A Rational Fear

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G’day Fearmongers,

The privilege of being a white guy with a podcast is that you get to talk to your heroes, record those conversations and then share them with your friends, acquaintances, and 10,000 of you — our fellow fearmongers.

In this episode Jon Ronson joins us to talk about psychopathy, the evolution of public shaming in the late social media era, we try to tease out of him what his experience was like on #QandA, we touch on Trump, and then Jon tells us this incredible anecdote about sneaking into Bohemian Grove with Alex Jones. It’s wild.

The video of this podcast is ready to view only on Patreon

If you’re the kind of person who’d rather watch an un-edited version of this chat — you can — by simply joining the Patreon for as little as $4 a month.

You can go see Jon live on stage around Australia this month with his psychopath nights tour. 🎟️ fane.com.au

Cheers

Dan

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Salam Fearmongers,

This week we’re connecting with two of our favourite friends of the pod who are wandering around the hall of COP29 in Baku, Azerbijan.

Linh Do & Richie Merzian.

We chat negotiations, financial commitments and how no one at COP is even talking nuclear. And how that dead whale on the shores of Baku (on the land-locked Caspian Sea), rattled everyone on Day 1 of the climate talks.

Read more about that whale.

Richie and Linh also chat about Australia's bid for COP31, the quality of the meals in the football stadium where COP is being held this year, and, of course, climate celebrity sightings. Yeah, we’re TMZ now!

Cheers

Dan

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Howdy Fearmongers,

Trying to make sense of the US Elections is a fools errand.

Well, consider us your fools.

I spent Wednesday afternoon not being able to do work, or anything really, the limit of my motor skills maxed out at flipping between live YouTube channels of US based news and refreshing the NYT app. This was the wrong choice. If I’ve learned anything from following US elections — no one knows anything, and everyone is making it up.

As the red wave continued to spill across the USA I said “F it”, and walked to the pub. My wife and I sat in the spring afternoon sun, drinking a non-alcoholic beer, (because I’m now a soy boy that has been fully cucked) and feeling grateful that we live in Australia, and surely, nothing like that could happen here. Right? 🥔

On this week’s pod we chat with US comedian, journalist, activist and friend of the pod Francesca Fiorentini (The Bitchuation Room), and also we’re lucky enough to grab Amy Remeikis in between meetings at her new gig at the Australia Institute.

We have a big conversation analysing why the Democratic party lost this election, and what another Trump administration means for climate action and what if a social media ban is just a cynical attempt at stopping 13 year olds being radicalised by Joe Rogan.

Cheers

Dan

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Howdy Fearmongers,

We’re in the home stretch — at the time of publishing, there’s only 6 days left until Americans everywhere skip work, neglect their families, and dodge bullets to line up in droves to spend a few good hours deciding who will be the comptroller, dog catcher, deputy sheriff, parking tsar, book stacker and President of the USA.

Recorded in Texas, this episode of A Rational Fear brings together a couple of Austin based poliphiles 🐘 Republican devotee James Donald Forbes McCann and 🫏 Democrat dedicatee Eve Ellenbogan as they grapple with some of the big issues facing the country in this — the Season Finale of the United States of America.

And as for me — well I may as well have turned my mic off.

Follow James Donald Forbes McCann on his podcast HERE.

And you can follow Eve Ellenbogan on Instagram HERE.

Summary

In this episode of Irrational Fear, host Dan Ilic and guests discuss the current political climate in the U.S., focusing on the upcoming elections, the role of comedy in politics, and the implications of recent Trump rallies. They delve into the hypocrisy of political values, immigration policies, and economic reforms, while also addressing media endorsements and the influence of billionaires like Jeff Bezos. The conversation touches on Israel's political stance and the integrity of the electoral system, culminating in a humorous yet critical examination of the state of democracy.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Patreon Support

01:51 Political Climate and Upcoming Elections

03:29 Trump Rally and Comedy in Politics

10:43 Hypocrisy in Political Values

12:36 Immigration and Border Policies

20:22 Economic Policies and Taxation

25:08 Media Endorsements and Jeff Bezos

29:07 Israel and Political Stances

37:24 Election Integrity and Voting Systems

Thanks as always for downloading A Rational Fear — if you can chip into the Patreon or if you can’t shoot us a response on the listener survey.

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Here's all the fun stuff you get when you sign up to Patreon.

🎧 Get an ad-free and sponsor free version of the show.

🎟 Get early access and discounts to live shows.

🎥 Get early access to final videos, and draft edits of upcoming videos.

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If you enjoyed this please drop us a review on Apple podcasts:

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Welcome to the JokeTober episode.

Throughout October I had the privilege to run some satirical comedy workshops for 2SER, a community radio station in Sydney

Part of the “prize” of being selected as a JokeTober co-hort they got some actual jokes published on the A Rational Fear podcast — we set them a challenge to write a satirical come up with 3 satirical comedy sketches that were all recorded last Monday at the 2SER studios in Sydney.

