So Pacey lost his virginity to his high school English teacher. But what do we… call that? Was it a tryst? An affair? An assault? Jess & Susie dive into the linguistic acrobatics of how America talked about statutory rape in the 90s – and delve into the the true story that was playing out at the time, that of Seattle teacher (and convicted rapist) Mary Kay Letourneau.

Guests:
Rosie Bancroft, Jess’s middle school pal and current middle school mental health counselor

FOR MORE:
How the Media Turned Child Rape Into a ‘Tryst’ (Rolling Stone)
America’s confused obsession with Mary Kay Letourneau (Washington Post)
‘In Retrospect’ – The Playlist (Aren’t you dying to hear the Dawson’s theme song?) (Spotify)

So Pacey lost his virginity to his high school English teacher. But what do we… call that? Was it a tryst? An affair? An assault? Jess &amp; Susie dive into the linguistic acrobatics of how America talked about statutory rape in the 90s – and delve into the the true story that was playing out at the time, that of Seattle teacher (and convicted rapist) Mary Kay Letourneau.
Guests:
<ul>
<li>Rosie Bancroft, Jess’s middle school pal and current middle school mental health counselor</li>
</ul>
FOR MORE:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/mary-kay-letourneau-vili-fualauu-relationship-media-child-rape-tryst-1025466/">How the Media Turned Child Rape Into a ‘Tryst’</a> (Rolling Stone)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/americas-confused-obsession-with-mary-kay-letourneau/2020/07/08/a7c6e842-c136-11ea-b178-bb7b05b94af1_story.html">America’s confused obsession with Mary Kay Letourneau</a> (Washington Post)</li>
<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1R6XxeBVG5jnHg4UmocvNp?si=2d112984e1144eb0">‘In Retrospect’ – The Playlist</a> (Aren’t you dying to hear the Dawson’s theme song?) (Spotify)</li>
</ul>

Is there a cultural moment from your past that looks different in retrospect? Maybe it’s a scandalous tabloid story seared into your teenage brain or a political punchline that just feels wrong now. It might be a very specific red swimsuit that inspired a decade of plastic surgery (see: “Baywatch”) or the inescapable smell of an entire generation of prepubescent boys (Axe body spray, anyone?). Each week on IN RETROSPECT, Emmy-winning journalist Susie Banikarim and New York Times editor Jessica Bennett revisit a pop culture moment from the 80s and 90s that shaped them — to try to understand what it taught us about the world, and a woman’s place in it.

Talk to us at @inretropod, @susiebnyc and @jessicabennett on Instagram. New episodes each Friday.

Is there a cultural moment from your past that looks different in retrospect? Maybe it’s a scandalous tabloid story seared into your teenage brain or a political punchline that just feels wrong now. It might be a very specific red swimsuit that inspired a decade of plastic surgery (see: “Baywatch”) or the inescapable smell of an entire generation of prepubescent boys (Axe body spray, anyone?). Each week on IN RETROSPECT, Emmy-winning journalist Susie Banikarim and New York Times editor Jessica Bennett revisit a pop culture moment from the 80s and 90s that shaped them — to try to understand what it taught us about the world, and a woman’s place in it.
Talk to us at @inretropod, @susiebnyc and @jessicabennett on Instagram. New episodes each Friday.

In Retrospect with Susie Banikarim and Jessica Bennett

Hot for Teacher (Pt 2): Mary Kay Letourneau Enters the Chat

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0c12f227-b4be-41b9-8b8d-b0a0011ee480/transcript