Conceptualizing “Gal Culture”: The Limits of Neoliberal Feminism as an Antidote to Bro Culture on <i>The RE–CAP Show</i>

This article offers a critical analysis of The RE–CAP Show , a podcast hosted by women’s soccer stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press, to investigate how the hosts construct and promote the concept of “gal culture” within women’s sport. Using Bennett’s (2024) neoliberal feminist framework, we analyze selected podcast episodes and mainstream media coverage through a constant comparative method to identify how gal culture is defined, narrated, and commodified. Our findings reveal three core themes: women-only sporting spaces, exclusive forms of camaraderie, and financial empowerment. While Heath and Press position gal culture as an antidote to bro culture, we argue that its current articulation reflects neoliberal logics of individual empowerment and marketability, ultimately limiting its reach and accessibility.