The Spill LIVE: Emilie Pine and Louise McSharry talk bodies, feminism & bleeding

Last night the IMAGE.ie team were delighted to welcome a small crowd of lucky ticket holders to a very special PodClub event in the swish surroundings of Luna restaurant. Here’s how it went.

This month’s instalment of the PodClub was different from the rest as it featured a LIVE recording of The Spill podcast, with hosts Sophie White and Rhona McAuliffe chatting to Louise McSharry and Emilie Pine about the female body, and all that it represents.

The night’s proceedings

Once the clock struck 6.30pm, attendees were welcomed with freshly-made Aperol Spritzes before taking a seat at one of the plush booths around Luna’s stylish and impressive dining room.

Knowing that tummies would be grumbling after a long day’s work, a line-out of Luna staff then emerged, one after another, with individual plates filled with delicate hors d’oeuvres for all to devour. These included fresh oysters, salmon blinis and savoury pastries, and devoured they were.

Welcome, welcome

Once everyone had tucked into their food and drinks, IMAGE Digital Editor, Dominique McMullan kicked off the night’s proceedings with a warm welcome to our PodClub attendees, our podcast hosts and our special guest panellists, Louise and Emilie. Sophie and Rhona then took the reigns and from there, The Spill began!

From the get-go, it was clear that both Louise and Emilie are incredible speakers. Articulate and with an absolute conviction for their subject matter, the women discussed the female experience, the female form, and way in which women are objectified throughout their lifetime.

Together Louise and Emilie shared their stories with a level of unapologetic honesty that felt like a tonic to the soul.

Talking from experience

Emilie approached the subject from the perspective of a woman who has suffered anorexia throughout a large proportion of her life, and bravely referred to her heartbreak upon experiencing a miscarriage. Louise shared her experience as a self-identifying fat woman, and the harsh realities that she has faced as a result of this. Both opened up about the instances of sexual assault they experienced as young women.

Together Louise and Emilie shared their stories with a level of unapologetic honesty that felt like a tonic to the soul. The absolute silence of the packed room was a reflection of their words resonating amongst our audience in a deeply profound way. As the conversation progressed, our four panellists went on to explore a range of other feminist issues, with many moments of light comic relief interjected along the way, often at the hands of the hilarious Sophie White.

“This has to happen again!” said more people than we could count. Lucky for them, we already have the cogs in motion for the next instalment, so watch this space.

Sophie White, Louise McSharry, Emilie Pine and Rhona McAuliffe

A feminist discussion setting the world right

In truth, the chats could have gone on all night, as audience members started piping up to ask questions and share their own perspectives. Even Luna’s manager Declan Maxwell took to the mic to express how enlightened he felt, having listened to the live feminist discussion, “which was something I wouldn’t usually experience, I must admit!”.

For the duration of the night, it felt like our topsy-turvy world was being made right, at least for a little while, anyway. The wise words of our panellists reminded us that women are not the sum of their parts; that the compulsory waxing of any body part is as ridiculous as the compulsory taxing of tampons; and that body neutrality will set us free.

The night finished with a rapturous applause as groups of attendees gushed over the night’s discussion and the revelations that had been shared throughout it. “This has to happen again!” said more people than we could count.

Lucky for them, we already have the cogs in motion for the next instalment, so watch this space.

Keep an eye out for future PodClub events by signing up to our newsletter HERE!

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