Rage Against the Vagine is a six-part podcast series from Em Rusciano about perimenopause, patriarchy, and the midlife medical gaslighting we’re done putting up with.
This isn’t your decline…it’s your reckoning.
Combining lived experience with insights from top menopause-informed doctors, researchers, and psychologists, this series gets honest about what's happening to our bodies and brains during perimenopause, and why so few of us were warned.
Each episode dives into one of six big questions - from “Why the fuck didn’t anyone tell us?” to “How the fuck do I get help?”
Expect documentary-style storytelling, fierce honesty, and the kind of clarity you wish you'd had years ago. You’ll laugh, cry, maybe scream into a pillow...but importantly, we hope you walk away with language, validation, and strategies to take into your own life (and GP appointment).
This podcast isn’t medical advice. It’s about sharing stories and expert perspectives to help you feel seen. Science is still catching up to lived experience, and not every doctor is trained in menopause care. If something here resonates, take it to a trusted healthcare professional. Your story deserves to be heard and validated.
New episodes every Monday through August and September.
Episode Schedule:
18/08/2025 - You Are Not (F*cking) Alone
25/08/2025 - What (the F*ck) is Perimenopause?
01/09/2025 - Why (the F*ck) Didn’t Anyone Tell Us?
08/09/2025 - Why (the F*ck) Don’t I Feel Like Me Anymore
15/09/2025 - How (the F*ck) Do I Get Help?
22/09/2025 - How Do We Fix the (F*cking) Systems?
About Em:
Em Rusciano is one of Australia’s most vibrant and fearless multi-talented performers; writer, singer, comedian, producer, disability advocate, and podcaster whose heartfelt, unfiltered storytelling has made her a powerful voice on neurodivergence, gender equity, and the lived experience of the hormonal hellscape that is perimenopause.
Best known for her hit podcast Emsolation, where she and her best friend of 30 years, award-winning screenwriter Michael Lucas (Offspring, Party Tricks, Rosehaven, The Newsreader) deliver an unpredictable mix of deeply personal anecdotes, obsessive pop culture dissections, and truly unhinged movie and TV reviews.
On Anomalous, she turned her spotlight toward ADHD and Autism in a project that doubles as “a love letter to the neurodivergent community and a roadmap for neurotypical people.”
Now, in Rage Against the Vagine, Em is bringing the same fearless honesty and sharp humour to smashing the stigma around perimenopause, un-gaslighting the lived experience, and arming listeners with solidarity, knowledge, and solutions.
Amid all of that, she’s preparing to release a laugh-out-loud yet profound memoir titled Blood, Sweat and Glitter, scheduled for publication in October 2025- a searing, joyful account of neurodivergence, perimenopause, burnout, and reinvention.
Rage Against the Vagine is proudly brought to you by Wotif — it’s Aussie for travel.
PS If you’re looking for “Rage Against the Menopause” by Patrina Jones, it's another handy resource and you’ll find it over on LiSTNR, or wherever you get your podcasts.
All content for Rage Against The Vagine is the property of Down The Hill Studios and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Rage Against the Vagine is a six-part podcast series from Em Rusciano about perimenopause, patriarchy, and the midlife medical gaslighting we’re done putting up with.
This isn’t your decline…it’s your reckoning.
Combining lived experience with insights from top menopause-informed doctors, researchers, and psychologists, this series gets honest about what's happening to our bodies and brains during perimenopause, and why so few of us were warned.
Each episode dives into one of six big questions - from “Why the fuck didn’t anyone tell us?” to “How the fuck do I get help?”
Expect documentary-style storytelling, fierce honesty, and the kind of clarity you wish you'd had years ago. You’ll laugh, cry, maybe scream into a pillow...but importantly, we hope you walk away with language, validation, and strategies to take into your own life (and GP appointment).
This podcast isn’t medical advice. It’s about sharing stories and expert perspectives to help you feel seen. Science is still catching up to lived experience, and not every doctor is trained in menopause care. If something here resonates, take it to a trusted healthcare professional. Your story deserves to be heard and validated.
New episodes every Monday through August and September.
Episode Schedule:
18/08/2025 - You Are Not (F*cking) Alone
25/08/2025 - What (the F*ck) is Perimenopause?
01/09/2025 - Why (the F*ck) Didn’t Anyone Tell Us?
08/09/2025 - Why (the F*ck) Don’t I Feel Like Me Anymore
15/09/2025 - How (the F*ck) Do I Get Help?
22/09/2025 - How Do We Fix the (F*cking) Systems?
About Em:
Em Rusciano is one of Australia’s most vibrant and fearless multi-talented performers; writer, singer, comedian, producer, disability advocate, and podcaster whose heartfelt, unfiltered storytelling has made her a powerful voice on neurodivergence, gender equity, and the lived experience of the hormonal hellscape that is perimenopause.
Best known for her hit podcast Emsolation, where she and her best friend of 30 years, award-winning screenwriter Michael Lucas (Offspring, Party Tricks, Rosehaven, The Newsreader) deliver an unpredictable mix of deeply personal anecdotes, obsessive pop culture dissections, and truly unhinged movie and TV reviews.
On Anomalous, she turned her spotlight toward ADHD and Autism in a project that doubles as “a love letter to the neurodivergent community and a roadmap for neurotypical people.”
Now, in Rage Against the Vagine, Em is bringing the same fearless honesty and sharp humour to smashing the stigma around perimenopause, un-gaslighting the lived experience, and arming listeners with solidarity, knowledge, and solutions.
