# Girlbosses Aren't Independent; They're State Sponsored

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/based-camp-simone-malcolm-collins-6378161/girlbosses-aren-t-independent-they-re-state-sponsored
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/based-camp-simone-malcolm-collins-6378161/girlbosses-aren-t-independent-they-re-state-sponsored.md
Podcast: [Based Camp | Simone & Malcolm Collins](https://stenobird.com/podcast/based-camp-simone-malcolm-collins-6378161)
Published: 2026-04-16T11:51:35+00:00
Episode link: https://basedcamppodcast.substack.com/p/girlbosses-arent-independent-theyre
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/194387728/5ee04086cb8759d6ce5f090a091e523d.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/based-camp-simone-malcolm-collins-6378161/episodes/girlbosses-aren-t-independent-they-re-state-sponsored
Duration seconds: 3087

## Resource

Simone and Malcolm Collins break down Inez Stepman’s viral essay “The Myth of the Independent Girlboss” from First Things. They argue that the modern “independent woman” ideal isn’t true independence — it’s heavily subsidized by the state through taxpayer-funded programs, policies, and cultural shifts that externalize costs onto society. Topics include: * State-subsidized childcare and education * Student debt (women hold ~2/3 of it) * Lawsuit-driven affirmative action and HR bureaucracy * Child support and alimony as hidden subsidies * The explosion of “email jobs,” DEI, and nonprofit activism * Cheap immigrant labor enabling two-income households * The decline in teaching quality and volunteering turned into paid activism They discuss how the “girlboss” has been replaced by cultural backlash (tradwife leanings on the right, anti-capitalist vibes on the left), why most “successful” girlboss stories in tech are illusory, and what policy changes (many already happening under the current administration) could shift incentives back toward family and real independence. Show Notes The entire concept of the girl boss may have been a lie. In other words, the concept of an independent professional woman who depends on nobody is a farce, and so-called girlbosses are actually state sponsored. This is the proposition of Inez Stepman in her essay The Myth of the Independent Girlboss and it really resonated with people. Inez Stepman’s First Things Essay: The Myth of the Independent Girlboss The Myth of the Independent Girlboss Stepman writes: “The Atlantic published an essay by Helen Lewis declaring the “Death of Millennial Feminism,” while in Slate Jill Filipovic defended the girlboss ideal against what she calls an “absolutely enormous antifeminist backlash within which we are al…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/based-camp-simone-malcolm-collins-6378161/episodes/girlbosses-aren-t-independent-they-re-state-sponsored/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/based-camp-simone-malcolm-collins-6378161/girlbosses-aren-t-independent-they-re-state-sponsored.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.