Standard Issue Podcast

If you don't know a huge amount about the English Civil War, join the club. Also, perhaps get your hands on a copy of Francesca Peacock's excellent new book Pure Wit: The Revolutionary Life of Margaret Cavendish. Hannah got on the Zoom with Francesca to learn about how the war affected Margaret's life, and what that life can tell us about marriage, infertility, literature, fashion and feminism in the 17th century. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's September, the nights are drawing in and do we have some TV recommendations for you? Yes, we do. In this episode, we're chatting Winning Time*, The Woman in the Wall, Only Murders In The Building, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Painkiller and Beef. Since we recorded this, Winning Time has, indeed, been cancelled. *sobs*Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who wants to live forever? That's the question Hannah puts to Dr Aleks Krotoski, tech journalist and podcaster, whose latest series, The Immortals, looks at the tech millionaires searching for the key to eternal life. And if they are looking forward, Jen's looking backwards with Donna Freed, whose search for answers about her birth parents led her to a well-publicised crime. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's got some news about viewership of women's sport, and in Rated or Dated, we're on first name terms with the stars as we watch 1993's The Fugitive. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actor, comedian and writer Doon Mackichan has written an incredibly to-the-point memoir, My Lady Parts, and so, OBVIOUSLY, Hannah leapt at the chance to talk to her. They chat about ageing, Smack The Pony, Paedogeddon, telling off Mamet, and dead naked women on TV. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raising Arizona, The Coen Brothers’ second film, is a screwball comedy starring Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter, as a loved-up couple who can’t have kids of their own and so decide to steal a baby. It’s also a Dunleavy family favourite, hence our Hannah choosing it for this month’s Flicking. Will Raising Arizona raise Mick and Yosra’s spirits as high as Cage’s hair? Or will it sink like two prisoners returning to the clink through a tunnel of mud? Find out!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dating: it’s weird, isn’t it? Two strangers having contrived chat in a lost-forever pocket of time. Which all makes it excellent fodder for playwright Miriam Battye, who’s chatting to Hannah about her latest stage offering, Strategic Love Play. Miriam also spent some time in the Succession writers’ room, but Hannah wasn’t interested in talking about that. LOLZ. There is also Succession content, including why Roman accidentally sending Logan a dick pic was always going to happen. There’s more writing that leads to laughing, as Mick catches up with comedian and sketch-based internet sensation, Laura Ramoso, who gives her a few tips on making TikTok work for you even if you’re scared of it. Laura’s one-woman show, Frances, starts its run at Soho Theatre on September 19. Jen’s rounding up women’s sports in Jenny Off The Blocks, and we’re keeping our fingers firmly crossed that Barbara Slater’s replacement as the Beeb’s director of sport is another woman. Preferably another Barbara.And hold onto your transparent panties, because we’re questioning the ‘masterpiece’ status of Sofia Coppola’s Lost In Translation as it hits its 20th birthday. A good few years older than Scarlett Johansson was when making it. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Preventable deaths by suicide remain the biggest killer of young people under the age of 35 in the UK and continue to rise across the population. Though men account for 75% all suicides, the biggest increase in 2021, according to the most up-to-date Government statistics, was in women and girls aged 24 and under. Keen to bring these numbers down, is the suicide prevention charity, Samaritans*, and for those already bereaved by a loved one taking their own life, Suicide & Co** provides help and support.For World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, Jen caught up with CEO and co-founder of Suicide & Co, Amelia Wrighton, to talk about stigma, shame, the specificities of dealing with such a bereavement, and the help available to those in need. She also spoke to Samaritans volunteer, Roxy McCarthy, about her experience of both using the charity’s services, and becoming a volunteer.* Whatever you’re going through you can contact Samaritans at any time via the phone on 116 123, or via email at Jo@samaritans.org.** You can find out more information about Suicide & Co via its website, or by contacting info@suicideandco.org.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ITV crime drama The Tower is back on our screens for a second series, presenting our Hannah with an excellent opportunity to jump on the Zoom with Gemma Whelan, who plays DS Sarah Collins. They chat about the reputation of the Met, telling women’s stories, Gentleman Jack, Upstart Crow and what exactly Gemma was doing with that fox.Jen's chatting to poet Maggie Smith about how when her career took off, her marriage declined, something she charts in her gorgeous new memoir, You could Make This Place Beautiful. They're also talking mumming, wifeing, and the division of labour.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s talking about the US Open, among other things. And get your strategically placed Chelsea buns out for the lads, as the team revisit 2003’s Calendar Girls. Plus, in the Bush Telegraph*, Britain’s schools are crumbling, but won’t somebody think of Gillian Keegan? Yeah, not even Mick's got the sarcasm levels to sell that one.*If you want to read the story Hannah references in BT about parental alienation, you can do so here.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna Funder’s Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life is, ostensibly, a biography of Eileen Blair, nee Eileen O’Shaughnessy, aka the first Mrs George Orwell. And indeed, Anna tells Eileen’s story beautifully, using Eileen’s own words from letters to friends and to her husband, with added judicious fiction, as she imagines scenes from the Orwells’ lives, and from Eileen’s life. Turns out, Eileen played a vital role in Orwell’s writing and in his life (in actually saving his life – and indeed in keeping alive many others during the Spanish Civil War) and yet she’s mostly absent from Orwell’s own writing and from his biographies, which are all written by men.And so, as well as shining a light on one woman’s hitherto hidden life, Wifedom is also a polemic against the patriarchy and an examination of what it meant and means to be a wife. In this Chops, Mick chats to Anna about all of this, about wife-ing, about Eileen, about Orwell, and, not unrelated to that last name, a lot about arseholes. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nina Sosanya has been a regular presence on TV screens since the nineties, quite often portraying hard-working and so seen as “difficult” women, including Jenny in Teachers and now Leigh in Screw. Screw is back for season two, so our Hannah took the chance to get Nina on the Zoom to chat about, well, being on the Zoom, putting the prison uniform back on, those ‘difficult’ women and the strikes in America.Jen’s chatting to Dr Friederike Otto, senior lecturer in climate science, about climate change and angry weather – which, coincidentally, is also the name of her new book. And in Jenny Off the Blocks, Jen’s rightly raging about Rubiales while also redressing the balance.And in Rated or Dated, the team visits a time capsule set in the north (so, spoiler, Mick’s delighted), as we watch Sir Tom Courtenay deliver performance magic in 1963 British New Wave classic, Billy Liar.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British Empire has been a hot topic for centuries, but debates around its impact have reignited in recent years. In trying to explain these debates to her children, writer, podcaster and advertising executive, Shelina Janmohamed, was struck by how few resources there were available to help inform that conversation. And so, Shelina wrote The Story Of Now: Why We Need To Talk About The British Empire, her own book for children aged ten and above. In this week’s Chops, she joins Jen to talk about why understanding the British Empire is instrumental in understanding the world around us, how conversations need to extend beyond those around slavery and colonisation, and why it’s important to get children involved in them.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much can a person's name tell us about them? Almost everything, says journalist Sheela Banerjee and in this week's podcast, she's chatting to Mickey about her book, What's In A Name? and how she’s used what we call ourselves and our kids to examine the history of modern, multicultural Britain. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen talks to Team GB triathlete Jess Learmonth, about being a gold medallist, support for athletes on maternity leave and gearing up for the next Olympics. So, does that mean we're not talking about the World Cup final? Of course not, in BT and SOTW, Hannah and Jen can't get enough of it. And in Rated or Dated, Mickey's picked 1998's Blade. Turn on the blood sprinklers!NOTE: Since we recorded on Monday afternoon, Luis Rubiales has apologised for kissing Spain player, Jenni Hermoso. Rubiales said: "I was completely wrong, I have to admit it."Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henpocalypse! hit our screens this week, so Hannah's been on the phone with its writer and creator, Caroline Moran, to talk about the end of the world, hen parties and why hen parties sometimes feel like the end of the world. They also chat about big families, babysitting, working class characters on TV and why sometimes Danny Dyer is the only man for the job.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s our Yosra’s turn picking Flicking and she’s been a bit nervous about making Hannah and Mick watch Enchanted, 2007’s live-action/animated musical fantasy romantic comedy film from the House of Mouse, starring Amy Adams as would-be princess Giselle transported from her cartoon world to actual New York City for a reality check and, potentially, true love’s first kiss. That’s right: Yosra’s chosen a Disney princess movie. Will Mick and (especially) Hannah suffer Nam-style flashbacks to some of the horrors of Dunleavy Does Disney? Or will there be a fairytale happy ending? *EastEnders theme tune*Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to creative partnerships, Standard Issue fave Helen Lewis is more interested in The Krankies than Beyoncé and Jay Z. In this week’s podzine, she got on the Zoom with Hannah to talk about the second series of her Radio 4 show Great Wives, as well as the upcoming 2024 US election. Meanwhile, Mick chats to theatremaker Elisabeth Gunawan about dark clowning, mail order brides, cultural stereotypes and her award-winning play, Unforgettable Girl.   In Jenny Off The Blocks, there’s World Cup fever, as well as the cycling world championships. And in Rated or Dated, a melodramatic masterpiece and some objectifiable eyes, as the team revisits 1958’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Plus there’s dodgy policing and dated Disney in the Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kayla Feldman is directing The Arc, a trilogy of brand new short plays, of which Amy Rosenthal’s Birth is one. It’s joined by Marriage written by Alexis Zegerman and Death penned by Ryan Craig for a story of hatches, matches and dispatches told through a Jewish lens, as The Arc as a whole shines a contemporary light on the cycle of Jewish life, and what it means to live as a Jew in 2023.In the first half of this Chops, Mick chats to Kayla about the specific rituals in universal experiences, whether art can win hearts and change minds and the challenges of directing three plays at once. And in the second half, she talks to Amy a bit more about her play Birth, what inspired it, and the sometimes slippery nature of faith. The Arc premieres at Soho Theatre on Tuesday 15 August and runs until Saturday 26 August. More details and indeed tickets can be had at sohotheatre.com.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Winning Time is back on our tellyboxes! How excited are Hannah and Mick? That's just one of many questions we're asking in this month's Outside The Box. See also: What's going on with the Writers'/Actors' strikes? Is Packham the new Attenborough? Why didn't Stephen Root get an Emmy nod? Are Mickey and Jen still watching And Just Like That? Is The Bear style over substance? Why does Idris Elba make such strange choices? And has the BBC given us another summer stinker? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could anything make the Edinburgh Fringe more stressful for a comedian? Well, American comedian Janine Harouni is doing it while nine months pregnant, so Mickey got on the Zoom with her to find out what her plan is, what it's like when your dad voted for Donald Trump, and family history. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's talking to director Georgina Cammalleri about her new boxing documentary, Right To Fight, and why sports documentaries can tell us a lot, regardless of whether we're interested in the sport in question. In BT, we meet triumph (Barbie) and disaster (Truss), and in Rated or Dated, we're off to the Wild West to ask some big questions, because Hannah picked 1998's Young Guns. Question 1: Did you guys see the size of that chicken?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian, firm Standard Issue favourite and now author, the mighty Jo Caulfield has penned The Funny Thing About Death…, a truly lovely, funny and moving book about illness and grief but, mostly, about her big sister Annie and their relationship.In this Chops, Jo chats to our Mick about siblings in general, Annie in particular, getting – or indeed not getting – to grips with someone you love dying, how to not get ashes in your face, and, well, the funny things about death. The Funny Thing About Death… is available from all good bookshops, with all proceeds going to Macmillan. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Biological clocks, abortions rights, percussive speculum – it’s all happening in Larisa Faber’s brilliant play, stark bollock naked. Mick got on the Zoom with Larisa and her partner in collaboration, Shamira Turner, to chat whether that tick-tock is real, imagined or societal and to try to answer the evergreen question, ‘will women ever be fully human?’. Samantha Lane, artistic director of Little Angel Theatre, talks to our Hannah about why it's never too early to start taking your kids to the theatre, and how shouting, pointing and tapping knees are all positively encouraged from the little ones. There’s sports, sports and more sports, including some spicy Women’s World Cup footballing action, in Jenny Off The Blocks. The jury’s out on whether Hannah will ever recover from *that* scene in the Farrelly Brothers’ 1998 sleeper hit There’s Something About Mary. (Seriously though, how do you get the frank above the beans?) And are our alien overlords finally here and, if so, have they made the woke list? Find out in this week’s Bush Telegraph. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s this, Smack The Pony’s Fiona Allen? Oh HELLO. Ahead of Fiona’s debut – debut! – standup show, Fiona Allen: On The Run, our Mick got on the Zoom to this one-woman whirlwind to chat Smack The Pony (obvs), women and comedy (obvs), and falling in love with a bull (erm). Fiona Allen: On The Run, kicks off with an Edinburgh Fringe run at the Pleasance Courtyard from the 2nd to 20th of August, before going on a UK tour. For details of dates, just type ‘Fiona Allen On The Run tour’ into Google – or whichever search engine you use – and you’ll find links to Chortle and the British Comedy Guide. Or click here. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

K-Pop is known for its good-looking stars, catchy tunes, and teenage fanbase. However, as journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou investigates in her new Radio 4 series, Burning Sun, there is a darker and frankly horrifying side to this popular music phenomenon. She chats to Hannah about what life is like for women in South Korea, sexual abuse, and the digital culture enabling it. Mick chats to Carole Fisher, host of new podcast The Girlfriends, a true crime story about the murder of Gail Katz by her husband Robert Bierenbaum, about how he got away with it for 15 years, and the women who eventually helped bring him to justice. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s chatting about a whole host of World Cup action, and the sporty theme continues in Rated or Dated, albeit with a lamentable lack of dancing horses, as the team watches 1978’s International Velvet. Meanwhile, there are rebrands galore in the Bush Telegraph, aka, The Home of Nuance.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Victoria Belim set out to write a family history, she uncovered a mystery that told her a lot about her family and Ukraine's past. And now, as The Rooster House: A Ukrainian Family History is published, all eyes are on Victoria's home country. She talks to Hannnah about uncles with bad opinions, cucumber whisperers, and how Ukraine is processing its past while struggling for its future.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cartoons and live action living together in total harmony? Movie fan Mickey Noonan has picked a cinematic game changer for this month’s Flicking. Robert Zemeckis’s boundary-bashing, genre-mixing, Oscar-nabbing 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a tightly structured classical noir script packed to the gills with gags and boasting a career-best performance from delightful furball Bob Hoskins. A joy for all the family, right. Right? Have Hannah Dunleavy and Yosra Osman got their stern judging faces on or is this episode a total love fest? Find out!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you've not heard of 17th Century artist Artemesia Gentileschi, you're not alone. The good news is that Mickey's been on Zoom with author Elizabeth Fremantle to find out about Gentileschi's incredible life, what her beautiful but brutal paintings reveal about her story, and Elizabeth's new book Disobedient. Jen's chatting to journalist and author Paula Cocozza about her new book Speak To Me, and a lack of connection in an overly-connected world. In Jenny Off The Blocks, we'll be looking ahead to the Women’s World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday. Hooray. In Rated or Dated, will there be blubb(er)ing as Hannah picks one of New Zealand's most famous films, Whale Rider? And in BT there's sexism, more sexism, ageism and a bit more sexism for good measure.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world of sex, relationships and dating is a minefield, growing increasingly difficult to navigate thanks to the use of online apps. Fortunately, educator and social worker-turned-anonymous relationships expert, LalalaLetMeExplain is here to talk us through it.Known for her hilarious, honest and relatable advice – which she’s already turned into a book, Block Delete, Move On, and a regular column in OK! Magazine – LaLa is about to launch a new podcast, It’s Not You It’s Them…But It Might Be You. In this week’s Chops, she joins Jen to chat about her unique brand of advice and how she turned it into an online community of hundreds of thousands, common relationship pitfalls, and why we need the language to call out bad behaviour.It’s Not You It’s Them…But It Might Be You With Lalalaletmeexplain is available to listen to on all podcast platforms from Monday 17th July.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cora Bissett isn’t just a woman of a whole load of talents, she's also a total smasher, so Hannah was delighted to natter about her award-winning show, What Girls Are Made Of. Returning to the Edinburgh Fringe for a third-time, it charts Cora’s time in early 90s indie band Darlingheart, so she and Hannah talk about the music industry then, the music industry now and being a teenager in a band. Mick’s been on the Zoom with award-winning journalist and editor, author, podcast host and midlife expert Lorraine Candy, to talk about the magnificence waiting to be unlocked in a woman’s midlife, how we unlock it, and what the feck’s going to happen to our gums. And in Rated or Dated, it’s Christmas in July as we watch 1988’s Die Hard. Yippee-ki-yay, listeners!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer, broadcaster and activist Sue Anstiss has been working in the women’s sports and fitness industry for the last 30 years, and has her fingers in a lot of pies. As well as setting up her own company, Fearless Women, and the Game Changers podcast, she also co-founded the Women’s Sport Collective, and is a founding trustee of the Women’s Sport Trust. Having written award-nominated book Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport, she’s now back with a new Netflix documentary of the same name, celebrating the big wins in women’s sport, while also commenting on how far we have yet to go.She joins Jen in this week’s Chops to chat about all of this, the role of the media – and indeed consumers – when it comes to flying the flag, and the ingrained attitudes we still need to unpick when it comes to women’s sport.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been spoiling you on the podcast with a lot of great chats with female TV writers of late, but some stuff we watch is written by men, too. If you can believe it.This month we're talking about Best Interests, The Gallows Pole, Black Mirror, Shrinking, There She Goes, White House Plumbers and Idris on a Plane*.* Actually called Hijack, which we can all agree is a missed opportunity.You can hear Hannah's chat with McLennan and McCartney about Deadloch here: https://play.acast.com/s/standardissuespodcast/sim-ep-863-chops-259-mclennan-mccartney-australias-lennon-mc You can hear her talking to Bridget Christie about The Change here: https://play.acast.com/s/standardissuespodcast/sim-866-chops-261-christie-almightySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tattooist Tanya Buxton has seen first hand what a difference some ink can make to body confidence. And for women who have undergone breast cancer surgery, Tanya’s work on areola tattoos has been life-changing. Mick caught up with her to chat about the hugely positive response from the women who have them, the frustration that comes from social media platforms censoring her work, and why she founded the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen chats to Luma Mufleh, CEO and founding director of the Fugees Family, and author of the new book Believe In Them: One Woman’s Fight For Justice for Refugee Children, about football as a route to empowerment.Hannah’s taking a walk down Tanya McQuoid memory lane in this week’s Rated or Dated, as the team revisits 1953’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and there’s good news and – hang on! – good news, in this week’s Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When was the last time you heard a female character talk about the menopause? Or saw her take a break from her family? Thanks to comedian and writer Bridget Christie, the answer might now be "yesterday", rather than "I dunno, the mid '90s maybe?" She chats to Hannah about her new Channel 4 sitcom The Change, as well as the change, and change in general. You are welcome.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all need to worry about laws impinging on our right to keep our data, and specifically our phones, private. That's according to Kate Stonehill, director of new feature documentary Phantom Parrot. Jen got on the Zoom with her to talk about draconian laws, data security and what the hell a parrot has to do with any of this.And for pudding/dessert/afters*, Mickey's chatting to Tat Effby, a woman with a dry sense of humour and moist sense of cake, who’s taking TikTok and Instagram by sweet, delicious storm as The Caketoonist. In Rated or Dated, we've big love for Walters and Caine, plus Hannah's feeling nostalgic for polyester bridesmaid dresses, as we watch 1983's Educating Rita. And in Sexism of The Week, Mickey's got bad news for women wanting a pay rise. * you do you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Jude Kelly – theatre director, and CEO and founder of the WOW Foundation – has done A LOT. As well as her previous role as artistic director of London’s Southbank Centre, she also set up the hugely successful global Women of the World festival, and is one of the 17 founding “primadonnas” behind the Primadonna Festival, which returns for its fifth year, this summer. In this week’s Chops, she chats to Jen about the festival, her career highlights, platforming women, and dismantling prejudice. WOW indeed. The Primadonna Festival takes place in Stowmarket, Suffolk, July 28-30. Tickets available now.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ruth Kelly’s debut thriller, The Villa, is a sharp social commentary on the dark side of reality TV, as well as a total page turner. She tells our Mick about her time watching people in a glass box in Bristol, why the viewers of reality telly are as complicit and culpable as the stars and the TV execs, and what it’s like to be the Miss World of ghostwriting. Our Hazel Davis has been on the Zoom with singer-songwriter Eddi Reader to talk singing, songwriting, playing the Balladeer in the new stage version of Brokeback Mountain, and why love is love – no matter what shape your nose is. Jen's got good news and bad news – as ever – in Jenny Off The Blocks. And in Rated or Dated, we’re distrusting computers and wondering how we’ll ever work out when something’s made in the 1980s. Hello tiny Matthew Broderick and 1983’s WarGames. Shall we play a game, listeners? Let Hannah go first though, eh – she’s been waiting for aaaaages.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amazon's new murder-mystery series Deadloch is the latest project from Australian comedy pairing Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney. So, it's got many jokes and zero naked dead women. Hannah got on the Zoom with them to find out why this shouldn't be a radical concept but seems is, as well as writing in a tent in a park, getting recognised on the Bruny Island ferry and Australia's relationship with the c-word. Except, we don't call it the c-word and we say it a lot. Just so you know.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

