The Lindsay Clancy case and the women we make into monsters
Summary
Hosts B.A. Parker and Gene Demby explore the Lindsay Clancy mistrial through the lens of the Latin American legend La Llorona, discussing how folklore shapes perceptions of maternal violence. Guest Miriam Gerba argues that the myth reinforces patriarchal scripts by villainizing women who rebel against domestic suffering, while Professor Domino Perez contextualizes the legend’s indigenous origins. The episode also examines the systemic failures in postpartum mental health care and the racial disparities in how family annihilation cases are reported and perceived.
Topics discussed
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Introduction to the Lindsay Clancy mistrial
Context: Black male mental health and family annihilation
Racial double standards in media coverage
The La Llorona legend and maternal villainization
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Interview: Miriam Gerba on the Clancy case
Origins of La Llorona and colonialism
Myths as social control and gender scripts
Parallels between the legend and Clancy
Prof. Domino Perez on La Llorona's history
Interpretations of La Llorona's motives
Limitations of the La Llorona analogy
Relevance of the legend today
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Hosts discuss postpartum psychosis
Medical misogyny and lack of support
Case study: Carol Coronado
Impact of male violence on women's safety
Race, culture, and the Llorona category
Credits and closing remarks
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