From Home Fantasy?

In this edition of Remote Respectfully Disagree, the team talks about the national work from home experiment during lockdown, and whether it will impact our work culture long-term. (10 April 2020)

Episode 23: Has the Lockdown Made Celebrities More #Relatable?

From Katrina Kaif doing jhaadu and bartan to Gal Gadot posting an embarrassing “Imagine” celebrity montage, has the coronavirus pandemic and the national lockdowns that have followed in its wake made celebrities more relatable, or has it laid bare their privilege? Tune in to this week’s episode to listen to The Swaddle team break down our celebrity crisis. (3 April 2020)

Episode 22: Is Fighting the Coronavirus Pandemic an Individual or State Responsibility?

From panic stockpiling to quarantining, to communicating information, in this week’s episode, the team thinks through the pandemic and the role of the individual v/s the state. (27 March 2020)

Episode 21: Is Catfishing Okay?

Ever since the internet took over our lives, catfishing has been an integral part of online interactions. But is it okay to fake your virtual identity to forge a relationship with another person? The Swaddle team weighs in on this week’s episode, where we also reach an important realization about catfishing in Bollywood, and a team member reveals herself to be a catfish (kind of). (13 March 2020)

Episode 20: Should We Circulate Images of Violence on Social Media?

After the anti-Muslim riots in Delhi, social media was awash with images and videos of gruesome violence that have played an important role in documenting poof, especially of state and police brutality. On the other hand, their circulation unleashes concerns about the privacy and dignity of those depicted. In this week’s episode, The Swaddle team discusses the ethics of taking and circulating these images of violence. (6 March 2020)

Episode 19: Conspiracy Theories Special

From whether the moon landing was a hoax, to if Subhas Chandra Bose is still alive, who doesn’t like a good conspiracy theory? In this week’s episode, the team respectfully conspires about some of our favorite conspiracies, why we believe, and what these stand for in an era of fake news. (28 February 2020)

Episode 18: Should We Care About Politicians’ Romantic Lives?

When the Aam Aadmi Party swept the Delhi elections last week, an unexpected talking point was the way Arvind Kejriwal celebrated the victory with his wife. This got us thinking about how Indian politicians rarely display their personal, romantic sides and why. Tune in to this week’s episode to listen to us pick apart Indian politicians’ love and sex lives, and whether we should care. (21 February 2020)

Episode 17: Is Celebrating Valentine’s Day an Act of Rebellion in India?

Extremist groups are attacking Valentine’s Day again. This year, the Bajrang Dal in Hyderabad have threatened to disrupt celebrations, asking the youth to commemorate the killing of soldiers in the 2019 Pulwama attack instead. In a country where premarital sex is still taboo, and extremist groups threaten and attack couples enjoying the holiday, is celebrating Valentine’s Day a revolutionary assertion? The team weighs in, on this week’s episode. (14 February 2020)

Episode 16: Is Heckling a Valid Form of Dissent?

Last week, comedian Kunal Kamra heckled conservative Republic TV news host Arnab Goswami on a flight, and it became national news. While the reaction by private airlines and the Indian government was criticized by national and international media, many people seemed to be divided on heckling as a means of protest. In this week’s episode, we discuss the method and its effects and implications. (7 February 2020)

Episode 15: Is Cancel Culture Harmful?

The way early 2020 is shaping up, cancel culture is going to continue to play a part on our social discourse. In this week’s episode, we ask: Is cancel culture a harmful result of social media mob mentality, or is it one of the few ways for the marginalized to express rage online, and hold public figures accountable? (31 January 2020)

Episode 14: Is Celebrity Gossip Harming Our Social Discourse?

Everyone seems to get drawn in by celebrity gossip today. But does it have any cultural impact? And what does the way we gossip tell us about where we are as a society? The team weighs in on this week’s episode of Respectfully Disagree.⁠ (24 January 2020)

Episode 13: Is Monogamy Outdated?