STOP PRESS: Hannah Dunleavy – yes, *our* Hannah Dunleavy – has only gone and picked a rom-com for Flicking. In the face of such a shocker, will Mick and Yosra even be capable of speech in order to share their thoughts on 1940’s ‘comedy of remarriage’ The Philadelphia Story, starring powerhouse trio Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant? Well, of course. Not least because there are some domestic violence LOLZ and attitudes towards women that don’t quite cut the mustard in 2023. But what do they all have to say about the rest of the film and the glorious Hepburn? Find out. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s British Summer Time (almost)! What better way to celebrate than with some new music on the beach? In this week’s podzine, Jen catches up with Jessie Maryon Davies, musical director and composer, and Hannah Jane Walker, librettist of new song cycle, Herring Girls: Greater Than We Are Alone, which kicks off the First Light Festival in Lowestoft this weekend. They talk about social history, the greatness of community choirs, and being (a bit) like Beyoncé. Standard Issue fave and much-lauded author Liz Hyder, is back to chat to Mick about her new novel The Illusions, which explores the crossover between the golden age of magic and early moving pictures, and about the women heavily involved in both but left in the shadows of history – until now. There’s netball, tennis and more in this week’s Jenny Off The Blocks. And what kind of parties is Hannah looking forward to as a Catholic pensioner? Find out in this week’s Rated or Dated, as we watch Rosemary’s Baby. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shubbak Festival is the UK's largest biennial celebration of contemporary Arab culture, bringing new and unexpected voices together with established artists to London – and other parts of the UK. It returns for its seventh edition this summer, from June 23 to July 9, so Mickey got on the Zoom with its joint CEOs, Taghrid Choucair-Vizoso and Alia Alzougbi, to find out more. They chat about what to expect from this enormous celebration of Arab artists’ creativity, innovation and diversity, as well as how it’s hard *not* to programme women, why it’s so important to share and celebrate Arab cultures across communities, and some of the challenges of putting together such an enormous, borders-busting festival.Check out the Shubbak programme at shubbak.co.uk – and keep your eyes peeled for a few Standard Issue faves.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back to the witch hunts this week, albeit of a different kind, as Hannah chats to Sophie Perrins, producer of new documentary Forced Out. They chat about the hard reality of what it meant to be a gay man or a lesbian in the British military at the end of the 20th century and about the brave people who stood up to this huge injustice and, eventually, forced a change. Jen's chatting to author, film critic and broadcaster, Anna Bogutskaya, about her new book Unlikeable Female Characters, and, not coincidentally, Shiv Roy. And there’s a broadcast backlash in Jenny Off The Blocks. Huge sigh. In Sexism of the Week, Mickey's got news from an Aussie bar, sorry, bra, sorry bar bra. And in Rated or Dated, load up the pussy wagon (yuk), because we're watching Grease.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suzy Madigan, senior humanitarian advisor on gender and protection at international humanitarian charity CARE International, is a human rights specialist who’s worked as an international humanitarian aid worker for 15 years within the UN and NGOs. So, when it comes to humanitarian crises and responses to them, she very much knows her shit. And her name probably rings a bell, because Mickey chatted to her in spring last year about the then-fairly new war on Ukraine. She’s back from Ukraine and back on this week’s Chops. Her recent visit to Ukraine, saw Suzy meet with the women-led organisations doing a lot of the heavy lifting in keeping the country running. She and Mickey chat about how things are on the ground, what these brilliant women are doing and their concerns now – and for what happens after the war. Suzy is also founder and author of The Machine Race, an ongoing series of essays investigating artificial intelligence and what it means for Joe and Joan Public. Because, as citizens, our understanding of AI is mostly pretty limited. And so, with The Machine Race, Suzy’s hoping to demystify and, in doing so, help democratise AI. Because it’s happening. And it’s happening fast. Can she stop Mick watching that Pepperoni Hug Spot advert? Find out. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All good things come to an end and in this Outside The Box we talk about a few of them. So brace yourself for some Succession and Barry finale chat, as well as Mickey's better late than never Better Call Saul thoughts. Or should that be Better (late than never) Call Saul? Dunno. Moving on, we're also talking about the latest Inside No 9, Perry Mason, Malpractice, Poker Face, The Steeltown Murders and Black Ops. Plus there's an interlude on how much Hannah loves Stephen Root. Spoiler alert, it's a lot.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Witchcraft, witch hunts, and which witches are witch: in this week’s podzine, Hannah has a fascinating, feminist (obviously) chat to journalist India Rakusen about all things witch-related and her new podcast, Witch.  Jen’s chatting to Peaky Blinders’ Amber Anderson, star of a new production of Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things at London’s Park Theatre, about cruel relationships, societal pressures, controversial characters, and absolutely not aligning with the women she plays. There’s a regular dollop of sporting action in Jenny Off the Blocks, and Mick’s chosen a Rated or Dated that threatens everyone’s warm childhood memories and might even ruin Hannah’s Christmas: 1988’s Big. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lady Margaret Beaufort was a major player in the War of The Roses and the mother of Henry VII. This week marks 580 years since her birth so Hannah's been on the Zoom with historian Nicola Tallis, author of Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch, to chat about Margaret's life, her legacy and why many people believe she's the greatest monarch we never had.You can subscribe to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/StandardIssueSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making babies for a chance to win cold, hard cash sounds like something out of a dystopian nightmare, but was something wealthy lawyer and high-level prankster/prick Charles Vance Millar planned for lols in Toronto, in the decade after his death in 1926. When our Hannah heard about Caroline Lea’s fictional retelling of the shockingly real-life Great Stork Derby in her latest novel Prize Women, she had to talk to her. They chat about Vance Millar, the women who got caught up in his dubious legacy and why the number of children women have is topical again.Award-winning and best-selling author, and long-distance runner, Dr Rachel Hewitt was interested in the erasure of women from the history of sporting pursuits in the great outdoors, when a series of family bereavements made her question loss in the wider sense. She joins Jen to chat about In Her Nature: How Women Break Boundaries in the Great Outdoors, her new book, which examines grief, the things women lose - or rather are taken from them - just by virtue of their sex, and the women who blazed a trail in early outdoor sports. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Working-class poet and writer Natasha Carthew is Cornish. She grew up in a small village called Downderry, where the rockpools, beautiful beaches and hedgerows were as constant as the low wages, high property prices, lack of nearby resources and services, and the high rates of alcoholism, drug misuse, mental health crises and suicide. How’s that for a picture perfect postcard?Rural poverty often gets lost amid the stats on urban poverty, so in her first non-fiction, Undercurrent: A Cornish Memoir of Poverty, Nature and Resilience, amid recollections of her youth, Natasha investigates the state of poverty in rural places in general, and Cornwall in particular. In this Chops, Natasha chats to our Mick about the generational trauma of rural poverty, the othering of poor kids, and how careless tourists add to the problem. But it’s not all doom and gloom: Natasha is a huge champion of working-class voices and so they also talk about the power of resilience and writing, and the return of the excellent ClassFest in 2024.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good morning listeners! And in case we don't see you, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight. Jim Carrey’s Truman Burbank is the star of this month’s Flicking, but maybe we’re all the subjects of Yosra’s pick: Peter Weir’s terrifyingly prescient 1998 drama/sci-fi/dystopia/horror, The Truman Show. How do Hannah and Mick feel about that? Find out. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Digital frustration affects most of us, which probably explains why comedian Stevie Martin's sketches went viral in lockdown. This week, Mickey catches up with her to talk about all sorts, including her new YouTube pilot, screen time, and how her bum is. Hannah's been on the Zoom with writer, actor and director Daniella Isaacs to chat out about her new BBC audio drama People Who Knew Me and why they both keep forgetting to take their earphones out. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's looking ahead to the French Open and in Rated or Dated, we've been watching 2003's Daddy Day Care, with mixed results. And in Sexism of The Week, someone's been reading the Daily Mail. Why Mickey? Why?!?You can watch screen time here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQYdc-FxeYgSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Born of frustration around a lack of body literacy and taboos hindering progress in women's health and fitness, Baz Moffat, a coach and former GB rower, founded The Well HQ in 2021 with scientist Dr Emma Ross and GP Dr Bella Smith. They hoped to address the huge knowledge gap around how women’s bodies work and function, which hinders our ability to optimise performance and enjoyment in sports and fitness. Fast forward two years, with The Well going from strength to strength, they've published a new book, The Female Body Bible: A Revolution in Women’s Health and Fitness. Jen talks to Baz about her experiences as an elite athlete and coach, and the more than marginal gains to be made in women’s sport by a better understanding of women’s bodies, as well as addressing some of the myths doing the rounds around women’s participation in sport and fitness at different life stages.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now then, it’ll probably come as no surprise to you that we reckon 51% of the population deserve to get a bit more than the 1.8% of the grants awarded to charities in the women and girls sector. That the number is so low is new info uncovered by Rosa and its fresh research into the state of funding for women’s and girls’ organisations across the UK, so Mick got on the Zoom with Rosa’s CEO Rebecca Gill to find out more and organise a sky scream flashmob. Hannah’s been chatting with journalist and fellow podcaster Coco Khan, who’s just hit the podwaves as co-host of the new Pod Save the UK alongside comedian Nish Kumar. They’re talking politics and Politics and whether we’re always bound to catch a cold when America sneezes. Jen’s feeling a bit sheepish at the top of Jenny Off the Blocks, but makes up for it with some good news of double headers. And just how creepy can one, potentially Vaseline-smeared man be? Rated or Dated takes a look at 1993’s Indecent Proposal, and really? You couldn’t pay Mick and Hannah enough. Jen’s got her 50p ready though. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Messalina was the notorious third wife of Roman emperor Claudius. But is she also history's top shagger? Or its most maligned woman? Or, and hear us out, can she be both? Hannah got on the Zoom with historian Honor Cargill-Martin, author of new book, Messalina: A Story of Empire, Slander and Adultery, to learn more. They also find the time to fangirl about Mary Beard. Because they're only human.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Mick is a big fan of strength training these days, and so she was delighted to jump on the Zoom with writer Rebecca F John to hear all about real-life Welsh strongwoman Kate Williams, aka Victorian music hall sensation, Vulcana. They talk strength, beauty, heroism, tragedy, Scotland Yard, Wales, and Rebecca’s new novel Vulcana, a fictional retelling of Kate's life. Jen catches up with professional organiser Jenn Jordan to talk about the cathartic powers of decluttering, and the unexpected things one finds in a Ryvita box. And in Jenny Off The Blocks we look back at a HUGE weekend in women's sport. This Is Spinal Tap quite rightly holds a special place in Hannah's heart – and Mick's. And the team all loved Christopher Guest's debut mockumentary, 1996's Waiting For Guffman. So what will they make of his 20-year-old foray into folk, A Mighty Wind? And how do you get a potato out of a paddywagon?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vicki Pepperdine is in some of our favourite comedies, so - of course - we leapt at the chance to have her on the podcast. Vicki chats to Hannah about playing Princess Anne in The Windsors, working with Julia Davis, their "filthy" podcast Dear Joan and Jericha, and why not enough people have watched Getting On. In Jenny Off the Blocks, Jen chats to Kelly Gordon, executive lead for Netball England’s NETBALLHer campaign, about sport for life and the barriers women face when it comes to sports participation. In Rated or Dated, we overpluck our eyebrows and crack open a Grolsch, because we're watching 1998's Sliding Doors. And Mick's got some batfish news in the Bush Telegraph, where we're also trying to untie an artistic gordian knot.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bafta Television Craft Awards get dished out tonight, so Hannah's been on the Zoom with Nancy Harris, one of the nominees in the Best Writer (Comedy) category, to talk about her excellent comedy drama, The Dry, which struggled to find a home for eight years and is now available to watch on ITVX. They chat about why alcohol is such a fascinating but difficult topic to write about, dealing with high drama in a low-drama way and how Irish women are all over it when it comes to comedy writing in the UK. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So much telly to watch and so little time. But we've given it our best shot. What troopers! This month we're talking about Succession, Blue Lights, Swarm, The Power, Ted Lasso, Wellmania, Rain Dogs and Dreamland. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For 44 years, the third page of what was the most widely sold newspaper in the UK was dominated by a topless young woman. Depending on who you asked, Page 3 of The Sun was either a great British institution or a sexist time-warp. And then, in 2012, Jo Cheetham and a group of fellow campaigners took on The Sun and called for No More Page 3. They won. In this week’s podzine, Jo chats to our Hannah about her role in No More Page 3, her new book Killjoy, and why she hates fun.Clearly having the whale of her life is actor, screenwriter and showrunner Emer Kenny, whose adaptation of Val McDermid’s bestseller The Distant Echo smashed it on our screens as ITV series Karen Pirie. Mick has an excellent natter with Emer about when you shouldn’t listen to true crime podcasts, asking for chairs, and playing Tash in Channel 4’s period crime caper The Curse, which returns for its second series on April 27.In BT, there’s bad maths, convenient T-shirts and a freezer full of poo, while in Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s noticing it’s one step forward and a few more back. And there’s more fancy footwork in Rated or Dated, as the team have a total blast watching 1983 smash hit, Flashdance, with and without their bras on. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Home is the focus of this week’s Chops, in which Mick chats with Kieran Yates, journalist, broadcaster and author of new book, All The Houses I’ve Ever Lived In: Finding Home in a System That Fails Us. We all move from place to place, finding and writing the stories that make us who we are, and Kieran knows more than most about moving, displacement, housing and home, having lived in 20 different houses by the time she was 25, navigating the chaos of a housing system often not fit for purpose. As a result All The Houses… is part-memoir, part indictment of our current political climate and part celebration of the things that make a home. Kieran and Mick chat depressing stats around housing, mould, gnomes, activism, the joy and hope of community action, and how we’re all in this together. All The Houses I’ve Ever Lived In is published by Simon & Schuster on April 27 and available for preorder now.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another Mickey Flicking pick, another comedy. But come on now, surely there’ll be no complaints when it’s Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s 2004 zom-rom-com, Shaun of the Dead? Aka Spaced with zombies? That’s just one of the questions answered by Yosra and Hannah, as the conversation covers scares, terrible friends, apocalypse plans, and drunkenly ripping your shirt off on the streets of your hometown.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We could all do with a little refresher in adulting from time to time, says Sarah Knight, author of the multi-million selling No F*cks Given Guides. Sarah’s back on the podzine this week, to talk about the latest in the series, Grow The F*ck Up, as well as giving Jen a few pointers on where grown-ups go wrong, why self-awareness can be a real drag but is absolutely crucial, and how to ask for what we want. Hannah's chatting to Davinia Hamilton and Marta Vella, the Maltese actors and writers behind Blanket Ban, a play about Malta's total ban on abortion, which opens at the Southwark Playhouse on 25 April. In JOTB, Jen's asking how on earth it can be possible that women’s football isn’t cool enough, as she talks all things international. And it’s mashed potato and strong nana game at the ready in Rated or Dated, as Mick takes us to her leader, Steven Spielberg, to revisit UFO blockbuster Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Is it out of this world? Find out.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Believability underpins our political, legal, and judicial systems – it’s key to who we trust to make laws, enforce laws and administer justice to those who breach them. And yet our own individual subconscious (and conscious) biases heavily dictate who we choose to believe. Writer, activist and teacher Dina Nayeri experienced how where you are in the social hierarchy can change how believable others find you first hand, when she and her family fled Iran for the US as refugees. Her new book, Who Gets Believed? When the Truth Isn’t Enough, examines what constitutes believability in our culture. In this week’s Chops, Dina chats to Jen about why women traditionally fare badly on the believability scale, why culture can have a huge impact on how we perceive the truthfulness of others, and how that can impact particularly badly for those seeking asylum in other countries.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We bloody love Zoe Lyons. She's funny, she's honest and she gives great interviews. So, in this week's podcast, Mick grabbed some time with the comedian to talk about midlife crises, jokes as a defence mechanism and lifting weights. Jen's having a chat with Liv Hennessy and Lisa Spirling, writer and director of the new play Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial. And there's more celebrity trials ahoy in BT, as Hannah takes a look at Paltrow v Man who can't enjoy a wine tasting anymore. There's golf and Wimbledon chat in Jenny of The Blocks, and in RoD we're watching 1998's The Butcher Boy. Did we like it? Well... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ugly: Giving Us Back Our Beauty Standards, the new book from award-winning journalist, beauty editor and broadcaster Anita Bhagwandas, explores how (and, crucially, why) the Eurocentric beauty ideal thrust upon us by capitalism, white supremacy and classism is making so many people – women in particular – feel shit.In this Chops, Anita chats with our Mick about the view behind the curtain, the stolen powers driving accepted beauty standards – and why we don’t have to, and indeed shouldn’t, accept them. Ugly is published by Blink and is out now.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beaches are nice, eh? Green spaces are nice, eh? Looking at places generally not covered in shit is nice, eh? They are, and in this week’s podzine, Jen’s chatting to Nicky Green, CEO of the Two Minute Foundation, about how we can all do our bit to keep Britain tidy (remember that?) in a teeny-tiny amount of time. Hannah’s been talking to Lucy O’Brien, author of many music books about brilliant women. They cover a whole load of ground about being a woman in the music business, but focus on Karen Carpenter, an incredible musician whose tragedy tends to overshadow her achievements, as detailed in Lucy’s latest book, Lead Sister: The Story of Karen Carpenter. This week’s Rated or Dated is a particularly interesting and complicated slice of history, with added Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Sidney Poitier, as we watch 1967/8’s Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. Make another pie would you, Tillie? And where’s Mick? Well, you might find her in a feather boa, sambuca in hand, being loud near Rolex wearers in York. Sorrywhatnow? The Bush Telegraph should put you straight. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chief fire officer, Big Issue ambassador, psychologist, author, champion of dogs – there are legion reasons Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is one of our favourite guests. And now she’s gone and penned a book that’s bang up Standard Issue’s alley. The Gender Bias: The Barriers That Hold Women Back and How to Break Them explores the serious amount of glass – ceilings, cliffs, breadlines – thwarting women’s potential and delaying equality being reached. So our Mick got on the Zoom to chat to Sab about gender bias, women biased against women, the modesty trap and the glass case of emotion trapping women. And dogs. There’s quite a lot of dog chat.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Only a few sleeps until Succession, so in the meanwhile we've been gorging on a lot of documentaries, including We Need to Talk About Cosby, Wild Isles, Paula, Kathy Burke: Growing Up and Finding Michael. Still time for a bit of drama as Hannah and Mick chat about the last three episodes of The Last Of Us, Jen talks Fleishman Is In Trouble and we all have thoughts on Unforgotten's fifth series.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're full of life advice in this week’s podzine. First up, Mick chats to Helen Wills, mum of teenagers and host of the Teenage Kicks podcast, about navigating the teenage years as a parent, letting go of control, and what we can learn from the adolescents in our lives.If you’ve ever wondered what happens if someone dies without family or money to deal with the aftermath, Evie King has written a book about exactly this, Ashes to Admin: Takes from the Caseload of a Council Funeral Officer. She chats to Hannah about the practicalities of planning a funeral and why it’s good to keep death at the back of our mind.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s chatting equal prize money, stupid stories, and alpine excellence, and for god’s sake don’t say his name three times – we’re watching 1988’s Beetlejuice in Rated or Dated.Meanwhile there’s #Patygate, policing, and period pains in the Bush Telegraph – but does it taste of metal?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Considering that we all start life in one, and that roughly half of the global population has one, the womb remains one of the most under-researched, misunderstood, and controversial organs in the human body. Midwife and best-selling author Leah Hazard wanted to highlight this absence of knowledge, as well as the incredible work being done to better understand it in the future, in her endlessly fascinating new book Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began. In this week’s Chops, Leah chats to Jen about some of that incredible work, why the womb remains profoundly political, and the challenges of getting men, and publishers, to care.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you want to make our Hannah angry, simply refer to God’s Own Country, Francis Lee’s 2017 film about love between an isolated young sheep farmer (Josh O’Connor) and a Romanian migrant worker (Alex Secareanu) set on a failing farm, as the Yorkshire Brokeback Mountain and watch her Bruce Banner it up. And right enough. It’s fair to say that love for this film, for its cast (hello also Ian Hart and Gemma Jones) and for its closing song from Patrick Wolf is in the air for Yosra and Mick, too. So please enjoy three women having a lovely chat about a wonderful bit of cinema. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Embalming and rape might not sound like the makings of a great conversation, but Mickey proves that theory wrong when she gets on the Zoom with Alexandra Donnachie, whose play When We Died covers both topics. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's chatting to boxer Caroline Dubois about the Olympics, trash talking, and turning professional. And in Rated or Dated, well, as you'll hear for yourself, we've thoughts on 1968's The Producers. And - spoiler alert - most of them aren't warm ones. Hannah's got some fun facts about the Elgin Marbles in BT and in SOTW, Mick's talking about childcare costs. Because when aren't we?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"But women are violent, too" is a phrase often designed to shut down conversations about male violence. But, the inconvenient truth is, women can be and are violent. When? Why? And how does it differ from male violence? They're just some of the questions Hannah puts to Anna Motz, author of a fascinating new book A Love That Kills: Stories of Forensic Psychology and Female Violence.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politics, power and sex play important parts in both of this week’s interviews. Ahead of new BBC documentary, Becoming Frida Kahlo, Hannah’s been on the Zoom with filmmakers Louise Lockwood and Nancy Bornat to talk about the superstar Mexican painter, who channelled her pain, heartache and womanhood into her art. Jen takes us even further back in time to revisit Tudor queens, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, who are the focus of a new exhibition at Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Assistant curator Kate McCaffrey chats about Catherine and Anne: Queens, Rivals, Mothers and explains why we still find their lives so fascinating. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s talking about athletics, and a big new deal in women’s sport. In Rated or Dated, there’s bowling, blunts and bonus Tara Reid, as we watch a bonafide cult classic: 1998’s The Big Lebowski. And in the Bush Telegraph, we’re talking boats, bellends, some really bad policies, and Mick is absolutely not wishing you a happy International Women’s Day. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do we have hundreds of terms for the different stages of childhood and adolescence, but just one for the parents navigating their way through them all? This is just one of the questions asked in journalist Nell Frizzell’s excellent new book, Holding the Baby: Milk Sweat and Tears from the Frontline of Motherhood. Nell joins Jen to talk about her part-memoir, part-manifesto examining why we treat parenthood as an individual slog rather than a shared cultural responsibility. They chat mental health, maternal rage, relationships, and sleep deprivation, as well as how to fix a system that isn’t working for anyone.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One woman’s “reasonable” is another woman’s eating cheesy crisps on the Tube. With our own concept of what it is to be reasonable, and indeed unreasonable, so entrenched in personal experience, Mick was fascinated to chat to cultural studies expert Kirsty Sedgman about her new book, On Being Unreasonable: Breaking the Rules and Making Things Better.Titanic Belfast is about to reopen after a major refurbishment, so Hannah got on the Zoom to Eimar Kearney from the centre to talk about the world's most famous sunken ship, why it remains fascinating, and why the capital of Northern Ireland is well worth a visit.There is no good news in Jenny Off The Blocks, but there are some excellent women hoping to change the sporting landscape for others. Meanwhile, we are all a-flap, as 1963 Hitchcock classic The Birds gets Rated or Dated.Plus, spiralling costs, awkward admissions, and surprising progress in the Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In sociologist Dr Marieke Bigg’s new book, This Won’t Hurt: How Medicine Fails Women, she explores the huge gaps in women’s health, the sexism inherent in medicine and the lingering gender bias which means women are mocked, misdiagnosed and dismissed. Come on now, that’s bang up our street, right? Right.And, as you’d expect from a sociologist, Marieke is interested in the role society has to play in the medical landscape, and so in this Chops, she chats to our Mick about history, research, the lie of objectivity, the win-win of sex disaggregation, Nancy Friday, Gillian Anderson and hope. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Last of Us is breaking hearts, inspiring nightmares and repopularising Linda Ronstadt. Is there a more versatile show on TV? In this month's Outside the Box, we find out as we watch Nolly, Lockwood & Co and Better, plus we've final thoughts on Happy Valley *sobs*. There's been some documentary viewing going on too, as we chat about Stolen Youth, Emily Atack: Asking For It? and Killing County. And if that's not enough for you, there's a good fistful of Christopher Walken, as we finally catch up with Severance and series two of Outlaws. