Tim Minchin: "Arty Farty Echo Chambers"
How do you escape the shaming of the mob when you're a public figure with original ideas? Tim Minchin is one of the most successful creatives Australia has ever produced. He wrote the music and lyrics for Matilda the Musical, which won more Olivier Awards than any other show in history at the ti…
“Racial Identity in Europe” with Thomas Chatterton Williams
First things first: The Uncomfortable Conversations LIVE touring empire is expanding, with live shows in Sydney and Melbourne in August with the inimitable Coleman Hughes. Tickets are selling fast. Get yours now. Don’t miss out: Sydney https://bit.ly/Coleman-Szeps-Syd Melbourne https://bit.ly/C…
"Is Josh a 'Bad Gay'?" with Alastair Lawrie
When Sydney's biggest broadsheet newspaper published an opinion piece by Josh on the occasion of the Mardi Gras Gay Pride Parade, it triggered a backlash from some in the LGBT+ community. One of Josh's attackers was a prominent activist, Alastair Lawrie, the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the J…
“Trump’s Prognosis” with David Frum
Well, what happens now? Does Donald Trump win? Does he lose? To whom? What are we all in for? On the eve of Trump’s coronation as the Republican presidential candidate at the party’s National Convention this week, he was narrowly shot in an apparent assassination attempt at a rally. Is this t…
"Is Trans Ideology Harming Transsexuals?" with Dana Beyer
"Transsexual" sounds like an old-fashioned term. But it describes a real medical condition in which your brain has the opposite sex from your body. Are transsexuals threatened by newer gender-queer, non-binary theories of sex? Dr Dana Beyer says so. She's one of the most influential and effectiv…
“Boomers vs Millennials” with Dr Jean Twenge
Boomers. Millennials. Gen X. Gen Z. Are you actually in control of your feelings about gender fluidity, social media, streaming television, laptops, jumbo jets and the pill, or have you absorbed the norms of your generation? Dr Jean Twenge is a psychology professor who's been studying large, nat…
“Authoritarianism in Europe” with Péter Krekó
Europe is holding its breath ahead of France’s parliamentary elections, in which a “far right” party could win power for the first time since WWII. The hero of 21st-century right-wing European triumphalism is Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán. Many European far-right candidtaes are his devo…
“So… What Can the Democrats Do Now?” with Yascha Mounk
President Biden’s catastrophic debate performance has left many people worried about his electoral chances against Donald Trump. At this late stage, is there any way out? Here, you get a double feature. In the first half-hour, Josh shares his reaction to the debate and his advice on Democratic m…
JUST JOSH: Having a Dad with Alzheimer's
Why does the death of some people punch us in the gut, and others slide by? Does your way of grieving indicate what you value in life? Judith Whelan died last night. She was 62. She was Josh’s mentor, his champion, his arch-defender, playmate, and confidante, despite being his boss’s boss’s boss…
“Why the Kids Aren’t Alright” with Dr Billy Garvey
What's up with kids these days? ADHD. Autism. Bullying. Toxic boys. Self-harming girls. Social media addiction. Coddled teens. Anxious parents. A lot of folks are wringing their hands about the young-un's mental health. Josh thought he'd pick the brain of one of the world's leading experts who actu…