The team weighs in on monogamy’s place in our current conversations around love and desire, in this week’s episode of #RespectfullyDisagree. (17 January 2020)

Episode 12: Does Social Media Aid or Dilute Protest Movements?

Social media has undoubtedly played a major role in enabling mobilization, discourse, and discussion around the ongoing anti-NRC and -CAA protests here in India. But with paid trolls, doctored videos, fake news, and possibilities to replace on-ground participation with online activism — is social media more of a bane or a boon? (10 January 2020)

Episode 11: Is the RomCom Still Relevant in 2020?

From the Hugh Grant regurgitations of the past to recent RomComs like The Big Sick, the RomCom has become an embattled film genre — is it dead or is it simply evolving? This week, The Swaddle team dissects our favorite, and mostly problematic, RomComs, and whether filmmakers have managed to elevate the genre to fit with feminist times. (3 January 2020)

Episode 10: The Year-End Special

This week on Respectfully Disagree, we revisit this year in pop culture — from the hot priest to ‘Happy Birthday Shloka.’ (27 December 2019)

Episode 9: Can the Body Positivity Movement Ever Be Truly Inclusive?

In this week’s episode of Respectfully Disagree, the team discusses the origins of body positivity, the problem with icons, the corporatization of causes, and the benefits of a post-beauty world. (20 December 2019)

Episode 8: Should Rape and Sexual Violence Be Portrayed in Film and on TV?

Mardaani 2, the sequel to the intense cop drama starring Rani Mukerji, is a ‘women-centric’ Bollywood movie dealing with sexual violence. This got the team thinking about depictions of sexual violence and rape on-screen — can it ever be authentic and sensitive? (13 December 2019)

Episode 7: Does ‘Men Are Trash’ Rhetoric Help or Hurt the Fight for Gender Equality?

From your favorite feminist internet memes to your go-to WhatsApp group for venting, the ‘men are trash’ rhetoric is everywhere. But many feminists have criticized this discourse for being alienating, while others talk about the importance of a safe space to heal and vent. (6 December 2019)

Episode 6: Do Friendships Require Emotional Boundaries?

Remember the ‘I’m at capacity’ meme? This week, we take inspiration from the polarised opinions regarding whether friendships should have boundaries, if unconditional love is a thing, and if there are any limits to emotional labor we do for friends. (29 November 2019)

Episode 5: Is Ghosting Ethical?

Ghosting is a phenomenon that has become an integral part of modern dating and relationships. In this episode, we unpack the psychology behind it, its gendered dynamics, ghosting friends, how to deal with ghosting, and if it’s okay to go cold turkey and never return. (22 November 2019)

Episode 4: When Is It Ethical to Stand By a Friend or Family Member Accused of Sexual Harassment?

From Hillary Clinton to Mallika Dua, many women have stuck by family members when serious claims of sexual harassment have been made against them. In this episode, we talk about the complexities of standing by a friend or family member who has been accused of sexual harassment. (15 November 2019)

Episode 3: How Okay Is It to Date Someone Much Younger?

From Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra to Jay-Z and Beyoncé, age gaps in relationships are always the subject of a lot of speculation and conversation, especially when you break down the scrutiny by gender. Think this through with our team in the third episode of our podcast series. (8 November 2019)

Episode 2: Should All Cultural Content Be Viewed From a Social Justice Perspective?

From Indian twitter fervently debating the misogyny of Kabir Singh to the world at large discussing the influence of problematic content creators because of the New Zealand shooter giving a shout out to PewDiePie, questions around problematic cultural content keep coming up. In this episode, we dissect what responsibility content creators have toward their audience and whether all cultural content should be viewed from a social justice perspective. (1 November 2019)

Episode 1: Has the MeToo Movement in India Been Successful?

It’s been two years since Raya Sarkar came out with the List of Sexual Harassers in Academia. And the #MeToo movement broke out in a big way in India last October. In this episode, we discuss the #MeToo movement and the way forward. (25 October 2019)