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where can you find a new exhibition featuring the work of more than 20 female artists, curated by another - Sarah Lucas? Essex, that's where. This week, Jen's chatting to Sally Shaw, director of Firstsite Colchester, about its new BIG WOMEN exhibition and the state of art in the UK right now. Mick's been on the Zoom with award-winning actor Bukky Bakray, star of the film Rocks, currently on our screens in Netflix’s new psychological twister The Strays, and about to make her stage debut in Sleepova at The Bush Theatre. In Jenny Off The Blocks, we're all about equality, diversity and inclusion. And in Rated or Dated, we find out if Hannah would run naked down the street if there was no tomorrow. For context, we're watching Groundhog Day.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday (18 February 2023) was the 80th anniversary of the arrest of two youngsters, brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl, members of The White Rose, a non-violent group pledged to resisting the Nazis through a leafleting and graffiti campaign. Just four days later, Hans, 24, Sophie, 21, and another member of the group, Christoph Probst, 23, were executed for high treason. Hannah was lucky enough to grab some time with Dr Alexandra Lloyd, who runs the White Rose Project, based at the University of Oxford, to chat about what drove the group, their legacy and why it's Sophie that has come to represent them in the public imagination.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's got Oscar nominations coming out of its ears, and now our Yosra Osman has given Daniels Kwan and Scheinert's dizzying multiverse adventure the nod, by picking it for this month's Flicking. But what will Mick and Hannah make of this tale of a middle-aged woman (Michelle Yeoh) unwillingly embroiled in an epic battle in various parallel universes to save the various parallel universes while still having to file her tax return? How has Mick managed to find nostalgia in a brand new film? Will Hannah make it through a multiverse film without vomiting? And how many sex toy jokes is too many sex toy jokes?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jacqui Honess-Martin’s brilliant ITV drama, Maternal, centres on three female doctors going back to work after having children and our Jen bloody loves it. As well as exploring mumhood and female friendship, it’s also a warts-and-all look at the NHS, so Jen and Jacqui chat dodgy temperatures, dodgy infrastructure, and why it’s not helpful to put the NHS on a pedestal.  Hannah’s been on the Zoom with Rachel Casey, Director of Canine Behaviour and Research at Dogs Trust, to talk about the cost of living crisis, how it's affecting pet owners and what can be done to keep pets with their owners.In Jenny Off The Blocks, even Alex Morgan doesn’t understand FIFA, while in Rated or Dated, Hannah and Mick’s forthcoming trip to Rome could be on the rocks following a discussion of who’s the real prick in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. And in the Bush Telegraph, there’s abhorrent nonsense in America, abhorrent nonsense over here, but some potentially good news from Australia. A heads up that this is a particularly C-bomb heavy episode, but, y’know, with good cause as ever.*If you are struggling to look after your dog and need support, if you're interested in fostering or adopting a dog, or if you want to make a donation, you can find out more at the Dogs Trust website https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Merchant of Venice remains one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays, but how does a gender-swapped Shylock change things? In this week's Chops, Hannah finds out as she chats to actor and playwright Tracy-Ann Oberman, who is about to start a UK tour playing theatre's most notorious money lender. They chat about Tracy-Ann's tough-as-nails female ancestors, anti-semitism then and now, Twitter pile-ons and a whole lot more.* The Merchant of Venice 1936 opens at Watford Palace Theatre on February 27, ahead of a national tour. https://watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk/events/the-merchant-of-venice-1936/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Hannah might not seem like the most likely candidate for a chat about Valentine’s Day, but when she found out Standard Issue fave Val McDermid was presenting Cupid Loves Eros, a Radio 4 programme exploring queer love poetry, she was on the Zoom like a ferret up a (too long) trouser leg. They talk about representations of love in literature, the interest in queer love, and the return of Karen Pirie, among other things.Presenters, former DJs, gut health aficionados and hosts of Know Your Sh!t, Lisa Macfarlane and Alana Macfarlane-Kempner, aka The Mac Twins, are breaking taboos with the new Channel 4 show. They join Mick to chat about all things gut health, and how they ended up as ‘chief guinea pigs’ for King’s College London’s British Gut Project.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s full of good news from the world of women’s sport – and some Tory ambition. Speaking of which, Liz Truss is back, and Mick’s all for it. Find out why in the Bush Telegraph.The full series of Know Your Sh!t is available to watch now on All 4, and Cupid Loves Eros airs on Radio 4 from February 9th.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jo Todd has worked in the domestic abuse sector for more than 30 years, so she really knows her shit. For the past 22 years, she’s been CEO of Respect UK, a pioneering domestic abuse organisation, developing safe, effective work with  perpetrators, male victims and young people who use violence.In this week’s Chops, she chats to our Mick about what safe, effective work with perpetrators looks like and why it’s vital in the prevention of domestic violence moving forwards. They also talk about the unhelpful narratives around domestic abusers in the media and in everyday life, why domestic violence is absolutely not a gender neutral issue, and how we all need to be involved in the huge societal shift needed to tackle it. respect.uk.net is a wealth of information and resources, and if anything Jo and Mick talk about resonates with you or someone you know, you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline 24/7 on 0808 2000 247 or online at nationaldahelpline.org.uk.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The gang's all here! And by that I mean, this week Mick is having a very lovely natter with The Boss, Sarah Millican, about Bobby Dazzler, Late Bloomer, Taskmaster, robots, balloons and safety potatoes. And Hannah is chatting to our Yozzie - Yosra Osman - about what she makes of this week's Oscar nominations. Jen's got words for the president of motorsport's governing body in Sexism of the Week. And we hop aboard the Summer Holiday bus in Rated or Dated. But will we make it to the final destination/end?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The whole country's watching Happy Valley, so we decided not to bother because ... nope, can't keep that up. Of course we're watching it and of course we've loads to say about it. But that's not all. We're also chatting about The Last Of Us, The Light In The Hall, Our Flag Means Death, Without Sin, I Hate Suzie Too, Christmas - remember that far back? - and more. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ellie Gibson, comedian, one half of comedy double act The Scummy Mummies and self-proclaimed “bit of a pisshead”, has taken a long, hard look at her relationship with booze and decided to do something about it. She’s started a podcast! She tells our Mick about the excellent Sort Your Shit Out, the joys and rules of moist January, the perils of kiwi fruit, and finding a liveable middle ground when it comes to alcohol.Jen talks to Guildford Refugee Aid* volunteer Melanie Keane about how she's helping refugees via the practical as well as therapeutic powers of sewing. And will Jen also get the help she needs with making those trousers? Jen’s talking "embarrassment" in women’s football and the gender gap in women’s sport in Jenny off The Blocks. And in Rated or Dated, Hannah’s much more tickled by John C Reilly than Mark Wahlberg’s hefty schlong, as we watch actual wang-fest, Boogie Nights.Plus, there’s a big resignation, a landmark law and more of the old kickball in the Bush Telegraph.*If you fancy helping out the refugees Melanie is helping out, here’s the link to the Guildford Refugee Aid’s Amazon wishlist. https://www.amazon.co.uk/registries/custom/2SI9TJN75QUND/guest-viewSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tech whizz, creator of award-winning social enterprise Stemettes, host of the Women Tech Charge podcast, and a familiar face off the telly thanks numerous Countdown appearances, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon is a firm advocate for women and girls owning it in tech spaces. Her excellent new book, She’s In CTRL: How Women Can Take Back Tech, aims to help more women and girls do just that. She got on the Zoom to talk to our Mick about why women are under-represented in tech, why it matters, and how we can all help change that – starting with ourselves. They chat gatekeepers and getting round them, herstories lost to history, why it’s SO important that women and girls claim their rightful spaces in the world of technology, and how there’s no such thing as being too full to learn. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another Mickey Flicking choice, another veritable wang fest. OTT pro Will Ferrell heads up a stellar comedy cast in Anchorman, a 2004 satire of 1970s newsrooms co-written with and directed by Adam McKay. Packed with clever silliness, silly silliness, incredible performances, quotable lines and a really cute dog that speaks Spanish, it’s one of Mick’s go to ‘cheer me up’ films. But what do Hannah and Yosra make of it? And will their thoughts leave Mick in a glass case of emotion? Tridents at the ready. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Familiar TV face Kate O'Flynn is back on the box in Everyone Else Burns, a new Channel 4 sitcom about a family in a religious cult. So Hannah jumped on the Zoom to chat to Kate about her career to date, the joy of deadpan delivery, representation of the regions, and acting alongside Olivia Colman. With the Australian Open underway, Jen caught up with former world number 5 and legendary pundit Jo Durie, to talk about who to watch out for, who we’ll be missing, and just what the what is going on with Emma Raducanu. In Rated or Dated, we’re steering well-clear of the blackberries, as we tuck into 2002/3’s The Good Girl. And in the Bush Telegraph, Mick’s got a horrible taste in her mouth, as we talk unpaid taxes, new Labour, and the same old bullshit.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in 2016, actor and comedian Cariad Lloyd started Griefcast, her award-winning podcast in which she talks to people about their experiences of grief and death. That’s seven years of talking about death and grief, and Cariad has poured all of the things she’s learned into a wonderful new book, You Are Not Alone: A New Way To Grieve, which – like her – is candid, funny, warm and full of empathy.In this Chops, Cariad chats to our Mick about the power of conversation, what question about grief makes her rightly furious, and writing a book about grief when the whole world was grieving.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Valley is finally back for a third and final series, hooray, so Hannah leapt at the chance to chat to its creator, the writer Sally Wainwright. They talk about the return of Catherine Cawood and why there might be life in Gentleman Jack yet. Mickey's been on the Zoom with comedy double act Norris and Parker – Katie and Sinead to their pals – to talk sirens (the female kind), witches, friendship and poo. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's got news on what's coming in the first sporting quarter of 2023. In BT we're talking about that broken necklace, a crisis in pathology and Macron (any excuse). And in Rated or Dated, we're wondering if time has been kind to Good Morning, Vietnam.* Norris & Parker: Sirens is at Soho Theatre, Wed 11 to Sat 14 Jan, 10pm. sohotheatre.com/shows/norris-and-parker-sirens/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After stalling while the Tory Party considered which unelected Prime Minister was going to lead the country back in 2022, the Online Harms Bill is now back on the agenda in Parliament, rebranded as the Online Safety Bill. In this week’s Chops, Jen catches up with Dr Lisa Sugiura, Reader in Cybercrime and Gender at the University of Portsmouth, to find out why that rebranding might be a problem. They chat about how the online world presents new opportunities for domestic abusers, why the Online Safety Bill isn’t worth the paper it's written on, and why it's not all LOLZ about Andrew Tate's pizza box faux pas. Don’t have nightmares, like.Lisa's book, The Incel Rebellion: The Rise of the Manosphere and the Virtual War Against Women, is available here.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The so-called “wellness” industry is worth an estimated $4.4 trillion, but what does “wellness” even mean? As we deal with the onslaught of #newyearnewyou Instagram advertising, and algorithms set to do a guilt-tripping number on us over any festive indulgences, Jen jumps on the Zoom with journalist Rina Raphael, author of the new book The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop and the False Promise of Self-Care. They talk about the concept behind wellness and how it has been appropriated for cold hard cash, the allure of influencers over medical professionals, and the value of self-heating crystal mats.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What an incredible year for women's sport: the Lionesses’ glorious Euro win at Wembley; Commonwealth Games triumphs; the inaugural Tour de France Femmes - there's been A LOT to feast on. It all means there are tough choices in store for England Cricket captain, Heather Knight, Sky Sports' NFL expert Phoebe Schecter, Eurosport's Queen of cycling Orla Chennaoui, and England Rugby's Shaunagh Brown, as Jen asks them for their highlights of 2022.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're so often told that our "other half" is out there somewhere, but author Tania Hershman thinks she's a full person by herself. A concept that is absolutely in Hannah's wheelhouse. They chat about the joys of being alone, even at this time of year, the "baffling" world of women who don't marry, and Tania's new book, Go On.If you're alone this Christmas and it doesn't fill you with joy, remember that the boss, Sarah Millican, will be running #JoinIn on Twitter on Christmas Day. You don't need an invitation, just get involved. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The issue of violence against women and girls is depressingly evergreen (see this week’s Bush Telegraph), and one which writer Emma Hickman takes on in her science fiction fairytale podcast, Eliza: A Robot Story. Mick caught up with Emma to chat about why she made a robot the protagonist of the series, what it was like to work in partnership with Manchester Women’s Aid and The Pankhurst Trust, and our old friend Poor Samantha, the sex robot*. Journalist Chanté Joseph talks to Jen about fronting the Guardian’s Pop Culture with Chanté Joseph podcast, the small-p politics in pop culture and her top stories of 2022. And in Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s looking forward to the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year awards. In Rated or Dated, we travel back in time to 1997 in a Routemaster Tardis to reminisce Miss Selfridge T-shirts and Michael Barrymore among other things, as Hannah asks herself why in God’s name has she made us watch Spice World The Movie. Plus there’s bad “jokes” and bad healthcare in the Bush Telegraph. *A heads up: this chat also includes discussion around rape, sexual abuse and coercive control.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It must be great to have one show on at The Globe. Hannah Khalil has two. In this week's podcast, the writer in residence at London's most famous theatre talks to Hannah about Hakawatis: The Women of the Arabian Nights, which is on at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse until January 14, and The Fir Tree, a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen's classic children's story, which on at the Globe until December 31. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The weather outside is frightful, but TV is so delightful. Well, not all of it, but you know. This month we've been watching The White Lotus, Upright, Granite Harbour, Mammals, Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen, God Forbid and The Patient. And Jen really took one for the team and watched some of Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal. What a trooper! Plus there's a round-up of the best TV to come over Christmas and into 2023. Exciting!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HOLLA! Our Mick’s got resident music guru Liz Buckley on the request line to chat the majesty, mischief and massive talent that is rap icon Missy Elliott. Why? Well, MISSY ELLIOTT. But also, it’s happy 25th birthday to her debut album Supa Dupa Fly, *and* happy 20th birthday to Under Construction. Inflatable bin bags all round!In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s chatting to England and Harlequins prop, Shaunagh Brown, about the rise of women’s rugby, why we still need to go further, putting the day job on pause, and what it's like to be an internet sensation. This week’s Rated or Dated dispenses with any pretence of being non-partisan, as Mick and Hannah celebrate a festive film close to both their hearts. Step forward 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol, you absolute felty, furry, Michael Caine-y delight. Plus there’s feminism 101 in the Bush Telegraph and a stinking bellend in Sexism of the Week.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're wondering where you recognise Ruth Sheen from, the answer could be literally anything. This week, she chats to Hannah about Mike Leigh films, Inside No 9, It's A Sin, Unforgotten, acting roles for women over the age of 60, and joining the cast of Strike, which returns to BBC tonight for a fifth series.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’ll come as no surprise that our Hannah is a huge Armando Iannucci fan. And The Death of Stalin, his 2017 satire on the brutality and absurdity of tyranny and what happens in the aftermath of, in this case, the death of Soviet monster Joseph Stalin, is a firm favourite. Brimming with trademark Iannucci smarts, wit and creative insults, boasting a dream cast of big names, and darker than the inside of a cow, fellow Iannucci fans Mick and Yosra were bound to love it too. Well, you’d have thought.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone does a lot of talking about being "their authentic self" but is that a performance that means they are not really "authentic" at all? This week, Jen poses that question - and many more besides - to journalist Emily Bootle, author of a new book This Is Not Who I Am. Mick's chatting to Takara Small, host of the They Did That podcast, which shines a light on history’s forgotten – or often, usurped – inventors, scientists, educators, musicians, artists and activists. Hannah tries to get to the bottom of the Balenciaga photoshoot drama in BT and there’s Twitter twattery in Jenny Off The Blocks. And, finally, we wonder if Nicolas Cage will go full Nicolas Cage in Rated or Dated, as we watch 1987's Moonstruck. Spoiler alert: Of course he does. What is this? Your first rodeo?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Miki Berenyi, probably best known as one of the founding members of late 80s and early 90s alt-rockers Lush, has written a superb, painfully honest, no-holds-barred memoir about her tricky (to put it mildly) childhood and time in Lush and on the Britpop scene. And so Mickey got on the Zoom to Miki to chat Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success, bands and fallouts, Britpop and misogyny, difficult childhoods and understanding that nobody’s perfect Though beautifully written, Fingers Crossed is, at times, brutal. A heads up that she and Mick talk about child sex abuse and neglect in this podcast. They are both fairly philosophical about their own experiences – now, at least – but keen that these conversations continue to happen as a reminder that this doesn’t just happen “over there to someone else”. Miki is a beautiful writer and, given December is upon us, Fingers Crossed would make an excellent gift for anyone into music and/or brilliant, fierce women.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A while ago, Mick made the team watch Love Actually for Rated or Dated and, well, regular – and even irregular – listeners can probably figure out how that went. Given that Richard Curtis’s celluloid toilet bowl of loose stools is currently celebrating another anniversary, it seems a good time to remind women exactly why this film is self harm for the eyes, ears and soul. As Hannah so succinctly puts it, Cunts Actually.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Theatre might be making big strides in some areas of inclusion, but how does it look for neurodiverse performers or audience members? Hannah spoke to Liselle Terret*, associate professor of performance at the University of East London, to find out, as they chat about the Access All Areas Theatre Company, and how to better promote and support a wider range of artists.  Hygiene poverty now affects an estimated 6% of adults in the UK, so Jen caught up with Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank, to talk about why we need to spread the word about an often forgotten (or ignored) issue, what The Hygiene Bank is doing to combat it, and how we can all help. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s talking heading, jabbing and putting, while in Rated or Dated Hannah’s picked a romance from the past, in 1942’s Casablanca. Is it going to be the start of a beautiful friendship? And in the Bush Telegraph, Mick’s calling bullshit on treating women’s body types as trends. *If you want to get in touch with Liselle, you can do so here: https://www.uel.ac.uk/about-uel/staff/liselle-terretSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities coming up on December 3, Jen jumped on the Zoom with Kate Nash OBE, the woman behind Purple Space, the world’s only networking and professional development hub for disabled employees. They chatted about Kate’s new book Positively Purple: Build an Inclusive World Where People with Disabilities Can Flourish, how employees and colleagues can support disabled co-workers, the power of positivity, and why referring to disabled people as “inspirational” just for living their lives needs to not happen anymore.To enjoy our podcasts without adverts you can support us on Patreon. But times are tough, and for absolutely zero pounds, you can also do us a massive favour by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Thanks.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we still talking about Brexit? You bet your badgers, we are, because it’s still causing – euphemism warning – mischief all over the political, trade and, well, everything shop. So Mick got on the blower with Naomi Smith, CEO of Best For Britain and co-host of the Oh God, What Now? podcast to talk Brexit fallout, the political upshot of the latest Tory “budget”, and why Best For Britain is campaigning for a general election now. Yes please and thank you.Hannah chats to Keala Settle, actor, star of The Greatest Showman and the woman behind that huge singing voice, about why she was desperate to do a pantomime. So now she’s in one*. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s talking fast women and fast cars, and also quite understandably explaining how things in Qatar remain a royal mess of human rights violations.And in Rated or Dated, Mick and Jen are watching 1942’s Cat People – a horror movie from the past. Two of their very favourite things. Cats though. They do love a cat. *And you can get your tickets here: https://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/jack-beanstalk/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After an eventful series four of everyone's favourite haunted house sitcom, Hannah catches up with two of its stars and co-writers, Jim Howick and Ben Willbond, to talk about sucking off Mary, dealing with grief, fan art, Christmas specials, There She Goes, working with Guillermo del Toro – and more. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's Outside The Box, we're asking all the important questions. Has The White Lotus set itself too high a bar? Will The English be the first Hugo Blick series Hannah likes? Why didn't anyone tell Jen The Devil's Hour was sci-fi? Does anyone want to watch Charles and Diana's marriage fail - again - in The Crown? And lastly, where are all the lads? (Well, that one's easy to answer, they're in SAS: Rogue Heroes.) Plus, there's a tiny Rated or Dated for you, as Mick reports back on watching Buffy in her 40s.More on Paris Syndrome here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndromeThat scene with Alex Ferns (mining in the altogether) in Chernobyl can be found, sadly, nowhere. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The cost of living is dominating conversations around the country, so, in this week's podcast, Jen chats to Helen Barnard, associate director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and director of research and policy at Pro Bono Economics, about assumptions made about poverty. Mick's chatting with Claudia Brewster, course leader of Graphic Design, Creative Advertising and Visual Communication at the University of Gloucestershire, and one of her second-year students, Siobhan Smith, about the posters they’ve been designing for the March for Freedom for Afghan Women and Girls taking place in London on Sunday 27 November. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's boycotting Qatar and in BT, Hannah's rounding up the results of the midterms in the US. And last, but oh so very much not least, we'll find out what's easier to look after, heroin or babies, as we watch 1987's Three Men And A Baby in Rated or Dated.* You can grab your March for Freedom posters here: https://marchforafghanwomenandgirls.com/* Helen Barnard's book can be bought here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1788213971/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_F9YMB439145K46BBZEMB_3Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in the Chops, we’re chatting depression, because – as we’re seemingly constantly told – it’s okay to not be okay and it’s good to talk. But what do those soundbites really mean and how helpful are they for people dealing with depressionNo stranger to the black dog, Mick got on the Zoom with Maddy Dilley, managing director of The Blurt Foundation, a brilliant social enterprise dedicated to helping those affected by depression and anxiety, to talk stigma, self-stigma, self-care, misconceptions, peer support and how Dougal can be there for Ted.If anything in this podcast makes you think you need help, then please get in touch with your GP. The sooner you see a doctor, the sooner you can be on the way to recovery. And do check out blurtitout.org, which has a wealth of information and resources – and people who genuinely give a shit.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SIM Ep 788 Flicking #31: West Side Story (1961)Our Yosra Osman isn’t alone in loving 1961’s cinematic musical West Side Story, in which love-at-first-sighters Maria and Tony find themselves entangled in a bitter battle between rival gangs The Jets and The Sharks amid music from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.60+ years on, with a recent Steven Spielberg revival in the bag, is it a cinematic gem packed with bangers or a problematic white vision of racial unrest? Can a film be both? Will Hannah ever stop hanging out in underground car parks, making shapes and saying “cool!”? And why are she and Mick looking nervous? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“What’s going on inside our noggins?” is a question we are often terrified to ask, but neuroscientist and Standard Issue favourite Professor Sophie Scott is more than happy to delve right in. She chats to Hannah about "lady brains", the infinite wisdom of post-menopausal killer whales, how chromosomes affect the old grey matter, and her new book, The Brain: 10 Things You Should Know. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen chats to Leonie Pryor, match official developer at the Rugby Football Union, about their #Inspire campaign, aimed to get more women into refereeing. Grab your hankies and hold on tight, as Hannah and Mick revisit Michael Winterbottom’s 1997 war drama, Welcome To Sarajevo. And in this week's Bush Telegraph, Mick has some interesting (*question mark*) Christmas list ideas. Prepare the underground cellar and light the dusty vagina candle!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Medieval Britain can feel somewhat impenetrable, even for history fans, so thank goodness for Dr Amy Jeffs, writer of the best-seller Storyland and new book Wild: Tales From Early Medieval Britain. She chats to Hannah about the many ways of telling a story, the tie between the individual and the landscape, the weirdness of the Fens and finding hope in a time of hopelessness. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The expression "cat lady" comes with a lot of baggage, something writer and podcaster Dawn O'Porter couldn't understand. She talks to Jen about her new book Cat Lady, which challenges stereotypes around the love we have for our pets. They also chat complicated characters, the reality of living in LA, and the ongoing refugee crisis*.Imagine a women-only fitness space that encourages women to strength train with heavy weights and builds confidence as much as muscle. It’s real! StrongHer, in London’s Bethnal Green (but with excellent online options), exists thanks to Tig Hodson and Sam Prynn, who created a place they wanted to work out in. And it’s where our Mick flips tyres and chucks herself over walls. She borrowed Jenny Off The Blocks for a week to chat with Tig about strength training, listening to your cycle, and why the fear of getting ‘bulky’ is a nonsense.Lucas “Luke” Jackson clearly isn’t worried about a bit of bulk, as he stuffs 50 eggs down his gullet in one of cinema’s most iconic scenes. Yep, this week’s Rated or Dated is 1967 prison drama classic, Cool Hand Luke and unlikely inspiration for Hannah. And in the Bush Telegram, there’s bad at your job and then there’s Suella Braverman.  *You can donate to Choose Love here.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Essex alone, around 1000 people – predominantly women – were accused of witchcraft between the 1500s to 1800s, as part of the now infamous English witch trials. As the jail where many of the accused were held, Colchester Castle played a key role, and so Colchester Museums have teamed up with the Museum of British Folklore and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle to create an exhibition about the witch trials, and the people who fell victim to them.In this week’s Chops, Jen catches up with Mellany Robinson, projects manager of the British Museum of Folklore and co-curator of Wicked Spirits? Witchcraft and Magic at Colchester Castle. They chat about the historical context of the trials, the women who were accused, and why the witch trials remain worryingly relevant to contemporary society.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Working a four-day week can benefit employees, businesses, the environment and the economy. That's according to Mariam Salman from The Four Day Week Campaign, so Hannah got on the Zoom with her to find out more. Ahead of the NFL match between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, Jen gets the lowdown on the match and indeed the sport, from Sky Sports presenter Hannah Wilkes. In Rated or Dated, 1992's Buffy The Vampire Slayer comes under the microscope, but can it escape constant comparison to the TV series? In Sexism of the Week, Mick's got news of another drama over a statue of - wait for it - a woman. And in the Bush Telegraph? Well, what can we say? Other than Steve Baker really is a c*nt.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While we’re all distracted by those in power doing the leadership hokey cokey and making the UK a political laughing stock, damaging policy is being pushed through. And it’s outrageous. In September, the Government launched what’s basically an attack on nature, proposing policy that’s a huge threat to the UK’s already rapidly depleting wildlife and explicitly breaking promises it made in its 2019 manifesto.So Mick got on the Zoom with Laura Taylor, conservation manager for Bedfordshire at The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, who outlined exactly what the Government is doing and why it’s catastrophically harmful to nature, wildlife, us and the economy.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're trying to escape the chaos on the news, October's Outside The Box has some suggestions of what you should switch on instead. And this month that includes spectres, chefs and a very hot pensioner, because we're chatting about This England, Ghosts, The Old Man, The Bear, The Walk-In and Inside Man. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EDIT: In this episode, when talking about Chelsea women's manager Emma Hayes, Jen accidentally said Emma had undergone an emergency caesarean, when in fact she had undergone an emergency hysterectomy. We apologise to Emma and our listeners for this error, which has now been corrected.True crime is a solid part of our popular culture these days. Focus tends to fall on the perpetrator rather than the victim, though, something historian Hallie Rubenhold, author of excellent book The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, wanted to challenge. And did! And continues to do! She chats to Mick about her podcast Bad Women, back for a second season. This season explores the rich and complex lives of the victims of Blitz killer, The Blackout Ripper, and looks at what wartime meant for Britain's women in terms of new opportunities and old-as-time danger.  After one train vestibule too many, Abby Taylor got onboard with the Campaign for Family-Friendly Trains, and joins Jen this week to talk about why accessibility matters, and what train companies can do to make it easier for those of us with small people to get around.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen recaps the week in women’s sport, including a cracking bout between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall, and joy for the Republic of Ireland’s women’s football team. In Rated or Dated, Hannah takes us back in time to the origins of the Bitches Be Crazy genre, as we revisit 1962’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? And in Bush Telegraph, there's a lot of toilet talk. Blame the Tories. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historian Sarah Churchwell is interested in the big cultural beasts and there's maybe none bigger than Gone With The Wind. In her latest book - The Wrath to Come: Gone With the Wind and the Lies America Tells - Sarah looks at the mistruths spread by Margaret Mitchell's book and the film adaptation, where they came from, why they were so readily accepted and how they fit into America's tendency towards myth-making. Hannah caught up with Sarah to chat about the Lost Cause, the treatment of Hattie McDaniel, and why Scarlett O'Hara spoke to the women of war-torn Europe. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A comedy? From the 1980s? Starring mostly men? And one of those men is Christopher Guest? Once again, it’s a tough old task to work out whose pick it was for this month’s Flicking, but – entirely predictably – Mick is head over big bottom with 1984 cult classic This Is Spinal Tap, the mockumentary of a rockumentary following one of England’s loudest bands. But how does Hannah feel about the film that started a genre? And what’s that, Yosra’s got a confession to make? Turn it up to 11. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guardian journalist Sirin Kale’s new podcast, Can I Tell You A Secret?, explores how a cyberstalker wreaked havoc across the internet and ruined people’s lives. She chats to Jen about obsession, fear, the lives we lead online, and how the police and CPS are letting victims of cyberstalking down. Back on September 8, Hannah chatted to actors Kate Fahy and Marion Bailey about playing Margaret Thatcher and The Queen in Moira Buffini’s play Handbagged. That’s right, September 8. Just hours later the Queen died, and so we’ve held onto this interview for a little while. The play is still running (at The Kiln Theatre, London, until Oct 29) and Hannah, Kate and Marion’s chat is still a corker. In JOTB, Jen’s looking at various internationals and doing some announcer practice, and in BT, there’s good energy, bad energy, and a whole lot of Hands.  Plus, Mick girds her loins as she throws a much-loved film to the Rated or Dated wolves. Rob Reiner’s 1987 fantasy adventure comedy The Princess Bride is a firm favourite in the Noonan household, but what do Hannah and Jen make of it? FIND OUT.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chosen is New York-based artist Danielle Durchslag’s first solo exhibition outside of the USA and its mix of video collage and film explores the political and psychological complexities of American Jewish wealth. Yeah, you’re right, that is one hot potato. But it’s also something Danielle knows very well, given her family background and family money means carrying the complicated baggage – as well as incredible privilege – that being one of what she terms “the Jewish 1%” brings with it. Danielle chats to our Mick about powerful victims, powerful dynasties, the power of humour, Katharine Hepburn, and eating her dinner off Edward VIII’s china. Chosen is at The Four Corners Gallery in Bethnal Green, London, from Tuesday 11 October until Saturday 15 October. Visit https://www.fourcornersfilm.co.uk/whats-on/chosen-danielle-durchslag for more details. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tova Friedman had survived a ghetto and a gas chamber in Auschwtiz before the age of five and you can read her amazing life story in her memoir, The Daughter of Auschwitz. In this week's podcast, she chats to Hannah about Holocaust denial, leaving guilt behind and becoming a TikTok sensation in her 80s. Mick chats with the force for good that is Soma Sara about Everyone’s Invited, her campaign focused on exposing rape culture, the damage done by porn, the reality of online lives, and why parents really need to step up when it comes to conversations around sex. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's talking about major stages for women's sport and in BT, we're talking about the Kwarteng U-turn and some worrying cancer statistics. And in Rated or Dated, we find out what happens when you mix wood and ham, as we watch 1997's The Devil's Advocate. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think you don't like sci-fi? Maybe you should think again. In this week's Chops, ahead of a major new exhibition at The Science Museum*, Hannah chats to our favourite sci-fi geek (not nerd), Samira Ahmed, about how the sheer breadth of the world of sci-fi should mean there's something for everyone. They also chat about the legacy of Nichelle Nichols, collecting, making space stations out of egg boxes and Doctor Who. * More info here: https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/science-fictionSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not to remind you that the nights are drawing in, but *whispers* they are. So, let us help you plan some TV viewing. In this month's Outside The Box, we talk about The Capture, House of The Dragon, Shetland, Only Murders In The Building, Frozen Planet II, The Rings of Power, The Suspect, Mind Over Murder and Karen Pirie. Some of it in Brian Blessed's voice. You're welcome?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We'd take any excuse to chat to award-winning author Kamila Shamsie, and her excellent new novel, Best Of Friends, was more than enough reason for Mick to jump on the Zoom with her. In this episode, they talk about childhood friendship, “girlfear”, and the changing face of democracy.Jen chats to broadcaster and art historian Katy Hessell about her new book The Story Of Art Without Men, why women haven’t had much of a look in in the world of art, and how the internet is democratising the traditionally elitist industry.In Jenny Off The Blocks, big things are happening in the broadcasting of women’s sport, and over on Rated or Dated Hannah is posing quite the f*cking dilemma with this week’s pick: Glengarry Glen Ross.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Austerity and the dangerously stretched state of the NHS have never cut so deep. And yet, that statement felt just as true back in 2015 when Iphigenia In Splott, Gary Owens’ lauded monodrama reimagining of Euripedes’ Iphigenia In Aulis, first debuted. It’s only right that Iphigenia In Splott is back now, once more starring the phenomenal Sophie Melville as Effie – our Greek heroine via Cardiff. Effie’s life is a mess of drink, drugs and drama every night, and a hangover worse than death the next day – until one night gives her the chance to be something more. In Greek myth, the story of Iphigenia is a tragedy: a young girl sacrificed for male hubris, ambition and legacy, and Mickey chats to Sophie about the Iphigenias, the Effies, of today, how they’re being sacrificed and why the time is ripe for revolution.Iphigenia In Splott is at the Lyric Hammersmith, London, until October 22. Tickets available here: https://lyric.co.uk/shows/iphigenia-in-splott-2/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s no escaping that tough financial times are only going to get tougher, and so Hannah got on the Zoom with Dr Jodi Gardner to talk about debt, and why the demise of payday loan companies might not have been the victory it first seemed, as the cost-of-living crisis bites and one million desperate householders turn to loan sharks to make ends meet.As England Women prepare to play India in a one-day international at Lords*, Jen nabs team members Kate Cross and Sophia Dunkley for a chat about the changing face of women’s cricket, and the significance of playing at the incredible venue.And it’s one of the most beloved, highly respected films of all time, but will that save 1952’s Singin’ In The Rain from a slagging off on Rated or Dated if needs be? *hollow laughter** Tickets for the England Women’s Cricket Team’s ODI against India on September 24th are available here.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While most of the world was reeling from the shock of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, a conspiracy theory began to form that it was a hoax designed to force through new gun control laws in the US. In her excellent book Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth, New York Times journalist Elizabeth Williamson takes us through events, from the horror police found at the scene to the ongoing struggle of the bereaved parents to defeat the lies told about their children by InfoWars' Alex Jones. She talks to Hannah about the effect such mass shootings have on the local community, why America seems more susceptible to conspiracy theories than most and how this whole tragedy has been a blueprint for the spread of fake news.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jen's taken up clothes making, so who better to get on the Zoom with than winner of 2021's Great British Sewing Bee, Serena Baker? They chat about stitching, sustainable fashion, and her book Serena Sews. Hannah chats to actor Jennifer Kirby about Vampire Academy, why teenage girls can't get enough of bloodsuckers and why Linda Bassett is the cat's pyjamas. In BT, we're talking about - what else? - reaction to the Queen's death, but fret not, there is good news in Jenny Off The Blocks. And in Rated or Dated, we're back to the 1990s or the 1950s, depending on how you look at it, as we watch LA Confidential.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A western? About a spiky teenage girl? With Jeff Bridges? Who could possibly have chosen that? This month, it was (unsurprisingly) Hannah who plumped for the Coen Brothers' True Grit as the film under the microscope. But will Jen and Yosra come along for the ride? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we think about the average British tourist, we don’t always conjure the most sympathetic image. This week, Hannah chats to Lucy Lethbridge - author of fascinating new book Tourists - about the democratisation of the foreign holiday and the impact that's had on the places we go.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen chats to CEO of charity The Youth Sport Trust, Ali Oliver, about the School Games National Finals, getting kids active, and the LionessesEffect.We're watching 1992's The Last of The Mohicans in Rated or Dated and "welcoming" a new Prime Minister in the Bush Telegraph. But is it just a case of mummy being called to clear up again?To enjoy our podcasts without adverts you can support us on Patreon. But times are tough, and for absolutely zero pounds, you can also do us a massive favour by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Thanks.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back last May, when Mick interviewed classicist, comedian and author Natalie Haynes about Pandora’s Jar – her anthology of women in Greek myths – she asked who Natalie’s favourite woman from Greek myth is and the answer was swift: Medusa. And it’s easy to see why. Medusa, best known as a monster with snakes for hair and the ability to turn living creatures to stone with just a look, was actually a young woman, horribly wronged, terribly punished and then painted as a villain. Stone Blind is Natalie’s new novel, a sharp, warm, funny and incredibly moving take on Medusa’s story. She and Mick also chat religion, capricious deities, goddess alter-egos, knitting, and how to research the women in Greek myths when women in the Classics tend to get pretty short shrift. Stone Blind is out on September 15, but you can also listen to Natalie on her excellent Radio 4 series Natalie Haynes Stands Up For The Classics, available on BBC Sounds. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a year since US and UK troops pulled out of Afghanistan, in what can only be termed a clusterfuck of mishandling. The Taliban wasted no time in regaining control of the country and, despite a lot of chatter that this would be a more enlightened Taliban 2.0, different from the brutal backwardness of the 1990s, immediately began restricting freedoms for women and girls. Campaigner and founder of Action For Afghanistan, Zehra Zaidi, knows all too well how horrifically the Taliban’s rule has affected Afghan women and girls and, in this week’s podcast, she talks to Mickey about the direct, violent threat to their lives from the Taliban – and why we need to be doing so much more to help. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s talking retirements galore, while wearing her best I love Serena T-shirt in honour of the start of the US Open, which marks the closing chapter in the GOAT’s career. And in Rated or Dated – spoiler – Hannah’s not happy again, as we watch Richard Donner’s 1897 shoot-first-don’t-bother-asking-questions study of 1980s machismo on the edge, Mel Gibson, sorry Lethal Weapon. Same diff, innit. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Standard Issue favourite Kit de Waal always knew she’d had a strange childhood. One of five siblings brought up in relative poverty in Birmingham by her Irish Catholic mother and West Indian father, she was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. In her new memoir, Without Warning and Only Sometimes: Scenes from an Unpredictable Childhood, she ditches her usual novel format to write with warmth and candour about her own life experiences.In this week’s Chops, she chats to Jen about the book and her family, as well as the ongoing travesty of food poverty, the advantages of growing up in a dual-heritage household, and the freedom of writing non-fiction.To enjoy our podcasts without adverts you can support us on Patreon. But times are tough, and for absolutely zero pounds, you can also do us a massive favour by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Thanks.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tracy Dawson had a steep learning curve when she was starting out in screenwriting, as she came to realise the same opportunities didn’t exist for her, deemed as “niche” as a woman, as they did for men. This inspired her new book Let Me Be Frank, about women who disguised themselves as men to get what they wanted. She chats to Hannah about the book, defiance, and whether or not “shit” is a swear word. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen hits the beach to chat to former world champion Pauline Menczer, about being a trailblazer in women’s surfing, and the new documentary Girls Can’t Surf. In Rated or Dated, Mick’s eyes are hurting, because we’re back in 1992, revisiting the ker-ay-zy bitches of gratuitous tit-tastic Single White Female. Meanwhile, there’s a medley of protests with a dash of human excrement in the Bush Telegraph. To enjoy our podcasts without adverts you can support us on Patreon. But times are tough, and for absolutely zero pounds, you can also do us a massive favour by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Thanks.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not been all sport and Love Island on the telly in August. In fact, it's not even been all August on our TVs, as we tuck in to recent offerings as well as some stuff we've been meaning to watch for ages. So brace yourself for a whole lot of chat about Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty, The Resort, The Newsreader, Shetland, Marriage, Gaslit, The Sandman and Ted Lasso. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would happen if a food writer became an accidental murderer and deliberate cannibal? In this week’s podcast, Mick finds out as she chats to journalist Chelsea G Summers about her debut novel A Certain Hunger. They discuss the symbolism of cannibalism, women’s relationships with food and their bodies, and how it is used against them.Jen chats to C E Riley - director of Primadonna Festival and author of new book Is This Love? - about bad behaviour, toxic love and messing with the patriarchy, one football match at a time. And in Jenny Off The Blocks, she’s paying tribute to The Queen, Serena Williams, as she approaches an “evolution”.And finally, did Hannah have the time of her life watching Dirty Dancing for this week’s Rated or Dated? You’ll have to listen to find out.To enjoy our podcasts without adverts you can support us on Patreon. But times are tough, and for absolutely zero pounds, you can also do us a massive favour by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Thanks.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Being the guy who wanks on the Tube – that’s not aspirational.” Just some of the words of wisdom from this week’s Chops guest, comedian Esther Manito, who has some thought-provoking opinions around the role women play in generational sexism. Esther’s currently at the Edinburgh Fringe with her show, #NotAllMen, but here she’s chatting to our Mick about '90s lad mag culture, why applauding men for basic decency is bad, the rise and rise of King Baby (and the part women play in their creation), and how SHE KNOWS IT’S #NOTALLMEN, but how do women help make it #notanymen?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*sings* Spider-Man, Spider-Man/Does whatever a spider can./Spins a web, any size./Catches thieves just like flies./Look out/Here comes the Spider-Man… and another Spider-Man… and a Spider-Woman… and a Spider-Pig… and Nicholas Cage…WHAT NOW? If you’ve already seen 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, this month’s Flicking pick from Yosra, that will all make sense. If not, strap in, as Yosra, Hannah and Mick enter the Oscar-winning animated Spidey multi-verse. Did Mick rekindle her old love for the emo kids’ superhero of choice? Did Hannah manage to keep the contents of her belly down? FIND OUT. Also, enjoy Mickey forgetting the word “touchstones” and instead referring to characters as “grounding rocks”. Mmm, words.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nestled in the sweet spot of ‘cartoon for kids that adults love, too’, the Emmy Award-winning Bluey is a firm favourite in the Offord household. Which means our Jen’s trying really hard not to fangirl as she chats to actress Melanie Zanetti, aka Chilli, about Australian cattle dogs, crossing comic boundaries, parenting goals and never meeting your husband. If you’re not already a fan of comedian Eleanor Morton’s zero-fucks-given tour guide Craig, then get yourself onto the socials for a watch immediately. Or stay here and listen as Mick catches up with Eleanor to talk Craig, what happens when a history fan makes comedy, her Edinburgh show Eleanor Morton Has Peaked, and the joy of out-of-season graveyards.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s quite rightly still wanging on about us winning Euro 2022, and explaining why the Commonwealth Games are more than the poor (wo)man’s Olympics.And finally, it was bad enough before Hannah brought innocent donkeys into it… There’s vabbing, an Amnesty on decent Twitter etiquette, just desserts for a human heart attack, and the return of Mick’s favourite electric sheep in the Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Old women aren't often the protagonists of stories, which is why when Hannah got the chance to chat to Jane Campbell, she jumped at it. Jane, who is 80, has just had her first collection of short stories - Cat Brushing - published, and she tells us why it's never too late to make your hobby your job.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Mickey loves her some Mabel Stark, so when she heard about Tiger Lady, a new play from Dead Rabbits Theatre Company, she got straight on the Zoom with Natisha Williams-Samuels and Kasia Zaremba-Byrne, star and writer/director respectively of the new show about Mabel's incredible life. Hannah's been chatting to author Rebecca Wait about her latest book I'm Sorry You Feel That Way, mother/daughter disasters and why we put too much pressure on youngsters to have "the time of their life" at university. And in the Bush Telegraph, we're talking about the Labour Party, monkeypox and, sorrywhatnow, England are European Champions? Yeah, they bloody are!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Violence against women is an issue that isn't going away any time soon. In the aftermath of the #MeToo movement, and a string of widely reported murders of women by men, some men are asking what they can do to be better allies. Sophie Gallagher, deputy features editor at the i paper, has some ideas, which she puts forward in her book How Men Can Help: A Guide To Undoing Harm and Being A Better Ally.In this week's Chops, she chats to Jen about the mammoth task of getting men to understand the scale of the problem women face, what she hopes to achieve with the book, and why #NotAllMen can get in the bin.If you've been affected by any of the issues Sophie and Jen are talking about, you can find out more information about where to get support from Refuge, or Rape Crisis England and Wales.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Birmingham Festival 2022 about to get underway, Hannah ventures (via Zoom) to the glorious Midlands for a chat with artist Dawinder Bansal about her exhibition, Jambo Cinema, which opens on July 28. They're talking Bollywood, social history, video shops and “daytimers”, among other things.Jenny Off The Blocks also takes us to Birmingham as, ahead of the Commonwealth Games, Jen catches up with lawn bowling superstar Amy Pharoah of Bowls England.Plus, we ask how many times a film’s dialogue can reasonably repeat the central character’s name? The team finds out as 1987’s The Lost Boys gets Rated or Dated. And in BT, Mick’s got a stunning new rendition of the theme to Top Cat, as she reflects on the Tory leadership cuntest. Sorry, we meant, yeah, cuntest.