Amid all of that, she’s preparing to release a laugh-out-loud yet profound memoir titled Blood, Sweat and Glitter, scheduled for publication in October 2025- a searing, joyful account of neurodivergence, perimenopause, burnout, and reinvention.
Rage Against the Vagine is proudly brought to you by Wotif — it’s Aussie for travel.
PS If you’re looking for “Rage Against the Menopause” by Patrina Jones, it's another handy resource and you’ll find it over on LiSTNR, or wherever you get your podcasts.
You’ve raged, you’ve cried, you’ve laughed and now it’s time for the warm down.
In this unscripted season finale, host Em Rusciano opens a “time capsule” recorded five months before the series began, revealing her original vision and the challenges she anticipated.
She gets honest about the personal toll of making the podcast, the biggest surprises along the way, and her mission to reach the women who feel most threatened by the idea of perimenopause.
Join Em for one last collective roar as Season One closes and the work ahead begins. It’s not goodbye, just bye for now. This isn’t the end, there are more voices to hear, more rage to unleash, and more change to fight for.
More From Em
Em’s Peri Suggestions Box: Listeners can email their ideas for new initiatives or programs related to perimenopause to hello@downthehillstudios.com
Em’s Store: Want to help bring Rage Against the Vagine back for Season 2? You can tip here: emrusciano.store
Or want to get your hands on RATV merch? Email hello@downthehillstudios.com with “Merch” in the subject line, and we’ll let you know the moment it’s back online.
Anomalous Podcast: https://emrusciano.com/anomalous/
Emsolation Podcast: https://emrusciano.com/emsolationpodcast/
Blood Sweat and Glitter Book: https://emrusciano.com/bloodsweatandglitter/
The Ballroom Sessions Encore - Live Show: https://emrusciano.com/ballroom-encore/
Reminder
We know this time of life can sometimes feel overwhelming - but remember, help is always out there. If it’s feeling like too much, please reach out for support
Lifeline | 13 11 14 | Text 0477 13 11 14 (24/7) | lifeline.org.au
13 YARN | 13 92 76 | 13yarn.org.au Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service available 24/7
Suicide Call Back Service | 1300 659 467 | suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Beyond Blue | 1300 224 636 | beyondblue.org.au/forums
StandBy Support After Suicide | 1300 727 247
QLife | 1800 184 527 | qlife.org.au | LGBTIQ+ service available 3pm – midnight
Rage Against the Vagine is proudly brought to you by Wotif — it’s Aussie for travel.
To help you take ‘me time’, Wotif is offering listeners a 10% discount off select hotels. Enter promo code Listen10 at checkout when you book at wotif.com or on the Wotif app. See wotif.com/listen for t&cs.
Rage Against The Vagine
Rage Against the Vagine is a six-part podcast series from Em Rusciano about perimenopause, patriarchy, and the midlife medical gaslighting we’re done putting up with.
This isn’t your decline…it’s your reckoning.
Combining lived experience with insights from top menopause-informed doctors, researchers, and psychologists, this series gets honest about what's happening to our bodies and brains during perimenopause, and why so few of us were warned.
Each episode dives into one of six big questions - from “Why the fuck didn’t anyone tell us?” to “How the fuck do I get help?”
Expect documentary-style storytelling, fierce honesty, and the kind of clarity you wish you'd had years ago. You’ll laugh, cry, maybe scream into a pillow...but importantly, we hope you walk away with language, validation, and strategies to take into your own life (and GP appointment).
This podcast isn’t medical advice. It’s about sharing stories and expert perspectives to help you feel seen. Science is still catching up to lived experience, and not every doctor is trained in menopause care. If something here resonates, take it to a trusted healthcare professional. Your story deserves to be heard and validated.
New episodes every Monday through August and September.
Episode Schedule:
18/08/2025 - You Are Not (F*cking) Alone
25/08/2025 - What (the F*ck) is Perimenopause?
01/09/2025 - Why (the F*ck) Didn’t Anyone Tell Us?
08/09/2025 - Why (the F*ck) Don’t I Feel Like Me Anymore
15/09/2025 - How (the F*ck) Do I Get Help?
22/09/2025 - How Do We Fix the (F*cking) Systems?
About Em:
Em Rusciano is one of Australia’s most vibrant and fearless multi-talented performers; writer, singer, comedian, producer, disability advocate, and podcaster whose heartfelt, unfiltered storytelling has made her a powerful voice on neurodivergence, gender equity, and the lived experience of the hormonal hellscape that is perimenopause.
Best known for her hit podcast Emsolation, where she and her best friend of 30 years, award-winning screenwriter Michael Lucas (Offspring, Party Tricks, Rosehaven, The Newsreader) deliver an unpredictable mix of deeply personal anecdotes, obsessive pop culture dissections, and truly unhinged movie and TV reviews.
On Anomalous, she turned her spotlight toward ADHD and Autism in a project that doubles as “a love letter to the neurodivergent community and a roadmap for neurotypical people.”
Now, in Rage Against the Vagine, Em is bringing the same fearless honesty and sharp humour to smashing the stigma around perimenopause, un-gaslighting the lived experience, and arming listeners with solidarity, knowledge, and solutions.
Amid all of that, she’s preparing to release a laugh-out-loud yet profound memoir titled Blood, Sweat and Glitter, scheduled for publication in October 2025- a searing, joyful account of neurodivergence, perimenopause, burnout, and reinvention.
Rage Against the Vagine is proudly brought to you by Wotif — it’s Aussie for travel.
PS If you’re looking for “Rage Against the Menopause” by Patrina Jones, it's another handy resource and you’ll find it over on LiSTNR, or wherever you get your podcasts.