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not one, but TWO funny women in this week’s Sunday Chops, the first of two Edinburgh Fringe specials – although if you can’t get to the festival, fret not, as both of these excellent comedians can be found elsewhere, too.Human fireball Helen Bauer tells Mick about giving advice on the Trusty Hogs podcast, dealing with diet culture in her show Madame Good Tit, and what it’s like to have Marsha from Spaced as your mum in her BBC Three pilot Small Doses. She also introduces her to Pen Island.After the break, Yuriko Kotani, a Japanese comedian based in the UK puts the wind up Mick with her talk of “kaiju” – that’s monsters or strange beasties to those of us who don’t speak Japanese. Actually, no wind at all; turns out Godzilla lives in Mick's house. You can give both of them a follow on the socials. Helen is @Helenbabauer and Yuriko is @YurikoComedy. Helen Bauer’s Madame Good Tit is at the Pleasance Courtyard, Aug 3 to 28, 5.40pmYuriko Kotani’s Kaiju About is at the Pleasance Dome, Aug 3 to 28, 7.30pmSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is The Lazarus Project Sky's best original drama in a long time? Did Sherwood avoid the Spycops cliche? Does Hannah still love, love, love Only Murders In The Building? Does Mick regret her trip to Paris? Will Jen ever make it past episode one of anything? We answer these questions - and more - in this month's Outside The Box.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ayisha Malik’s new book, The Movement, explores life in a world where everyone is talking, but no one seems to be listening, and what it means to have a voice. She chats to Jen about how we communicate and why a female protagonist shutting the fuck up is a feminist statement.Our regular music mistress, Liz Buckley, gives Mick the lowdown on Phoebe Bridgers, the joy of puns, slagging off Ryan Adams, and why it’s never not fun to put an expletive in your name. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s rounding up all the action in athletics, cricket and of course, the Women's Euro. And in Rated or Dated, filler, spray paint and misogyny at the ready as we watch Robert Zemeckis’ star-studded 1992 schlocky horror show, Death Becomes Her.Plus, thank goodness Hannah found Bonnie in this week’s Bush Telegraph. What a good girl!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jihyun Park's new book, The Hard Road Out, details how she escaped, not once, but twice, from one of the world's most repressive and secretive regimes: North Korea. She talks to Hannah about why, with the help of South Korean writer Seh-Lynn Chai, she's now chosen to tell her story, about brainwashing, escape, sexual exploitation, and a new life for Jihyun and her family in the UK. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clearly, a franchise revival-cum-nostalgia fest of one of Mick’s all-time favourite movies was going to be Noonan catnip, so she’s been in giddy bliss the four times she’s watched Ghostbusters: Afterlife since it came out in November 2021. But what do Yosra and Hannah make of Jason “son of Ivan” Reitman’s sort of sequel, sort of reboot, definite love letter to the 1984 supernatural comedy classic? Just how many Easter eggs can you enjoy before you feel sick? And – altogether now – who you gonna call(back)?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a wealth of cracking shows at the West End this summer, so Hannah got on the Zoom with Ruth Bratt – actress, comedian, and star of Showstoppers – to get the lowdown on where to spend your cash. Mick chats queens of crime, the golden age of detective fiction, and why Richard Curtis can do one with journalist and host of the excellent Shedunnit podcast, Caroline Crampton. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s chatting kicking off, mouthing off, and a shed load of goals, as she looks back at the Wimbledon finals and all the latest action from the Women’s Euro. There's bad rapping and shaken pugs in Rated or Dated, as the team revisit 1997 blockbuster Men In Black. Plus, in the Bush Telegraph: clowns to the left of us, and frankly terrible people to the right, as the Tory party implodes and a leadership contest hots up.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the sexual revolution was the biggest lie ever sold to women? With her new book, The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century, journalist and campaigner against male sexual violence, Louise Perry has penned a fierce, bold, radical exploration of whose interests sex positivism really serves. Spoiler: it ain’t women. She chats to Mickey about sociosexuality, the murky nature of consent, taking sex seriously, how porn is ruining our sex lives, why she’s not Mary Whitehouse, and the freedom that comes with knowing you’re probably going to annoy everyone. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you keep calm during an LBC call-in? This week, Mick finds out from writer, broadcaster and mental health champion, Natasha Devon, as they chat about privilege one-upmanship, toxic friendships and Natasha's new book Toxic. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's talking balls to one half of the Two Girls Talk Balls Podcast, Charlotte French, about the Women’s Euro, which kicks off TONIGHT. It's definitely a balls-heavy Rated or Dated too, as Hannah picks 2002's Road to Perdition. It's all gone a bit 1930s Italy in SOTW and there's balls and Balls in BT. Balls for everyone, basically.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year saw the publication of Deep Deception, a non-fiction book about the Spycops scandal by five of the many women targeted by undercover police officers in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and into the 2010s. They were part of left-wing activist groups routinely spied on by the Special Demonstrations Squad, a police unit founded in 1968. All five were hoodwinked into believing they had met their perfect man, when, in fact, the person they shared their life with did not really exist. Instead, their partners were being played by specially-trained - and married - police officers who had stolen the identity of a dead child. This week, Hannah chats to two of them: Helen Steel and Alison* about the fascinating, mysterious, horrifying and important history of the Spycops scandal.* Not her real nameSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s definitely a podcast of two halves this week. In BT, Mick chats the US Supreme Court’s barbaric striking down of Roe V Wade and what that means for women and people who can get pregnant, and Jen looks at the ongoing binfire that is the UK government and every fecker in it. Screaming pillows mandatory. But, it’s not all doom and gloom, as that’s followed by not one, but TWO brilliantly funny women being brilliantly funny. Mick catches up with everyone’s favourite “Tory MP” Rosie Holt, aka actor, comedian, satirist and social media sensation, Rosie Holt. And Jen somehow manages not to shout “Pivot!” at the excellent Laura Lexx, even though they’re talking about Laura’s new book, set in the world of recreational netball and called Pivot. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following a 2020 investigation by Guardian journalist Lucy Osborne that exposed an historic culture of control, coercion and abuse within some of the world's leading modelling agencies, the fashion industry has been having something of a #MeToo moment. Building on Osborne's ongoing investigation, a new Sky Documentaries series, Scouting For Girls: Fashion's Darkest Secret, began on June 24.In this week's Chops, Jen chats to former model, actor, therapist, and contributor to the series, Marianne Shine, about her experience as a young model in Paris in the 1980s. They talk about the endemic culture of abuse, its links to serial abuser Jeffrey Epstein, and how the unregulated industry put - and continues to put - young women and girls in harm's way.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Teresa Lim’s first book, The Interpreter's Daughter, recounts what happened when she set out to trace her family history. She tells Hannah about her discoveries, which span 19th century China to modern-day Singapore, and include a hidden tale about her great aunt, who was, it turns out, a woman after our Hannah’s own heart. Mostly. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s been on the Zoom with fellow journalist Natasha Everitt to find out about the HerGameToo campaign, which works to eradicate sexism in the football industry. They chat about what the campaign’s up to, why men's football is still an unwelcoming place for women, and Charlton Athletic. Obviously. And if Mick sounds giddy in Rated or Dated, it’s because she is. But what will Hannah and Jen make of Face/Off, John Woo’s 1997 blockbuster of batshittery, and just how tall is Snoop Dogg?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than half of young women are ‘filled with dread’ at the state of their finances and 29% are “always in debt”. The picture for young mums is bleaker yet. That's according to The Young Women's Trust's annual survey, released this week. Hannah got on the Zoom with Claire Reindorp, the charity's chief executive, to find out more. They chat about university debt, discrimination, the gig economy, the cost of childcare and – of course – whether cancelling the Netflix subscription is the cure-all some people seem to think it is. SPOILER ALERT: It is not.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leila Mottley is the author of the hour – and don’t take our words for it, that’s straight from Oprah Winfrey. She joins Mick to talk about her novel Nightcrawling, based on a real-life story, which tells the tale of Oakland teen Kiara, who is fighting to keep her life together any which way she can, leading to her being sexually exploited by police.Meanwhile Hannah catches up with actress Sinead Matthews, star of Hullraisers - who can currently be seen on stage in The Madhouse, alongside David Harbour and Bill Pullman - about dysfunctional families, death, and money, among other things.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s chatting about the ongoing outpouring of stories of abuse in gymnastics, while it’s high fives all round in cycling. And can women really not play baseball? Hannah and Jen question 1940s American Voice’s judgement in this week’s Rated Or Dated, as they watch 1992’s A League Of Their Own.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having private photographs you sent to your boyfriend hacked from your iCloud and spread around the internet is most people's idea of hell. When it happened to actor Melissa Johns, she knew there was only one way through it. She chats to Hannah about intrusion, body image, shame, disability and turning the whole thing into a one-woman show, Snatched. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She’s kept it quiet until now, but turns out Hannah loves Kayvan Novak. Who knew? (Everyone. Everyone knew.) But his beautiful face isn’t the only reason our Dunleavy’s a colossal fan of Four Lions, Chris Morris’s 2010 cult gem about an inept gang of jihadis. But will it make Yosra and Mick laugh? Will it make them cry? Both? Find out in this month’s Flicking. WARNING: Toploader earworm imminent… Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We need to ditch the shame around sex. Everyone's good with that, yeah? If that hasn't convinced you, Natalie Lee - aka Style Me Sunday - will almost certainly do a better job. She chats to Mick about the absolute joy of feeling herself and her aptly-titled new book, Feeling Myself. And while we're on the subject of feelings, Hannah gets dangerously close to having some when she chats to Theresa Heskins, director and co-writer of a new play, Tom, Dick & Harry, based on the true story of the "great" escape from Stalag Luft III. And we stick with the history in Rated or Dated. Of course we don't, we're watching The Untouchables. Also, Mick has a SOTW MASTERclass and there's mosquitos, mojitos and that Bojo mofo in the Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Football’s domestic leagues have wound up for this season, but we are here for you with some excellent chat from excellent women, as Dr Carrie Dunn joins Jen to chat about their respective new books. In 1921, women were banned from playing football in the grounds of affiliated Football Association clubs for 50 years. Of course women didn’t just stop playing football, and Carrie’s new book, Unsuitable for Females, is a deep dive into the history of women’s football during the ban, and the people who kept the women’s game alive. Our Jen’s new book, The Year Of The Robin, charts the ill-fated 2019/20 season of her beloved Charlton Athletic. She recounts her personal experiences living through it with her brother, Michael, and looks at what a lower-league football club can tell us about society. Carrie and Jen also chat about being female football writers, tribalism, and where the women’s game is at ahead of the Euros this summer.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kidnaps, rebirths, mythical serpents, magical pregnancies, the Upside Down and people who take a chunk out of your salary, this month's Outside The Box has it all. In it, we chat about The Essex Serpent, Ten Percent, Floodlights, Stranger Things, Inside No 9 and Life After Life. So yes, you can spend the long weekend watching TV if you want.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

251km across the Sahara on foot? Erm… Sabrina Pace-Humphreys tells Mickey about the Marathon Des Sables, aka “the toughest footrace on earth” and what in the sweet fancy fuck inspired her to do it. She also chats about how ultrarunning and rural racism led her to activism, founding the Black Trail Runners, and writing her memoir, Black Sheep. Jen’s been on the Zoom with Shelina Janmohamed, author of the new book, BeYOUtiful, and they’re talking about why we need to mix things up when it comes to understanding beauty, and how advertising is finally shifting away from the male gaze when flogging products to women.Inspired by The Witches of Eastwick, which is this week’s Rated or Dated, the team somehow manage to manifest Chris Hemsworth for tea-making duties. And it’s Platty Jubbs weekend ahoy in the Bush Telegraph, although Hannah and Jen’s chat about booze culture might well put you off your royal insignia-ed pint. No worries, just light up that royal insignia-ed reefer and let a horse sort any admin.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ace actor Shobna Gulati has taken on the role of Mari Huff in a new version of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, so Hannah jumped on the Zoom to find out more. Not that we needed much excuse. They chat about being on tour with your son, embracing the grey and working with Victoria Wood.  Mick speaks to Ellie Greenhalgh, the lead on the Women’s Development Unit, a partnership project between The Connection at St Martin’s and Solace Women’s Aid, and Caroline Muir from the 18Keys project at St Martin’s Trust, about the specific needs of homeless women, and a new strategy that aims to end women’s homelessness in London – and hopefully beyond. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s hailing an historic development in, hang on, men’s football? And, hold on to your habits, as we revisit 1992’s Sister Act in Rated or Dated. Plus there’s grubbiness galore and some unexpected blacklists in the Bush Telegraph.* The Women’s Development Unit has published a new London-wide Strategy for Ending Women’s Homelessness to transform how the capital responds to women’s homelessness. * The Connection is working with St Martin-in-the-Fields Trust to raise funds for the 18 Keys project. 18 Keys will provide specialist support and safe, stable accommodation for women who have been sleeping rough to recover and become independent again.* The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is touring nationally until July 16, and you can buy tickets here.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma Kennedy, yep, that glorious multi-hyphenate of screen, page and Celebrity Masterchef kitchen, has written another heart-breaking, heart-swelling and funny (of course) book, which was all the excuse our Mick needed to set up a Zoom chat. Letters From Brenda came about when Emma found two suitcases of lost letters from her late mum, Brenda. Brenda was a complex, charismatic and troubled woman, and Emma and Mick chat mother-daughter relationships, undiagnosed mental illness, loving unpredictable people, whether it’s possible to ever really understand someone, and the journey Emma went on to try to do just that. Oh, and the lost joys(?) of Chatroulette. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Men are looking for sex and women are looking for love, right? Wrong, says Kala Ellis, creator Spreadsheet, a new sitcom starring Katherine Parkinson, which debuts tonight on Channel 4. Hannah chats to Kala about what happens when you're not looking for "the one", comparisons to Sex and The City and why new apps can be frankly terrifying. Meanwhile, Jen's been learning more about 20 years of Deafinitely Theatre from its artistic director Paula Garfield, as well as some pretty shocking facts about domestic violence and educational attainment. And in Jenny Off The Blocks, she's chatting about the French Open. In Sexism of the Week, Mickey's got some thoughts about how the BBC is spending its comedy budget, plus we're watching violent AF 2007 neo-western No Country For Old Men in Rated or Dated. You're welcome.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acclaimed writer Sarah Perry’s surprise (to her) best-seller The Essex Serpent has been adapted to a six-part Apple TV series, starring Tom Hiddleston and Claire Danes (we know). Could there be a better excuse – not that we needed one – to get her on the Zoom, for a natter? Our Jen was giddy as a kipper to chat to Sarah, about having a book fly off the shelves, what it’s like to have a Hollywood star play your protagonist, the fetishisation of women’s trauma, and – of course – being an Essex girl.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Jordan Peele's directorial debut a horror film, a satire or both? We find out, as Yosra brings 2017's Get Out to the court of Flicking. We chat about race (obvs), class (natch) and Daniel Kaluuya's iconic tears (because of course). Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s podzine, the glorious Laura Bates joins our Mick to rage against the sexism machine. The feminist writer, activist, founder of Everyday Sexism and author has written another book – Fix The System, Not The Women – and it’s both vital and full of righteous fury. Hannah’s been chatting to Julie Owen Moylan about her debut novel That Green-Eyed Girl, about getting her first break in publishing over the age of 60, and about making the big leap over the class barrier.In Jenny Off The Blocks, it’s Emma Hayes appreciation time. Again. And no one’s complaining. And in Rated or Dated, we’re asking how good does Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi mega-blockbuster E.T. look at 40? Tricky, given E.T., the delightful sweaty sausage/joke shop turd protagonist, always looked 187 anyway.Plus, abortion, poverty, class, the menopause and *spits* Allison Pearson in the Bush Telegraph.And here's that link Hannah promises: https://twitter.com/RobynVinter/status/1521872761689419777.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marys Seacole is Jackie Sibblies Drury's new play exploring the life of the Scottish-Jamaican nurse who treated British soldiers during the Crimean War, and of other ‘Marys’, those in the caring professions. Hannah catches up with Kayla Meikle and Olivia Williams, who play Seacole and Florence Nightingale respectively, to chat about in what – and indeed whom – society places value.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen talks to Vera Wienken, senior brand manager at Riot Games, about esports and the forthcoming Game Changers tournament. And in this week’s Rated or Dated, hold on to your sports bras and keep your eye on the ball, as Mick and Jen revisit 2002’s Bend It Like Beckham.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frances Scott is the woman behind 50:50 Parliament, a brilliant campaign working with all the UK’s political parties to help women progress in politics in order to build a better democracy. We can all agree it needs to be better, right? Right. She talks to our Mick about how it all started, why it’s so damn important to have women’s voices in Parliament, and how we can all help make it happen. Please, please bear all of this – and indeed a lot of the drums we bang on Standard Issue – in mind when you head to the ballot boxes on Thursday 5 May to vote for councillors if you’re in England, Wales or Scotland or if you’re in Northern Ireland, your government. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At home this Bank Holiday Monday? If you're looking for some TV to watch then you've come to the right place. This time, we've talking about Julia, Gentleman Jack, The Witchfinder, Inside No 9, Russian Doll and Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian Isy Suttie just announced her first stand-up tour in six years, so Hannah got on the Zoom with her to find out more and reminisce about childhood trips to Center Parcs. Because why not? In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's chatting to Leah McDerment of the London Lions about the team’s fantastic season and the growth of basketball in the UK. We're back in 1997 in Rated or Dated, as we watch romcom-cum-shoot 'em up Grosse Pointe Blank. And what's Mickey doing? Well, she's been bitten by a strange rat, which could be the start of a new superhero franchise. Watch this space. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clearly what’s happening in Ukraine is horrific for everyone there, but women and girls are particularly at risk during conflict, whether they’re fleeing the country or staying put in Ukraine. Suzy Madigan, senior humanitarian advisor on gender and protection at CARE International, has 20+ years experience in humanitarian work, with a focus on helping women and girls, and in this Chops, she explains to Mick the specific risks for them during conflict. They chat about how the Ukraine conflict impacts women and girls, the processes in place and that need to be put in place to help, other emergencies that must not be forgotten, the role of the UK Government, and – of course – what we, the public, can do to help. (Cash not stuff, smashers. Cash not stuff.)Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in October at the Newcastle Stand, Mickey was tasked with herding the following brilliant comedy cats: Sarah Millican, Louise Young and Sally-Anne Hayward. As ever during In Conversations, the gamut of topics is vast, but with a healthy focus on cats, chocolate and periods. However, the real issue is clearly how the hell Sally-Anne Hayward still walks among us given her unsanitary sanitary product behaviour. You’ll never look at a sock the same way again.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louise Kennedy’s short story collection The End of the World is a Cul-de-sac garnered her all sorts of well-deserved plaudits. Her debut novel, Trespasses, is a page-turning story of love and loss set in Belfast during The Troubles, in which Louise’s spare, lyrical writing brings to uneasy life the reality of people getting on with their lives in a time and place where the unspeakable is just everyday.  In this Chops, Louise chats to our Mick about the Troubles and their legacy, and what problems Brexit and the unresolved difficulties of the Northern Ireland Protocol might mean, starting writing in your 40s, dealing with cancer, and why the joy of doomed love might just mean readers are perverts. Trespasses is out now, published by Bloomsbury.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian Lucy Beaumont is a busy woman, starring as a fictionalised version of herself in Dave’s Meet The Richardsons and being the co-writer of new Channel 4 sitcom, Hullraisers. In this week’s podzine, she chats to our Hannah about why Hull is no longer the butt of a national joke and that time she wet herself before 8 Out of 10 Cats. For Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s been on the Zoom with multi-award-winning audio documentary maker and writer Hana Walker-Brown. They’re talking about degenerative brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), concussive and sub-concussive trauma, and how that all ties to sport, its players, and their lives – and those of their families – off the field. All of which is covered in Hana’s new non-fiction book, A Delicate Game: Brain Injury, Sport and Sacrifice.  And it’s bonkers galore in Rated or Dated, as Mick’s choice of Robert Altman’s 1977 avant-garde piece, 3 Women, leads to all sorts of questions, but not many answers. Plus, there’s loads of good news in the Bush Telegraph. If you’re patient, like. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A life-threatening ectopic pregnancy at 37 caused writer Georgina Scull to re-evaluate her lot. Having not lived the life she’d “planned”, she set about talking to people facing their own mortality to find out what they wished they'd done differently. Her new book, The Regrets of The Dying: Stories and Wisdom That Remind Us How to Live, is the result. She chats to Jen about common themes of regret, the patterns that drive them and how, by listening to other people’s regrets, we can lead more fulfilled lives.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The love for Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo's 2011 comedy brimming with women is flowing out of Mickey like lava, in the latest episode of Flicking. But what do Yosra and Hannah make of Bridesmaids? The cast? The plot? The outrageous opulence? The weird American tradition of having 27 big days before The Big Day? Find out! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times are tough, financially speaking, and Makala Green knows a thing or two about looking after the pennies, having worked her way up from a 16-year-old cashier at Nationwide bank to being a chartered financial planner. In this week’s podzine, she chats to Jen about her new book, The Money Edit, and what we can do to keep on top of our finances. When do you think the first woman was paid to work in science? Hannah finds out as she chats to Izzy Wall, assistant curator at Bath's Herschel Museum of Astronomy, about astronomer Caroline Herschel. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen chats about the new Number One in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, while in Rated or Dated, Mick’s ready to rename the whole section after sitting through 1997’s Chasing Amy. And in the Bush Telegraph, there’s a plague island and some tiny joyous ear hairs.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist and writer Lucy Ward tells Hannah how she turned a tale of family history she heard in a school playground into the cracking new non-fiction book The Empress and the English Doctor: How Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus. They talk about how Catherine The Great's bold decision to be inoculated - and talk about it publicly - helped the fight against smallpox, about writing that book during a pandemic, and about why now is the perfect time to try to understand Russian history a bit better. And pus. There's quite a lot about pus.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Areej Osman is a senior placement coordinator at Refugees At Home, and this week, she’s explaining the realities of hosting a displaced person. She and Jen chat pros, cons, vulnerabilities and responsibilities. Victorian girl power is the foundation of author Liz Hyder’s latest fiction, The Gifts, and she’s talking to Mick about fierce women, unscrupulous surgeons, surprise wings and the joyful power of storytelling. In Jenny Off The Blocks, there’s a surprise retirement and more cricket, while in Rated or Dated, Hannah’s pick of 1997 Aussie cult classic The Castle leads to some Dunleavy and Noonan reminiscing about gifts from Lourdes. And in the Bush Telegraph, there’s trafficking, taxes and toxic behaviour, but absolutely no Nazis. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The stage version of The Life of Pi is currently pulling in the crowds and snaffling all the Olivier nominations, so Hannah got on the Zoom with the woman responsible for adapting the book: Lolita Chakrabarti. They talk about the highs and lows of tackling such a well-loved novel and its themes of storytelling and faith, as well as chatting about some of Lolita's other recent projects, including A Working Diary, the book she wrote with her husband, fellow actor Adrian Lester.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you turn a book of short stories into a cohesive play? This week, Mickey finds out as she chats Angela Carter, feminism, wolves and circus skills with Mary Swan, director of Proteus Theatre’s adaptation of The Bloody Chamber. Jen's been on the Zoom with US writer Kimberly Jones about her book, How We Can Win, and the economics of racial inequality in the US, and in Jenny Off The Blocks, she's looking forward to the Women's Six Nations. In BT, we're discussing P&O and Child Q, plus you can find out why an interview Hannah has been chasing for months (and is now not happening), turns out to be really good news. And we take a listener's suggestion and tuck into My Cousin Vinny. Will we ever do that again? You can find out in this week's Rated or Dated.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Jane Monckton Smith is a criminologist specialising in domestic homicide, a former police officer, a professor of public protection at the University of Gloucestershire, and responsible for groundbreaking work on coercive control and stalking. Too right we love her.In this Chops, she chats with Mick about her latest book, In Control: Dangerous Relationships and How They End in Murder, in which she lays out the eight stages of a domestic homicide timeline – the first temporal sequencing of domestic homicide, and vital to helping stop the appalling rates of domestic murder. It’s an outstanding book, which should be required reading for, well, everyone. And it’s testament to Jane that, despite the subject matter, it is both accessible and engaging. And out now in paperback, courtesy of Bloomsbury. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian and Standard Issue fave Rachel Parris has been soliciting advice from strangers for her new book, which is called... Advice From Strangers. She chats to Hannah, from the back of a cab, about the joy and madness of actual advice from strangers, being on tour, and her candid writing about late miscarriage. Our resident music buff Liz Buckley is back and she's in a shiny hat, because this time she's talking to Mick about country music superstar, rhinestone queen, philanthropist, stealth feminist and absolute shero: Dolly Parton.In Jenny Off The Blocks, shit's getting real at Chelsea, and Jen's also wondering what the what is going on in the England women's cricket team. And in Rated or Dated, grab your hankies and prepare to shout "FIT!" a lot, because we're watching the devastatingly beautiful people in Anthony Minghella's Oscar-bothering 1997 romance/drama, The English Patient.Plus, apocalyptic times and, indeed, shenanigans in the Bush Telegraph.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aaron Sorkin's award-winning adaptation of much-loved Harper Lee novel To Kill A Mockingbird, is finally coming to London's Gielgud Theatre. In this week's Chops, Jen catches up with Pamela Nomvete and Gwyneth Keyworth, who play Calpurnia and Scout in the new production, to find out what it's like to play such beloved roles, how Sorkin has brought the play into the 21st century, and whether or not Scout is a revolutionary, rather than simply an innocent narrator.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Hannah's Flicking pick and she chose the third film of a trilogy set in a time of pandemic AND war. So, is Matt Reeves' 2017 sci-fi, dystopian, performance capture, ape-tastic blockbuster good enough for Yosra and Mick to forgive her? All hail Caesar is all we're saying. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jessica Turner and Amara Karan are stars of Tim Walker’s new play Bloody Difficult Women, in which they play Theresa May and Gina Miller respectively, in a storyline that charts the events behind the court case Miller brought against May in 2016 and what’s happened since. They chat to our Jen about being powerful women – and making Theresa May sympathetic. Sorrywhatnow?Hannah’s been on the Zoom with comedian Hayley Ellis to chat touring with the boss (as in our boss, Sarah Millican), bringing up a baby in a pandemic, what she learned about comedy when she couldn't do it, and why it’s always key to check someone’s a real doctor before whipping your piles out. Sorrywhatnow?In Jenny Off The Blocks, it’s tough titties for Chelsea fans and loadsa medals at the Paralympics, and there’s a big cinematic hug in Rated or Dated as the team watch Stand By Me. Meanwhile, in BT, the good news is a plaque for women has been removed and Mick’s put International Women’s Day in the sin bin. SORRYWHATNOW? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Psychologist and working-class feminist author Dr Jessica Taylor’s new book, Sexy But Psycho: How the Patriarchy Uses Women’s Trauma Against Them, is an uncompromising challenge to the psychiatric labelling and medicalisation of women and girls. And blimey, what a book: huge food for thought and a push for seismic change, engagingly written.In this Chops, she chats to our Mick (fresh from having her mind blown) about why she’s challenging the traditional medical model of psychiatry, the incalculable damage caused by pathologising women, the straight line between “she’s a witch!”, “hysteria” and borderline and emotionally unstable personality disorders, false comfort in diagnosis, why everyone should be cautious when seeking mental health diagnoses, and the huge pros of a trauma informed response to mental health. Oh, and why Freud needs to get in the sea.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is everyone in Iceland so happy? Might it be that they are closer to gender equality than most? In this week's podcast, Hannah chats to writer, journalist and First Lady of Iceland, Eliza Reid, about life for women in a country with the same number of residents as Nottingham, and her new book Secrets of The Sprakkar. With the Winter Paralympics just a few days away, Jen's been on the blower to Vicky Gosling, chief executive of GB Snowsport, to talk about a disappointing Winter Olympics and hope for the future. We're struggling again with the binary nature of Rated or Dated as Mickey picks this week's film, Tim Burton's Mars Attacks! And it's good news for Hank The Tank, but not much else to cheer about as we say het bonhe in this week's Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My Pen is The Wing of a Bird is an excellent new book - on sale now -  featuring short stories by 18 new female writers in Afghanistan. It exists thanks to the hard work of the people behind the writers' development programme Untold, and exists despite the not insubstantial obstacles of a global pandemic and the disaster that befell Afghanistan last summer. In this week's Chops, Hannah talks to the founder of Untold, Lucy Hannah, and Shekiba Habib, one of the translators who worked on the stories, and now lives in the UK. The chat about life for women in Afghanistan today, the work necessary to pull this book together and the variety of stories it tells.My Pen is the Wing of a Bird is published by MacLehose Press. Untold Narratives CIC works with writers marginalised in society by community or conflict. You can support Untold’s work here: http://untold-stories.org/donate/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loads of TV to chat about this month, but does any of it tickle our fancy? In this episode we talk about Trigger Point, Chloe, The Tinder Swindler, The Responder, Screw, Misha and The Wolves and more. Plus, Hannah explains why she's not watching Inventing Anna and is totally #TeamRachel.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After finding herself stuck in a decade-long cycle of toxic and controlling relationships, comedian and writer Maddy Anholt embarked on a period of self-reflection, therapy, and research about the perpetrators of domestic abuse. She caught up with Jen to talk about her new book How To Leave Your Psychopath, patterns of abuse and being endorsed by Melanie Brown.Sobriety coach Veronica Valli is on a mission to spread the word that “sober” doesn’t mean “boring” and that you can visit festivals and wear lipstick without being under the influence. Mick chats to Veronica to find out more about why we drink booze, why our culture is so soaked in it and how to manage our relationship with, or without, it.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s tipping the hat to our victorious curlers, there are shirts akimbo in Rated or Dated, as the team watches 1997’s The Crucible, and Hannah asks an important philosophical question about pizzas and forests in BT.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frayed, Sarah Kendall’s comedy drama set in 1980s Australia, is well worth your time and with Frayed 2 due to land on Sky One on Wednesday 23 February, our Mick got on the Zoom with the writer and comedian to find out more. They chat writers rooms, punchy storylines, Yellowjackets, T-shirts, toenails, and creating one of the most unlikeable leads on television.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fanology, personal ads, two world wars, Aids, racism and homophobia: the path to satisfying dating never has run smooth. Mick discovers all this and more in her chat with journalist, broadcaster and dating expert Nichi Hodgson.It’s 80 years this week since the US signed what became known as the Japanese Internment Bill, so Hannah has a fascinating chat with author Andrea Warren about her latest history book for kids, Enemy Child.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s looking back at a record-breaking year in women’s sport, and some new research from the Women’s Sport Trust, while in Rated or Dated, there’s a quest for new swears, as the team watch John Hughes’s 1987 cult classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Plus, Jen takes a horrifying diversionSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Currently making us laugh in Radio 4/BBC Sounds' The Train At Platform 4, Rosie Cavaliero is a familiar face to anyone who's watched almost any British comedy in recent years. She talks to Hannah about the highs and lows of train travel, radio acting, being "the female Kevin Eldon", being covered in pustules in front of Jon Hamm, and a terrifying flight through the Himalayas. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mile-high wigs, sweets galore, sumptuous sets, a punk soundtrack and a laissez-faire regard for historical facts: all present and correct in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst in the title role. It's one of our resident film buff Yosra Osman's favourites and a new watch for Hannah and Mick. What did they make of it? Find out. Maybe have some cake as you listen – it's what she would have wanted.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatrix Potter was a woman of many talents and with Drawn To Nature, a new exhibition dedicated to her life and work, opening this weekend at the V&A, Hannah got on the Zoom with Helen Antrobus, one of its curators, to find out more. Jen's chatting to Hillary Jordan and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, creators, editors and contributors to Anonymous Sex, a new collection of erotic fiction. In Jenny Off The Blocks, there's more Winter Olympics, and Mickey's got her best velour tracksuit on for this week's Rated or Dated, 1997’s Donnie Brasco. And in BT, we're asking when criticism of a woman is and isn't sexist, and what exactly we're levelling up to. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sheffield Theatres is 50 and is opening its anniversary season with a big one: Anna Karenina. Often acclaimed as the best novel ever written, Leo Tolstoy’s epic narrative is an immense canvas of desire, duty and defiance, adultery, passion and suicide told over more than 800 pages. A piece of cake to bring to the stage, right? Helen Edmundson’s much-celebrated adaptation does some of the heavy lifting, leaving the rest to the Sheffield Theatres team. So Mickey got on the Zoom with two of the production’s big hitters: Adelle Leonce, who is playing Anna, and designer Georgia Lowe, to find out how you take a complex novel in eight parts, with more than a dozen major characters, spread over more than 800 pages and set in late 19th century Russia and bring it up-to-date for a contemporary audience.Anna Karenina is at The Crucible from Feb 5 to 26. Find out more: www.sheffieldtheatres.co.ukSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the bus home from her diagnosis of degenerative hearing condition otosclerosis, journalist and broadcaster Helena Merriman got thinking about the experiences of others on the receiving end of life-changing diagnoses. In this week’s podzine, she talks to Mick about Room 5, her latest series for Radio 4, a collection of stories about lives that change in a heartbeat and the process of diagnosis and recovery.With the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics kicking off this week, Jen chats to skeleton gold medallist turned Eurosport pundit Amy Williams about how to get into winter sports in the UK, and what it’s like to chuck yourself headfirst down an ice track.In the Bush Telegraph, Sue Gray’s been, Theresa May – yes THERESA MAY – delivers perhaps the best Boris burn, there's good news all over the shop, and M&Ms get Hannah banging her head on her desk. Meanwhile, the team tries not to hurl as they revisit 1992's Wayne's World in Rated or Dated.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered where the weird and wonderful workouts of the women’s fitness industry originated? Danielle Friedman did, which is why the journalist and author decided to research and write a book about the history of women’s fitness. In this week’s Chops, the last of January so possibly at the point at which you’re thinking of ditching any new year’s fitness resolutions, Danielle chats to Jen about Let’s Get Physical. They also talk about perceptions of women’s strength, the dismissive attitude society takes to women’s leisure pursuits, and – if you do need some inspiration to meet your fitness goals – brace yourself: Danielle gives Jen the best piece of fitness advice she’s ever heard.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ann Dowd – sorry… ANN DOWD! – joins Hannah on this week’s podcast to talk about her new film Mass, the Oscar buzz surrounding her performance, Aunt Lydia, The Leftovers, feral nuns and making it over 35. Jen chats to Sonita Gale, about her BAFTA long-listed new documentary, Hostile, the history of immigration to the UK, and the realities of the hostile environment for the very many people living in it. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Australia is host supreme when it comes to women’s sport, although Jen’s not making any tennis predictions for the Open after last week’s optimism fell flat.In Rated or Dated, there’s a barrel load of eccentrics and a dad in search of forgiveness/somewhere to live, as Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums turns 20.And in the Bush Telegraph, there’s danger on the move, danger standing still, a lack of sex disaggregated data, and an incredible “exclusive”. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Random angry woman” Fiona Mackenzie was appalled when she saw the ‘rough sex’ defence being used in the horrific killing of Natalie Connolly in 2016 – a defence which, in December 2018, saw her killer sentenced to just three years and eight months in prison. And so Fiona did something about it, starting We Can’t Consent To This to highlight and then to campaign against men claiming ‘consensual rough sex’ as a defence against injuring and killing women. Last year, a new amendment was added to the Domestic Abuse Bill ruling out "consent for sexual gratification" as a defence for causing serious harm to a person. But is it working?In this episode of the Sunday Chops, Mick chats to Fiona about this, about why choking is always dangerous and about how Fiona and her We Can’t Consent To This co-founder, Louise Perry, have since further expanded the campaign to fight the normalisation of male violence against women and girls during sex. A heads up, that the topic is – clearly – awful, and Mick and Fiona do go into some detail about the horrific brutality of male violence against women and girls during sex. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the first Outside The Box of 2022 and we're talking about a whole load of telly, including Anne, Rules of The Game, Four Lives, The Girl Before, The Green Planet and Yellowjackets. We also find out if anyone is still watching And Just Like That.... Spoiler alert: Jen is - even if she's not entirely sure why. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you want to predict the future, if you could? This week, Hannah is chatting to actor writer and disability activist Athena Stevens, about her play The Diagnosis, in which another Cassandra is doomed not to be believed - again. Journalist Hazel Davis gets on the Zoom to author Jenn Ashworth to talk about unreliable narrators, listening to your own books and her latest novel, Ghosted. Jen's got her eye on the Australian Open ball in Jenny Off The Blocks and we're pondering the Prime Minister's next move in BT. And last but very much not least, in Rated or Dated, we visit the stool/am dram capital of America, as we watch Waiting For Guffman.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people think they've got a grasp on history when it comes to the Tudors, but how much of that knowledge comes from pop culture or male historians? This week, Hannah chats to Dr Andrea Clarke, curator of The British Library's fantastic exhibition Elizabeth and Mary: Royal Cousins, Rival Queens. They talk about Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, how they were similar and how they were different, and what myths about them need to go in the bin right now. Andrea talks us through some of the treasures on display, many for the first time, and has a crack at answering the eternal question: Did it really need to end with Mary's head on the chopping block?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fauns and fascism ahoy, as Hannah gets Yosra and Mick to watch Guillermo Del Toro’s 2006 dark fantasy, Pan’s Labyrinth, set in post-civil war Spain. It throws up a lot of questions: Just how good is Ivano Baquero? Would you trust a fairy-tale creature? Who in the 21st Century is buying little statues of Francisco Franco? And why does Mick Jagger get a mention? Also contains – inevitably – some history chat, and what’s possibly a revelation of Hannah’s other career as a spy. Finally, Mick would like to apologise to Stoke-on-Trent. It’s just a joke.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some of us made plans to “better ourselves” to mark the advent of 2022, so Mick got on the Zoom with our resident psychotherapist Jane Watson, to talk about why we make new year’s resolutions, why we break them and how we can all be a bit kinder to ourselves. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen has a natter with two-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick, about an amazing year in women's motorsports and what's coming up next. In the Bush Telegraph there are questions of taste, responsibility and bunga bunga statues, and in Rated or Dated, we're OK, despite having watched 1992's The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Northern Ireland is so often absent from our media and from the arts in the UK, so Hannah has been on the Zoom with Kate Reid, the writer of new play The 4th Country, and one of its stars, Rachael Rooney. They chat about a time of great change in the province and why England's view of it is so often wrong, as well as the highs and lows of rehearsing under the ever-present threat of a new lockdown. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first podzine of 2022, Mickey asks ‘new year, new business?’ as she catches up with Karen Campbell: marketing consultant, small business enthusiast, owner of Hotsy Totsy – a supper club and community for brilliant women – and fierce champion of female entrepreneurs. They’re chatting about why you should start your own business, the pandemic’s silver lining for small business owners, the joy of art deco, and how finding your tribe is key to success. Bound to get those exercise muscles twitching, Jen chats to mountain leader, and writer Anna Fleming about her new book Time On Rock, as well as the great outdoors, the many ways we can get into sport, and why rock climbing isn't all fleeces and real ale. And starting the year as she no doubt means to go on, there’s a cameow from Peggy, clearly delighted to see Hannah’s set her mic up again. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since it’s Christmas and it’s been a while since we could all enjoy regular live shows, Hannah, Mick and Jen have each chosen a favourite gigcast from, dare we say, better times, and they’re all corkers. Yes, you did read the title correctly, and yes, we did, at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018, gather together on stage Luisa Omielan, Janeane Garofalo and SU POLLARD, alongside the boss, Sarah Millican.What follows in this podcast is absolute carnage, of the best possible kind, as Su reveals the contents of her tiny suitcase, and our esteemed panel chat tit-covering trousers, bums, and Cher, among other things.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture this: September 2017, Leicester Square Theatre, Sarah Millican, Kerry Godliman, Jenny Eclair and Olivia Colman onstage. And Mickey. Yeah, Mick could barely believe it either. So imagine her delight when it turns out she and Olivia Colman are equally disgusting.Hannah, Mick and Jen have each chosen a favourite gigcast from, dare we say, better times, and they’re all corkers. In this one, there’s the bravest little girl in the world, cardigan judgement, dogs in pants, and Judi Dench’s bogies.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oh hello November 2016, nice to see you again. And, yes, we really mean it, because in a terrible month, in a terrible year, something great did happen. And that was that Hannah got to be onstage with the boss - Sarah Millican - and two titans of comedy, Jo Brand and Kathy Burke. Hannah, Mick and Jen have each chosen a favourite gigcast from, dare we say, better times, and they’re all corkers. In this one, there are falls, awards and a whole lot of Brendas.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a funny old year for, well, everything really, and sport is no exception. In this week's Sunday Chops, Jen and journalists Dr Carrie Dunn and Natasha Henry look back at women's sport in 2021. They talk about all the hot topics, including how big an impact the pandemic has had on women's sport, whether or not the success of Emma Raducanu is set to be a flash in the pan, and exactly what did Carrie do to upset Piers Morgan?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Last Podcast Before Christmas Day! This week, Jen's chatting to Philli Boyle, a founding member and director of partnerships for the charity Choose Love, about the migrant crisis, winning hearts and minds, and how we can all help by choosing love this Christmas. Hannah gets on the Zoom with our favourite cinema fan, Yosra Osman, to find out what top films of 2021 we can all tuck into over the festive period. And Mick's got a reminder about how we can all #JoinIn this Christmas and why, for her, it's Paul McCartney for the festive win. Merry Christmas!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She’s going to hate us for that title pun. And rightly so. Being a comedian called Elf at Christmas is just one of the things that our Mick is chatting to Elf Lyons about in this episode of the Sunday Chops. They also talk being a teacher in the pandemic, dealing with hecklers, the comedy industry’s #MeToo movement, her Soho Theatre show Elf Lyons Talks Dirty For An Hour, and guinea pigs. Obviously.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since it's increasingly dark and cold outside - if we're still allowed out by the time you read this - what better time is there to sit at home and watch some telly? In this episode we're looking at the bloodbath ending of season three of Succession and Sex and The City reboot, And Just Like That... Plus we're talking The Outlaws, Yellowjackets, American Rust, American Crime Story: Impeachment, In My Skin, David Baddiel: Social Media, Anger and Us, Shetland and Landscapers. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Potential pitfalls for child stars are well documented, so in this week’s podzine Hannah wants to know where it all went RIGHT for actor Dani Harmer, who found fame as Tracy Beaker in the hit CBBC series of the same name. They chat about being a heavily pregnant Fairy Godmother, Strictly Come Dancing, and the enduring appeal of Tracy Beaker.Emma Revie, CEO of The Trussell Trust, talks to Mick about why the Trust is having to give out 7,000 emergency food parcels a day this December, and the impossible decisions faced by so many families living below the breadline in the UK.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's chatting ladies, unladylike behaviour, and the upcoming BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, while the Bush Telegraph's got brave women, big clean ups, and buck-takers. And finally, in the last Rated or Dated of the year, the team are frustrated by the absence of Truman Capote as they watch 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany’s and call the RSPCA.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nobody wants another hastily-grabbed toiletries set for Christmas. Well, maybe some people do, but some of us want NASA-themed Lego, award-winning graphic novels and a T-shirt with Angela Lansbury's face on. So, we've brought in the big guns, our friends over at the Strong Female Leads podcast, Kate McCabe and Debra-Jane Appelby, to talk Hannah through the best presents for the geek in your life this Christmas. Tuck in!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don’t get us wrong, flowers are blooming lovely, but sometimes it’s nice to give – and to receive – something a bit different. But what? Well, on this week’s podzine, Steph Douglas, founder and CEO of Don't Buy Her Flowers, chats to Jen about thoughtful present giving – just in time for Christmas. When Mandi Bharij started her sewing side hustle Make With Mandi, she had no idea her patterns and sewing tips would make her a name in the Instagram sewing space. She talks to Mick about pattern-making, the importance of visible diversity in sewing and how if you don’t ask, you don’t get. There are big US trials and small British bus drivers in the Bush Telegraph, a symbolic FA Cup in Jenny Off The Blocks, and the awful spectre of being unmarried and working with books looms almost as large as theSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author and journalist Caitlin Davies is the cat’s fancy tracksuit when it comes to writing about women, crime and punishment, as first demonstrated in her 2018 book Bad Girls: A History of Rebels and Renegades. Which we LOVED.Caitlin’s new book, Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks, is another brilliant piece of research, which shines a light on an important – and mostly neglected – part of women’s social history. Our Mick got on the Zoom with Caitlin to find out more about these extraordinary women and why society didn't want us to remember them.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dinosaurs! In this month’s episode of Flicking, clever girl Mick tells Yosra and Hannah why she loves, loves, loves Stephen Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park. Do they too feel the excitement? How’s it looking nearly 30 years on? And are Yosra and Hannah convinced by Mick’s constant comparisons to Spielberg’s other epic creature feature, Jaws, or do they want to shooooooot heeeerrrrr? Find out. 🦖🦕Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone loves a bit of LadyTech, right? Massive sigh. This week, Jen is chatting to CEO and founder of the Peanut app Michelle Kennedy, about finding solidarity among women and why "the ladies" get patronised in business (and not in the cold hard cash way). Hannah talks to Catherine Deakin from the charity Changing Faces, about life for people with facial differences, James Bond and Christmas parties. There's loadsa good news in Jenny Off The Blocks and Mickey is reminiscing about Clockhouse by C&A in Rated or Dated, as we watch 1976's A Star is Born. Plus, the lads are holding out for a hero in Sexism of the Week. Because bless them.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think you know what a shed can do? Think again. The UK Men’s Shed Association (UKMSA) is an incredible movement of community spaces for men to connect, converse and create. Sheds combat loneliness and encourage men to talk shoulder to shoulder – such a great, straightforward and vital idea. And so Mickey got on the Zoom to David Meli, the charity’s Partnerships and Community Development Manager, and Men’s Shed ambassador Allan Clarke to find out the hows, whys and benefits of being a Shedder. All applications for your very own Allan to be sent via the Men’s Sheds’ website, please, which you’ll find at menssheds.org.uk.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a cliche in theatre to say a play is more relevant than ever, but in the case of Joe Penhall's Blue/Orange, it's 100% true. A new version of it, starring Michael Balogun and Giles Terera is currently on at Northampton's Royal & Derngate Theatres and Hannah spoke to them about the show's themes of race, mental illness and truth, as well as the emotional rollercoaster of last year's National Theatre production of The Death of England: Delroy. They also chat about Hamilton -  obviously - and the advice they'd give working-class youngsters about breaking into acting. Listener, she loved them.The interview Hannah refers to in this podcast can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csvqngSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After writing a piece exposing the call-outs, draggings and pile-ons rife in the toxic world of YA Twitter, author Kat Rosenfield found herself a target. She talks to Hannah about speaking out, as well as her new novel No One Will Miss Her, and the joy of working with Stan Lee. Stan. Lee. Our resident music guru Liz Buckley is back to talk to Mick about why even if you're a middle-aged woman, it's more than okay to climb aboard the Billie Eilish juggernaut. There’s bullshit, batshit, and Peppa Pig in the Bush Telegraph. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen is wondering what Kim Kardashian and Dirty Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani have in common, and also joins the growing number of people asking #WhereIsPengShaui? And in Rated or Dated, we're donning our tinfoil hats and asking for Mother, as we watch 1986's The Mosquito Coast.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Forde is a comedian whose book, Politically Homeless, charts his progress from working for the Labour Party to disillusionment in the Corbyn years. He's also the host of the excellent podcast, The Political Party, and co-host, with Alice Levine, of British Scandal. Hannah talks to him about all of that, obviously, and a lot more besides, including the sort of personality it takes to fake your own death, drawing a cock and balls on a ballot paper, Mo Mowlam, and that time Hannah embarrassed herself in front of Armando Iannucci.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedians Kiri Pritchard McLean and Nina Gilligan have launched Get Off! Live Comedy, an independent and confidential HR support service that deals with sexual harassment in live comedy. Hannah got on the Zoom to Kiri to talk about the whys and hows, and they also chat The Covid Arms, and hard-core bulldog clips. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen catches up with Tamara Taylor, former England Rugby captain and player-coach at Saracens Women, to chat about Empower Her, a new women in leadership initiative by the Saracens Foundation and Shawbrook Bank.And there’s bleak, bleak, and, well, more bleak as Mick and Hannah discuss this week’s news in the Bush Telegraph, and Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 masterpiece The Last Picture Show gets Rated or Dated. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pro-feminist activist Chris Green founded the UK arm of the excellent White Ribbon campaign and, as he tells our Mick, has a lot more up his sleeve when it comes to being an excellent ally to women – and engaging more men to do the same. This is the second in our International Men’s Day 2021 series of interviews. Make sure you have a listen to Jen’s chat with comedian and author Dave Chawner about his experience of having anorexia, and eating disorder psychiatrist Dr Stephen Anderson, who is also a member of the board of trustees at Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity. And obviously, keep your eyes and ears peeled for more MANterviews in the November pipeline.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How are we going to fill these long evenings? Suggestion one: telly. This month, we're talking Succession, What We Do In The Shadows, Close To Me, Stath Lets Flats, Squid Game, Dexter: New Blood, The Outlaws and Panorama: Why Do You Hate Me? Yes, that is a lot. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zadie Smith taking on Chaucer? Big yes please. This week, Mickey is chatting to actor Clare Perkins about Smith's new play The Wife of Willesden, playing a woman with five husbands and meeting Christopher Walken. Hannah catches up with comedian and top woman Zoe Lyons, who tells us about living with alopecia and why she's decided to talk publicly about it. In Rated or Dated, we're wondering if we'd make it through dinner, as we watch 1996's The Last Supper. And there's sniggering ahoy in The Bush Telegraph, as we discuss THE big story from COP26.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's that time of year where we let some dudes talk, for a change. In the first part of our 2021 International Men's Day series, Jen chats to comedian and author Dave Chawner about his experience of having anorexia, as well as Dr Stephen Anderson, an eating disorder psychiatrist and member of the board of trustees at Beat, the Uk's eating disorder charity. They chat about what it's like to be a man suffering from an illness so typically associated with women, why eating disorders are on the rise in men, and why it's so important for those who are suffering to seek help. If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health, help is available, and you can contact Beat 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677 or beateatingdisorders.org.uk . While we've got you, Stephen is raising money for Beat by running the 2278 miles of Route 66 virtually, and has 853 left to go since starting in April. If you want to support him and support Beat, you can do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stephen-anderson23 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? HE'S HERE, PAL! Jen, Yosra and Mick recall teenage loins being aflame as, courtesy of Jen's pick, they watch Baz Lurhmann's 1996 take on the 424-year-old romantic tragedy and are reminded just how damn pretty Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes were as the star-crossed lovers. Obviously, Lurhmann gives big Bill a nod in the film's title, but how does his mangling of Sheakespeare's text, frenetic camerawork and extended MTV video vibes stand up 25 years on? Does the fish-tank scene still make us all woozy? And does anyone know what Mercutio's wanging on about in that Queen Mab speech? Find out. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pakistani-American artist and author Maliha Abidi is passionate about feminism and diversity, both of which come to the fore in her new book Rise: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World. She chatted with Mickey about art for social change, being bigged up by Malala, and staying sane on social media. In Jenny Off the Blocks, the temperature may be dropping, but rounders is going nowhere. So says Natalie Justice Dearn, CEO of Rounders England, who has some surprising information for Jen about the much-loved "summer sport". Meanwhile, there's some dangerous snoozing and unwarranted upbeat deliveries in the Bush Telegraph, and the team's swear jar is overflowing in Rated or Dated. Thanks Love Actually. Thanks a fucking bunch. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cecelia Ahern has written a lot of books, and now she's busying herself with producing and screenwriting, too. Fresh from publication of Freckles, her 18th novel, Cecelia joined Jen on the Zoom to chat about finding your tribe, befriending white van drivers, bringing the written word to the screen, and Sister Act – because why not?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back, baby! Our first gigcast in *checks calendar* a shit-long time and it’s an absolute corker. Obviously. Mickey’s joined by the boss Sarah Millican, journalist and excellent fact-haver Sam Wonfor, and co-host of smash hit podcast Shagged, Married, Annoyed Rosie Ramsey, and the conversation is WIDE RANGING to say the very least.Cheese, nans, Byker Grove, an innovative way to deal with dust bunnies, being a shit mam, Below Deck, true crime, the boss’s birthday, and bits of the Queen we’ve never thought about before all make the chat. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Diana Defries was just 16 when, like thousands of unmarried mothers in the UK between the 1940s and 1970s, she was forced to give her baby up for adoption. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has recently announced a new inquiry into these practices, and Diana told Jen about her experience, what an inquiry can achieve, and why the women affected - and their children - deserve and need an apology.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready to hide under your duvet as we travel deep into THE FEAR for this week’s podzine. Hannah’s been on the Zoom with our pal and psychotherapist Jane Watson to talk fear: where it comes from, how to beat it, when to trust it, and why cotton wool is up there with spiders and falling.Jen catches up with comedy writer Gabby Hutchinson Crouch to chat about her new book, Wish You Weren’t Here, the liminal spooksville of service stations, the horrors of 2016, and how the death of David Bowie might well have opened the Hellmouth.Sticking with the spooky theme, we’re watching 1991’s The Addams Family and at the very least having a nice time with the theme tune *click click*. The upcoming W Series finale, and a leaked report investigating bullying and harassment in horse racing are keeping Jen busy in Jenny Off The Blocks. And, because there’s nothing more scary than the real world, the team are dealing with 50 shades of shit in the Bush Telegraph. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve been enjoying our working-class content recently – Hannah’s interviews with Sophie Willan and Lynsey Hanley, and our chats about the film Rocks and the documentary Harlan County USA are all well worth your ears – then here's another doozy for you, as Mick chats with writer Natasha Carthew, the founder and director of The Working-Class Writers Festival. Natasha’s everything we love: extremely talented, generous, fiercely proud of being working-class, and a force of nature when it comes to getting fair recognition for working-class – and in particular working-class women – writers in fiction, non-fiction, and for telly and stage. The Working-Class Writers Festival takes place in real life in and around Bristol, but there are also loads of events that can be attended online. Terri White’s there, Cash Carraway’s there, Val McDermid’s there, Sadie Hasler’s there: it’s going to be brilliant. And what’s more, everything is free. Give the festival a follow @ClassFestival on Twitter or visit bristolideas.co.uk to find out more about the many excellent events taking place October 21 to 24.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you've not been watching Back To Life, you're missing out, as you'll learn from our Mickey's chat with its creator and star Daisy Haggard. They chat about research, old-school romance and crisps. Always with the crisps, those two. Meanwhile, Hannah's been on the Zoom with Catherine Cranfield to talk about Flushed, her play about premature ovarian insufficiency and in Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's shocked - SHOCKED -  by the findings of a new report into why girls are put off sport. There's a bit of Lego sticking in the throat in The Bush Telegraph, not that anyone should be putting Lego in their mouth, to be clear. And there's some tough, tough women in Rated or Dated, as we watch Barbara Kopple 1976's documentary Harlan County USA. All human life is here.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Been listening to A Home Of Our Own, the Radio 4 series that started this week? You should be. In it, journalist and author Lynsey Hanley explores Britain's broken housing market through the stories of 10 different homes, from all over the UK, and their occupants. Lynsey's the author of two books, Estates: An Intimate History, and Respectable: Crossing the Class Divide, so Hannah got on the Zoom with her to talk about the vanishing dream of getting a foot on the property ladder for many, if not most, under 40s in this country. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What the hell happened to evenings? If you want to fill the dark hours with some telly, we're here with some suggestions, including Help, Only Murders In the Building, Mr Mayor, Wolfe and The White Lotus. Plus we're chatting about the sudden surplus of Britney Spears documentaries. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The use, or rather mis-use, of non-disclosure agreements is rife in all sorts of nefarious dealings. Zelda Perkins, former assistant to Harvey Weinstein and the first to break her NDA with him, and Julie Macfarlane, a law professor who took on the Anglican Church, want to change that and they chat to Mick about their new campaign, Can’t Buy My Silence. Julie also has a book decoding the well-worn methods used by church, school and state to silence survivors, from first reporting to cross-examination to NDAs, and Going Public: A Survivor's Journey From Grief to Action is available here. Meanwhile, Jen chats to actor and playwright Merlynn Tong about her adaptation of Antigone, and why she’s written Creon as a woman, while in Jenny Off The Blocks, she’s asking can women have it all, and looking to Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg for the answers. No, really.In the Bush Telegraph, we’re wondering if flagging down a bus is really the answer to institutionalised sexism in the Metropolitan police. Plus, please imagine our best Blue Steel, as in Rated or Dated we watch cameo-tastic 2001 male model comedy, Zoolander.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actor and writer Sarah Solemani has adapted Jo Bloom's novel Ridley Road into a four-part drama for the BBC, which starts tonight. Hannah chats to Sarah about the ups and downs of adapting someone else's work, fascism, anti-semitism, and Psychoville. Because Psychoville.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Gavron and Theresa Ikoko's 2019 coming-of-age drama Rocks is our Yosra's homegrown pick for this month's deep delve into our favourite films. It’s the story of Shola, AKA Rocks (Bukky Bakray) – a 15-year-old east Londoner, and force of nature, who returns home from school to find her depressed mum gone, leaving Rocks to look after herself and her little brother – and a first-time watch for Mick and Hannah. The team chat the power of female collaboration, being a teenage girl, raising little brothers, and what they'd do to help a friend in an almost impossible situation. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nothing delights comedian Njambi McGrath more than the spice of uneasy laughter. Ahead of the Soho Theatre run of her standup show, Accidental Coconut, she chats to Mickey about mining humour from hardship, her incredible grandmother and her new Radio 4 series Njambi McGrath: Becoming Njambi. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s on the Zoom with boxer, model and activist Ramla Ali, who’s recently added ‘author’ to her arsenal, with new book, Not Without A Fight.Plus, Hannah’s bristling with righteous anger as she quite rightly gives The Lancet what for in Bush Telegraph. And grab your new skirt suits and old stereotypes, as 1996’s The First Wives Club gets Rated or Dated – and does absolutely nothing for Dunleavy’s mood.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's been a lot of life since Wham!, but Pepsi Demacque-Crockett and Shirlie Holliman-Kemp are still mates. So, it's perhaps not surprising that they've written a shared memoir, It's All In Black and White: Wham! Life and Friendship. Hannah's been on the Zoom with the pair of them to talk about playing China in the 1980s, meeting Liza Minelli, fame, family, endometriosis and, of course, the legacy of George Michael. So, almost everything there is.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since that infamous council meeting went viral earlier this year, Jackie Weaver's life both has and hasn't changed. She chats to Hannah about her new book You Do Have The Authority Here, her new podcast, and good-old local politics. Jen's been on the phone to Kat Lister to talk about being widowed young and why she decided to write about it in her memoir The Elements. Jenny Off The Blocks looks at the rise of Fallon Sherrock, and in Rated or Dated, we're watching Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Nice to spot you, Brucie, to spot you nice. And in the Bush Telegraph, we're talking about Nicky Minaj's cousin's friend's swollen balls, because the world hasn't talked about them quite enough this week.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alma’s Not Normal, Sophie Willan’s new BBC comedy is absolutely worth your time and our Hannah’s been on the phone with the writer and comedian to find out more. They talk about class, addiction, the North and a whole bunch of other topics that everyone’s got an opinion on, but not always first-hand experience. And Sophie tells us about Stories of Care, her project to help care leavers get into the arts.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talking about sexual health remains a massive taboo in British society so, as it’s Sexual Health Week, Hannah jumped on the Zoom with Lisa Hallgarten from Brook, the charity pioneering healthy sex and relationships among young people. They chat about sexual health in lockdown, consent, and how to have The Talk with your young people.Jen catches up with para-athlete Libby Clegg to talk about guide dogs, the state of disability sport, and her new book My Life With Hatti. And in Rated or Dated, there’s some big talk about Mick’s big pick: Citizen Kane – did it really inspire Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy? Meanwhile, in the Bush Telegraph, winter is coming, as we ponder who is the worst member of the current cabinet? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susannah Walker and Imogen Clark are the two (excellent) women behind Make Space For Girls, a new charity with Ronseal aims when it comes to parks and other public places.Because – get ready to feign surprise – girls are not taking up the same amount of space in our parks and public places as boys, particularly once they hit their teens. In fact, after the age of just eight years old, girls use parks less than boys. And that needs to change. Cue Make Space For Girls. Susannah and Imogen chat to our Mick about park architecture (parkitecture?), the problem with MUGAs, when it’s not helpful to chicane and the incredible progress they’ve made in changing hearts, minds and planning in the short nine months since they set up Make Space For Girls. If you Twitter, give them a follow on @MakeSpaceForGi1 or if you’re more the ‘Gram type, you’ll find them at make_space_for_girls. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's September and autumn's round the corner, so there's loads of new drama coming our way. This week Hannah and Jen chat about Vigil, Stephen, The White Lotus and Annika. Plus, they finally catch up with the really very good documentary Lorena, and Hannah has some TV-related podcast news. You're welcome.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The last 18 months have taught us a lot, including the value of public art, so Mickey's been on the Zoom with the excellent Gemma Cairney to talk about her new TV show, Landmark, and the search for someone to create a new landmark for Coventry. Jen's been chatting to filmmaker and artist Margaret Salmon about her film Icarus (After Amelia) and the impact of lockdown on women. She also picked this week's Rated or Dated, Crocodile Dundee, and you can probably guess how that went. There's also plenty o' sport, bad news from Texas in SOTW and murder hornet mayhem in BT. What more is there?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Written by a woman, directed by a woman, with a strong female lead and a creative team of loads of women, Camp Siegfried, which opens at The Old Vic on Tuesday 7 September, couldn’t be more up our strasse. As the world unknowingly sits on the brink of the Second World War, girl meets boy at summer camp Camp Siegfried, exclusively for American youth of German descent. The total head-spin of first love, the search for identity and belonging, gives way to the camp’s real aim: the preaching of Nazi ideology that will ultimately threaten to destroy them, and set the worldwide stage for global atrocity, devastation and genocide.And so, for this Chops, Mick caught up with writer Bess Wohl and director Katy Rudd to learn about the real Camp Siegfried, and what happens when all-consuming love meets all-consuming ideology. Camp Siegfried runs until October 30 and you can get tickets from oldvictheatre.com.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month it's Hannah's pick and she's taking Yosra and Jen on a coming-of-age road trip of nostalgia with 2000's Almost Famous - and some bold claims she has to make about it, too. They cover the best scenes of the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman, the wonder of Frances McDormand, the moral conundrum of yesteryear groupies, and what they would - or wouldn't - have done to make it onto Lee Ryan's tour bus (or Eddie Vedder's, for that matter).Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s once more into the breakup breech for our newlywed Mickey, who this week chats to comedian and fellow podcaster Rosie Wilby about how relationship breakdowns can equal important lessons learned and why lesbians know best when it comes to leaving. Rosie covers all this and more in her book, The Breakup Monologues. Jen’s been on the Zoom with comedian and author Shappi Khorsandi about Emma Hamilton – maid, model, dancer, prostitute and actress to mistress of Lord Nelson and the protagonist of Shappi’s new YA book, Kissing Emma. They’re also talking sharp-elbowed middle-class mums and how youngsters are failed by the system.And Hannah’s Rated or Dated pick of 1951’s A Streetcar Named Desire might out Mick as some sort of philistine, but it doesn’t stop the pair of them getting hot under the collar about the genius of Tennessee Williams. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this month, Team GB finished the Tokyo Olympic games fourth on the medal table with a massive 65 medals, equalling our London 2012 Games haul. That makes us the first country to match its medal or better its tally for two consecutive Games after hosting – hurray! In this week's Chops, Jen chats to the winners of two of those medals, Anna Hopkin, part of the 4x100m mixed medley relay gold-medal-winning team, and bronze medalist and head-kicking extraordinaire, taekwondo fighter Bianca Walkden. They both spoke to Standard Issue on behalf of Team GB and Bridgestone, proud partner of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, as part of their Chase Your Dream No Matter What campaign.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Violence against women and girls is seemingly never out of the news, but certain necessary conversations just aren't being had. Journalist Rachel Thompson wanted to address these grey areas and she talks to Jen about her new book, Rough: How Violence Made Its Way Into The Bedroom, which explores how something comes to be labelled as sexual violence – or indeed not. Meanwhile, Hannah catches up with actor Niamh Algar about Channel 4 drama Deceit, in which she stars as the policewoman charged with honey trapping Colin Stagg. They also talk about her new horror film Censor which is out in cinemas this week and already getting great reviews. Oh, and about working with Stephen Graham, because, y'know, Hannah.In Jenny off the Blocks, Jen’s talking golf for the second consecutive week, as she rounds up the latest action in women’s sport. In Rated or Dated, we’re howling at the moon/Wikipedia/Mick's attempts at doo-wop as we watch 1981’s An American Werewolf In London. And there’s unappetising beef, inspiring bikes and a well dodgy holiday policy in the Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may well have heard the rumours that motherhood can be pretty hard work at times. Guess what... the rumours are true. In this week's Chops, Jen chats to two excellent writers, Saima Mir and Mimi Aye, both contributors to the book, The Best Most Awful Job: Twenty Writers Talk Honestly About Motherhood. Jen and Saima talk about maternal rage, expectations of motherhood vs reality, and Petit Filous absolutely everywhere. And she chats with Mimi about the experience and pain of being othered - and watching your children being othered - in your own country.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s an epic challenge for our resident music expert Liz Buckley in this week podzine, as Mick asks her to cram as much info about the incredible Billie Holiday’s jam-packed short life into a 15-minute chat. Start your clocks now...Meanwhile, Jen’s been on the Zoom with journalist and writer Sophie Heawood about her excellent book The Hungover Games, and the trials and tribulations of getting accidentally knocked up. And in Jenny Off The Blocks, she is, as ever, rounding up the latest news in women's sport.We won’t beat around the Bush Telegraph, it’s a particularly bleak news week – but you probably already knew that. Hopefully some interesting chat and very angry vaginas will cheer you up, as the team give 1986’s Aliens the Rated or Dated treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actor Pandora Colin is a human joy, so our Mick was delighted to natter with her about, well, all sorts. They chat the continued dearth of decent – decent being the key word – roles for women over 35 and why maybe we’re not grateful just to be thrown a few crumbs, and the not-so-maverick white, male detective, and, given Pandora played Dr Vetrova in 2019’s incredible mini-series Chernobyl, what it’s like being in landmark telly. They also cover the joy of food and music, while Mick discovers what David Bowie, Joy Division and a Russian disaster have in common, Oh, and of course they chat about the play that Pandora is currently in, which is Bach & Sons at the Bridge Theatre. www.bridgetheatre.co.ukSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women, that's what we like on TV, and this time, we've the full gamut for you. From funny sisters in This Way Up and a hard-pressed working mum in I Am... Victoria to high school girls in Cruel Summer and an icon in Reclaiming Amy. And last, but very much not least, there are feral nuns in Lambs of God. You are welcome.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Regrets, we’ve had a few… and it probably does us the power of good to mention them. So says very wise and utterly lovely Amanda Prowse, the international best-selling novelist whose latest book, Waiting To Begin, inspired The Art of Regret – a campaign designed to get women to share their secret regrets and potentially see them turned into city-centre artworks. In this week’s podzine, she tells our Mick all about it. Also, GHOSTS IS BACK. And we are very excited. Lucky Hannah got on the blower (Zoom) to Martha Howe-Douglas, one of the writers and stars of the glorious BBC comedy to find out about writing and filming during the pandemic, playing unlikeable characters, and what’s in a name when that name is Fanny Button. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen is understandably sad about the end of the Olympics and couldn’t be less bovved about European football dramz. There’s big 60s soul (yay!) and big misogyny (boo!) as the team watch 1991’s The Commitments in Rated or Dated. Plus, rubbish numbers, greenhouse gasses, and tiny but inspiring feet in the Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is testosterone a feminist issue? Well, after reading Dr Carole Hooven's new book Testosterone: The Story Of The Hormone That Dominates And Divides Us, Hannah totally thinks it is. So, she got on the Zoom with the Harvard evolutionary biologist to chat about what testosterone – or "T" – can teach us about the differences in how boys and girls play, male aggression and DSDs, often erroneously called intersex conditions. And, perhaps, most pertinently, about why all these topics remain so controversial, and how, increasingly, politics and science don't play well together.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, Mick has Yosra and Jen watching one of her most-loved Christmas films: 1986 musical Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Muppet-master Frank Oz and starring everyone’s favourite Ghostbusters nerd, Rick Moranis. But is it a Christmas film? Well, clearly not. But can Mick convince Jen and Yosra that the songs, the Levi Stubbs-voiced man-eating plant, the bright colours and the pantomime vibe put the ho ho ho into horror fun? Find out!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s been more than a bit of grief, loss, and mental health problems doing the rounds lately, as we come out the other side of a harrowing 18 months, for many. So Mick caught up with artist The Fandangoe Kid, to talk about her new project Fandangoe Whip, and how she’s opening up conversations via the medium of ice cream – is there any better way? It’s National Allotments Week, so Hannah chats to Diane Appleyard, from the National Allotment Society, about the restorative powers of veg-growing, gooseberries, and not snogging Michael Gove. In Jenny Off The Blocks Jen is talking all things Olympics, and in Rated or Dated, oompa, loompa doompadee doo, will we think this week’s film is quite poo? That’s right, we’re watching 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Meanwhile, there’s immigration shambles, Disney fuckhousery, and peachy (ish) Schapps in the Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hate crimes are on the rise, but are far from a new phenomenon. Many of us will remember the high-profile murder of 20-year-old Sophie Lancaster in 2007, after she and her boyfriend, Rob, were brutally attacked by five boys, seemingly for being "alternative". Sophie's murder has recently inspired a major storyline on Coronation Street, so Jen caught up with Sophie's mum, Dr Sylvia Lancaster OBE, to talk about how this came about, the realities of life for alternatives, and turning hate into hope through the foundation Sylvia set up in her daughter's name. https://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An extra podcast? You are welcome, you lucky, lucky people. We’ve teamed up with Carte Noire, makers of delicious coffee and big proponents of the French art of living, to celebrate the joy of living life to the full. We’re also huge fans of YOU DO YOU, MATE! so in this episode we chat about what that means to us. For Jen, it’s cycling across America, for Mick, it’s having a nice sit down and a stare with a mug of the good stuff, and for Hannah, it’s making the decision to put herself first sometimes.And we did – of course! – get some other excellent women involved: workaholic journalist Hazel Davis talks about the importance of taking a break, mental health advocate Lucy Nichol tells us why it’s key to be true to yourself, and teacher Lucy Reynolds shares her sanity-saving (occasionally stealth) coffee rituals.  Brew up, get comfy and enjoy.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How has the pandemic affected attitudes towards Asians in the UK? And how useful a descriptor is the word Asian anyway? This week, Hannah chats to writer Ava Wong Davies about this and her episode of Future Theatre's new Fully Amplified podcast. With the Olympics in full flow, Jen's been on the blower to former European, World, Commonwealth and Olympic track cycling champion Jo Rowsell about the switch from podium to pundit and Team GB's medal hopes. Mickey's looking at Olympic outfit nonsense in Sexism of the Week and we're asking when a shark attack is not really a shark attack in BT. Plus we're pushing a bus uphill in this week's Rated and Dated and still having a lovely time, as we watch 2006's Little Miss Sunshine. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is to blame for a lack of Blue Plaques for women in London? In a way, it's all of us, as English Heritage rely on the public for nominations. In this Chops, Hannah chats to Anna Eavis, curatorial director at English Heritage, about attempts to celebrate and commemorate more women. Ellen Craft is one of the women being honoured with a Blue Plaque this year and so her nominator, Dr Hannah-Rose Murray from the University of Edinburgh, also joins the chat to talk about Ellen's incredible life. Hopefully it will inspire you to nominate some fantastic women of your own.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Splish, splash, we were… having a bath? Nah, swimming the Bristol Channel more like. Not Mick, Hannah and Jen – OBVS! – but the Henley Mermaids are undertaking this epic open-water challenge to raise cash for the Sunrise charity for brain conditions. Three fifths of them chat to Jen about the whats, whys and hows, as well as the many joys of being self-defined “middle-aged ladies”. Mick and Hannah have a bloody lovely time chatting with Georgia Pritchett, multi award-winning screenwriter of top-level telly – including Veep, Succession, and The Thick Of It – about why feelings are like pickled eggs, the wait and travelling involved in writing with other women, and why ‘Boss and Toss’ was the TV romance we all needed. The team are all wearing corduroy suits and smoking like chimneys as 1976’s All The President’s Men gets Rated or Dated. And there’s rumpy pumpy, grumpy Dutch veg sellers and way too much singing in the Bush Telegraph.  If you fancy chucking the Henley Mermaids some bunce for their wet endeavours, you can do so here: https://www.henleymermaids.com/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Thorn's new book Get Divorced, Be Happy is an account of what she’s learned over a pretty big year, a sharing of the best tips she’s picked up along the way, a huge hug for anyone going through similar and a clink of the fizz glass to female friendship. It is *hugely* uplifting. In this Chops, the Australian half of the Scummy Mummies chats to our Mick about self-reclamation, getting through life’s shitty bits, the joy as well as the tough parts of single mumming, and how what feels like the worst thing to ever happen to you could well be the best.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How are we in July already? Who knows, but if you're not planning on watching the Olympics this month, maybe you'd like to know what TV to get into your eyes and what to avoid. In this episode, Hannah and Mick finally catch up with The Nevers and tuck into the second half of Lupin, while Jen's been watching Sex/Life and it's important to point out that we didn't make her. Jen and Hannah chat about Epstein's Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell and there's other documentary news. And Mickey's been watching Together. Plus, we are varying degrees of excited about the Succession trailer, The Many Saints of Newark and the Sex & The City reboot. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered if the economy is built for men and whether or not that might be doing us all a massive disservice? You’d be right, says financial journalist Katrine Marçal. She chats to Mick about Mother of Invention, her excellent new book shining a light on how understanding the consequences of sexism in our economy could be what saves us all.  Ahead of this summer's Paralympics, disability rights charity Scope has published some shocking findings about declining rates in sports participation among the disability community of Great Britain. Jen caught up with Laura Cook to discuss the charity’s Make It Count campaign and the barriers facing disabled people looking to stay active. In the Bush Telegraph, we’re chatting about how all sorts of bellendery, rather than football, came home, and we look to cows – yes cows – for some good news. Meanwhile there's small plot, big CGI and massive cinematic ripples, as 1996’s The Frighteners gets Rated or Dated.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year marked 200 years since the birth of Anne Bronte and then, well, you know the rest. But the good people at The Bronte Parsonage aren't going to let a global pandemic rob her of a celebration and its exhibition dedicated to Anne is back in business. So Hannah got on the Zoom with events officer Lauren Livesey to chat about why the youngest Bronte is absolutely not "a lesser one", why The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is fiercely feminist, hugely complicated and potentially un-adaptable, and why your age likely affects your feelings about Anne's value. Plus Hannah puts up a spirited defence of Bramwell. She has her reasons.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much sport is too much sport? Let's find out. In this week's podcast, Jen is trying to compress Wimbledon, the Euros and the Olympics into one Jenny Off The Blocks and it's a valiant effort, if we do say so ourselves. She's also been chatting to author Zen Cho about representations of Malaysia, haunting grannies, and her new book Black Water Sister. Cinemas need bums on seats, so Hannah's been on the Zoom with our favourite film fan, Yosra Osman, to talk about what new flicks are absolutely crying out for a big-screen viewing. Mickey's got all the news about soldiers in stilettos in Sexism of the Week and we ponder a maskless world and that Bill Cosby ruling in BT. And John Singleton's debut film, 1991's Boyz N The Hood gets the Rated or Dated treatment. That sounds like a lot. It is a lot. You're welcome.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After four years of being constantly yelled at by Donald Trump, covid reports aside, it’s been eerily quiet since 46th US President Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20 this year. Independence Day seems the perfect time to have a look at how Biden’s doing, what’s currently going down in Washington and what the future may hold, and so Mickey and Hannah got on the Zoom with leading UK journalist Helen Lewis, who, as staff writer for The Atlantic, knows a thing or two about American politics. They talk reasons to be cheerful, reasons to be fearful, Biden, Harris, the role of the media, extreme Republicans, and why Facebook needs to never give Trump his account back. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's our resident film buff Yosra Osman's pick this month, and she's shamed Mick, Hannah and Jen by being the first to choose a film with a female director. Yosra's a big fan, but what do Hannah and Mick make of Amy Heckerling's iconic teen rom-com, Clueless? Is it a yes please or a *makes W with thumbs and forefingers* whatevah?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CATS. What could be better, eh? Well, how about cats + excellent comedian Suzi Ruffell? Exactly! This week, Hannah catches up with Suzi to chat cats. And if you need more info than that 1. Why, what’s wrong with you? And 2. Because in Suzi’s new Radio 4 show, My Cat, The Judge, she and her cat Velma embark on a scientific quest to find out if cats and humans can ever truly understand each other. Mow.Mick’s chatting to artist Carolyn Defrin about period power, overcoming the woo-woo and her latest project, 28 Days Greater, a 28-strong series of short films screening as part of Camden People’s Theatre’s annual Calm Down Dear festival. Jen’s talking about YouGov's Women in Sport report in Jenny Off The Blocks, while Hannah’s got the team racking their brains to remember 20-year-old pop culture refs as Rated or Dated does 2001’s Shrek. And of course – OF COURSE – there’s Hatt Mancock chat in this week’s BT, alongside how the Government should really tackle childhood obesity, and some blooming excellent news for Gibraltar.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes a book has you nodding along so furiously, you give yourself neck ache. That’s what happened when our Mickey read Girlhood, Melissa Febos’s collection of eight personal essays examining what it means to come as age as a woman and how the hell we stop landing girls with baggage they’ll carry with them for life.Mick chats to Melissa about patriarchy attacks, why it’s so difficult for girls and women to say no, “empty consent”, mums and daughters, and, erm, cuddle parties.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re baffled by computers and the like, you’re absolutely not on your own – but there's hope! This week, Mick catches up with Dr Sue Black to chat about computer science, why it’s a good idea to know at least a little bit about this witchcraft, and how Sue's new podcast, 100 Moments That Rocked Computer Science, can help you do just that. With a referendum about to take place in Gibraltar – a country with some of the harshest abortion laws in Europe – Hannah chats to Kayley Linares from Gibraltar For Yes about the campaign to change those laws and give women bodily autonomy.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's chatting Olympic hopes and a summer of sporting firsts. In Rated or Dated, Mick’s hoping no one will be cutting her heart out with a spoon, as we watch 1991’s Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. And in the Bush Telegraph, we're asking is “ministerial leadership” *really* the answer? Now what do you think?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At 27 years old, queen of chicken shop chat Amelia Dimeldonberg has been dominating content creation for the best part of a decade. As she launches Who Cares?, her new series for UKTV and Dave, she chats to Jen about capturing the mood of the nation, launching her own production company, the enigma that is Big Narstie, and Olivier Giroud's facial hair.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's loads of meaty drama to get your teeth into this month, as we chat about the last episodes of Mare of Easttown, as well as Time, The Underground Railroad, The Beast Must Die and Fargo 4. But there is time for some comedy too, because we've been watching Motherland and Inside No 9. And for those of you wondering if Inside No 9 really is a comedy, we talk about that too. Tuck in!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Refugee Week, so Mickey has been on the Zoom with Agnes Tanoh and Sam Hudson from Women For Refugee Women about how Yarl’s Wood is a prison not sanctuary, the plight of refugee women in the UK, and the fight to halt the building of a new detention centre in County Durham. Euro 2020 is finally underway, so Jen chats to Scotland Women's football manager and BBC Sport pundit, Shelley Kerr. With all this talk about "the health of the nation", Hannah's got a barrage of facts in BT that might make you question what those words mean. And, cover your eyes, The Goblin King has his indecently tight pants on in Rated or Dated, as we watch 986's Labyrinth. You have been warned.More about that St John's College study Hannah talks about in BT here: https://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/scientists-can-predict-which-women-will-have-serious-pregnancy-complicationsYou can sign Agnes’ petition to stop detaining women seeking asylum here: https://www.change.org/stop-detaining-womenYou can use this simple tool to contact your MP and ask them to take action to stop the new immigration detention centre for women: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/write-to-your-mp-hassockfieldYou can find out more about the Home Office’s plan to open the new detention centre here: https://www.refugeewomen.co.uk/stop-the-new-detention-centre/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mary Wollstonecraft is the subject of Samantha Silva’s latest book, Love And Fury, an historical fiction reanimating the life and legacy of arguably the world’s first feminist. And what a life. Samantha chats to Mickey about being an 18th Century radfem, why Wollstonecraft is still all-too relevant today, the importance of women – obvs! – and *that* Newington Green statue. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Curtis Sittenfeld’s latest novel, Rodham, imagines an alternative history for Hillary Clinton – one in which she never married Bill – and she chats to Hannah about how exactly you go about blending fact and fiction, the highs and lows of 2016, and that time Hannah predicted a tit explosion in a political debate. Rubbish research, wandering wombs and the ol’ “women are making shit up” come into play AGAIN, as Jen talks to Dr Elinor Cleghorn about women and medicine and the litany of ways women’s bodies and minds have been misunderstood throughout history, as covered in her new book Unwell Women. And in JOTB, Jen's chatting the Euros, the Paralympics and showing solidarity.The team are wearing sandals and ready to fight stop-motion beasties as Rated or Dated travels back to 1981’s Clash of the Titans to get misty-eyed over Ray Harryhausen’s creations and baffled by Laurence Olivier’s film choices. And there’s a quite frankly astonishing amount of good news in the Bush Telegraph. Also, y’know, some depressing business as usual, because the world's not tilted entirely off its axis.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best-selling author Jane Thynne's upcoming novel, Widowland, was inspired by reactions to Jane herself, after the death of her husband, fellow best-selling scribe Philip Kerr. She chats to Hannah about Widowland, and why some alternative histories are closer to reality than we might think, as well as the status of widows, in the past and today. Jane also chats refreshingly openly about her experiences of losing her husband, and how it has altered her attitudes to life, possessions and the wisdom of choosing computer passwords. Widowland, written under the pen name CJ Carey, is published on June 10.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Jen's choice and this month she takes our intrepid film explorers on a well-trodden path through Martin Scorsese's 1990 classic GoodFellas. She's joined by resident film buff Yosra Osman and our Hannah, to talk toxic masculinity, the enduring appeal of the gangster movie, and whether or not GoodFellas still amuses them. Well does it, huh?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever read a book and thought, "I'd love it if (child I know) could read it, but it's still a bit old for them?" Well, Victoria Hislop has solved that problem with at least one of those books, rewriting her novel The Island, as Maria's Island, a book for kids. Jen caught up with her to find out more, and also learned a lot about why leprosy is still a real problem in some parts of the world. Hannah's been chatting about the Celebrating City Women initiative with Wendy Hyde, from The City of London Corporation, and historian Virginia Rounding. Plus, Jen chats Naomi Osaka, mental health and the media, in Jenny Off The Blocks, and it's double Hayley Mills and piss-poor parenting ahoy as we watch 1961's The Parent Trap in Rated or Dated. Tuck in! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's Sunday Chops, Jen catches up with performance artist and author, Heather Bandenburg, to talk about her new show Mummy Vs. They had an excellent chat about getting into Luche Libre wrestling, the discovery that sport doesn't have to be shit, the hardships of lockdown parenting, and who would win a fight between Peppa Pig and, well, pretty much anyone.More info on Mummy Vs is avaialble at: https://heatherbandenburg.co.uk/mummy-vs(Photo credit: Erin Doherty)Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s hard for teenage girls to make their voices heard at the best of times, let alone in the midst of a global pandemic. This week Mick chats to playwright and co-director of Illumine Theatre, Lisa Parry, who's written an excellent play, The Merthyr Stigmatist, about just this. They also talk about small-town Wales, and that time a cockatiel decapitated the baby Jesus.  Prepare for your mind to be blown as Hannah gets on the Zoom with writer Judith Mackrell, to talk about her new book Going With The Boys: Six Extraordinary Women Writing From The Front Line, a group biography of six incredible women working as Second World War correspondents.  In Jenny off the Blocks, Jen’s got beef with clay as she gives us the lowdown on the French Open, and in Rated or Dated, we're hailing the four corners of shite special effects as we watch 1996's The Craft. Dig in!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Misuse of Drugs Act, so Hannah's been on the Zoom to Jane Slater, of the campaign group Transform Drugs, to talk about where and why reform is needed. They discuss the pressure UK drugs laws put on the justice system, prisons and health services, as well as communities and individuals, why we have fallen so far behind other countries when it comes to marijuana policy, and why a law that's not enforced equally shouldn't be enforced at all. Have at it.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What have the Greek myths ever done for us? Loads, it turns out, as writer, broadcaster, classicist and comedian Natalie Haynes explains to Mickey in this week’s podzine. They chat about how the Classics still resonate, why they’re for everyone, and how the women in Greek myth have been given short shrift by (relatively) modern interpreters. What a surprise, eh?We can all agree that panic attacks are fucking horrible, but they’re still quite often dismissed or lumped in with other mental health issues. Jen chats to mental health advocate Claire Eastham, who has had 371 panic attacks and so is perfectly placed to discuss why they happen and how to deal with them; something she also covers in her new book F**K I THINK I'M DYING.The answer to the weekly question Rated or Dated is plain as day, schweedhaaart, as the team watch Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies and take turns doing Brenda Blethyn impressions. Plus, there’s football chat and Alex Scott celebrations in Jenny Off The Blocks, and an exciting experiment, a Matlock car-park, and a need for women in the Bush Telegraph. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’ll no doubt recognise award-winning actor Rakie Ayola from her wide-ranging stuff on the telly – from Black Mirror to EastEnders to Doctor Who to Noughts + Crosses to Holby City – or you may have seen her at the theatre in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime or as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter And The Cursed Child or, most recently, in her award-winning turn as Noni in On Bear Ridge at the Royal Court. As of tomorrow, Monday 17 May, you can catch Rakie as DS Holland in The Pact, Little Door’s new six-parter for BBC Wales. It's a tense, gripping thriller about a mysterious death and its impact on a group of four female friends who make a terrible decision. You can watch it on BBC One each Monday at 9pm or, if you’re an impatient telly watcher, the whole series will also be on iPlayer from May 17. Our Mickey caught up with Rakie to chat about the enduring pull of crime dramas, how the boring trope of dead, naked woman needs to jog on, the need for more menopausal women on telly, the joy of Wales, learning Welsh – and underestimating Wales at your peril. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lots of returning BBC comedy series this month, but we still had time to take a look at the finale of Line of Duty, Viewpoint and its ensuing shitshow, Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown and Ian Wright's Home Truths. We tackle one of those newly-returned series, This Time With Alan Partridge, and Hannah's also been laughing at Leonardo, although not sure that's what they were hoping when they made it. And Mick's been learning about makeup and its glamorous history in, er, MakeUp: A Glamourous History. Tuck in!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The old world slowly returns, so Hannah's been on the blower to Standard Issue fave and new comedian Vix Leyton to chat about how she's salvaged a good year from a very bad one and our gradual reset to "normal". With Covid vaccine take-up still low among black and ethnic minority communities, Jen's been chatting to the Runnymede Trust's Halima Begum to find out why, as well as what the proposed Covid passport (er, no thanks) might mean for those groups. There's maternity rights in Jenny Off The Blocks, and in Sexism of the Week, Mickey's got some startling figures about how harassment affects women while jogging. We're all about last week's election, and reactions to it, in the Bush Telegraph and in Rated or Dated, we watch one of the boss's favourite films, Thelma Louise. No pressure.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For millennia, men have written the narrative around women's bodies and sexuality, and this applies to visual representations too, says Dr Catherine McCormack, art historian, independent curator, and author of the new book Women In The Picture: Women, Art And The Power Of Looking. Jen caught up with Catherine to talk about just that, as well as the debate around censorship and whitewashing history, the difference between liberation and exploitation, and errrr, Nuts magazine.Catherine refers to historic allegations of abuse made against film director and actor Woody Allen. Allen has vehemently and consistently denied these.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Masturbation, owed orgasms, shame, grief and the word 'moist': all of them get a look-in during Mick's wide-ranging chat with excellent poet Hollie McNish, whose brilliant new book, Slug is a bona-fide gem. Hannah catches up with Julie Gearey, writer and creator of new SkyOne sci-fi series Intergalactic, to chat the joys of a feminist Con Air in particular, and women in sci-fi in general.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's loving the work of Katie Taylor and Emma Hayes, and there’s a need for greater respect the American taxpayer in this week’s Rated or Dated, Top Gun. Plus there’s dodgy ‘dos, dodgy deeds, and generally too much news in the Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leone Ross’s incredible third novel, This One Sky Day (published as Popisho in the US), is a joyous magic realism adventure into self-acceptance and the power of people. It led to Leone and our Mick having a wide-roaming natter, which covers self-discovery, self-acceptance, the joy of sauce, the food we need, workaday magical powers, the power of pum-pums (vulvas, if you’re wondering), transformative sex, politics with a big and a small ‘P’, imagining an island with no colonial history and the evergreen glory of the word ‘fuck’. Before you dig in, an apology: at the time of the interview, Mick didn’t notice Leone’s jewellery jangle, which you will hear throughout the chat (despite her best editing). You will get used to it though, promise.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month Mick takes us on a nostalgic voyage as the team revisits one of her childhood favourites, 1980's Leslie Nielson comedy vehicle, Airplane! Daft as you like and full to the brim with gags, but just how recently has Mick watched it and how will her Millennial co-pilots, Yosra and Jen, feel about it?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you feel about being sad? It might be hard to feel good about it, but journalist Helen Russell has some excellent reasons to stop fearing it, as she chats to our Jen about her new book, How To Be Sad: Everything I've Learned About Getting Happier, By Being Sad, Better. Mick’s been on the Zoom with Lara Parmiani, artistic director of Legal Aliens Theatre Company, to chat about Things I Am Not, a ten-part series of podcasts turning assumptions around migrant women on their head. There are super-leagues, mega-bucks, and Red Roses in Jenny Off The Blocks; dodgy dealings, hope, hard work, and great knobs of the ocean in The Bush Telegraph, and modern girls, modern boys, but no sports bras in Rated or Dated, as the team watches 1981’s Gregory’s Girl.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Personal testimony is a powerful part of the national debate about sexual abuse and in this week's Chops, Hannah gets on the Zoom with Journalist Lizzy Dening to find out more about her website Survivor Stories. They chat about how lockdown has impacted survivors of sexual abuse, how "telling your story" can help you to move on and why the words "what was she doing out at that hour?" should get in the bin forever.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world is opening up again, but do all of us feel ready for it? Mick's been on the phone with Standard Issue's favourite psychotherapist, Jane Watson, to find out how to ease ourselves back into the old normal and what to do if we like the new normal too much for that. Jen catches up with Faye Bell, founder of Strong and Bendy fitness studio to chat about post-Covid gymming. In Rated or Dated, we talk mud pies, upskirting and the late Rik Mayall as we watch 1991's Drop Dead Fred. The Church of England, Hatt Mancock and a woman's right to choose what happens to her own body all get a look-in in The Bush Telegraph. And then there's Pinky Gloves. WTAF?S