And we’re playing those for you here!

Also with Lewis and I ripping into them providing constructive feedback.

JokeTober was such great fun. Big thanks to Paula Kruger for having us along, and to our mega brains who came along to share their comedy knowledge; Lewis Hobba, Cale Bain, Bec Melrose , Dylan Behan, John Delmenico, and Mark Humphries .

The cohort are a talented bunch and will no doubt be making biting satirical comedy for your ears for years to come. (Except Adam, who insists on being negged)

Thanks as always for downloading A Rational Fear — if you can chip into the Patreon or if you can’t shoot us a response on the listener survey.

🤑 CHIP IN TO OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ARationalFear

Here's all the fun stuff you get when you sign up to Patreon.

🎧 Get an ad-free and sponsor free version of the show.

🎟 Get early access and discounts to live shows.

🎥 Get early access to final videos, and draft edits of upcoming videos.

👨🏼‍⚖️ Make show suggestions.

💬 Get a link to the A Rational Fear discord.

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G'day Fearmongers,

This week we’re joined by Emerson Brophy and Hannah Ferguson.

While the NACC is getting knackered, climate action is getting neutered, and action on cost of living is nixed. Albo is really getting into shrinkflation.

albomp

A post shared by @albomp

Because some extra chips in a packet is going to solve how much that packet costs — thank goodness — without this new push, we wouldn’t have laws to protect consumers on this issue.

Oh — checks notes — we already do. They’ve been around since 2010.

This must be sweet relief to the compliance officers at Coles and Woolworths who have definitely been compliant for the last 15 years.

Also on the podcast we’re talking Trump Bibles and Fat Bears.

Thanks as always for downloading A Rational Fear — if you can chip into the Patreon or if you can’t shoot us a response on the listener survey.

Cheers

Dan

In this episode, Dan Ilic and his guests discuss a range of topics from Dan's recent debut on 'Home and Away' to audience engagement through surveys. They delve into political commentary, particularly focusing on the Australian Prime Minister's attention to trivial issues like chip packaging while neglecting more pressing matters like the cost of living. The conversation shifts to a controversial initiative in Oklahoma regarding the purchase of Bibles for schools, highlighting the selective interpretation of the Constitution and the implications of such actions. In this episode, the hosts explore the absurdity of modern merchandise, particularly focusing on the overwhelming presence of Bluey merchandise in children's lives. They also discuss the humorous and body-positive celebration of Fat Bear Week, highlighting the victory of a bear named 128 Grazer. The conversation wraps up with reflections on the themes discussed and plugs for upcoming projects from the guests.

Takeaways

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G’day Fearmongers,

UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer had one of the all time gaffes in politics this week — demanding at the Labour conference that Hamas “Free the sausages” immediately he spat out “Free the Hostages” — with a look on his face that screamed “no one heard the sausage thing…right?” — but alas it was too late.

There is nothing much funny about the middle east situation right now. This however is a gaffe that will stand the test of time. Perhaps it is so funny that waring sides in the middle east will come together in harmony and have a good old laugh over small goods. But sausages are pork products so by their inbuilt politic are antisemitic. Shame on you Kier Starmer.

On the podcast this week we have David Rose, Sashi Perera, as well as Scott Mitchell who is on the trail with Lachlan Morton as he loops Australia by bicycle — Follow his journey and donate to his fundraiser HERE.

At the time of writing this email Lachy was already on his way out of Sydney — he’s flying! (Figuratively)

Thanks as always for downloading A Rational Fear — if you can chip into the Patreon or if you can’t shoot us a response on the listener survey.

Cheers

Dan

In order to get a new sponsor for A Rational Fear we need to find out more about you! So please jump into our survey and answer a few questions — it’s totally anonymous — we won’t Medibank you, we swear! CLICK HERE

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Here's all the fun stuff you get when you sign up to Patreon.

🎧 Get an ad-free and sponsor free version of the show.

🎟 Get early access and discounts to live shows.

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👨🏼‍⚖️ Make show suggestions.

💬 Get a link to the A Rational Fear discord.

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Charlotte George, Zach Mander, Wayne Smith, Lewis Hobba, Dan Ilic

G’day Fearmongers,

This week Peter Dutton took his Nuclear dog for a walk in Sydney and it off the leash at the CEDA conference in Sydney — the Committee for Economic Development of Australia — a very pro industry think tank that really enjoys taking government money and making things for fun and profit. This line from RenewEconomy’s publisher Giles Parkinson summed up who was in the room aside from a smattering of bankers:

And we can guarantee you won’t learn anything new from listening to the podcast this week either — but you will have fun. We talk about Dutton no-plans, and Zach Mander takes us shopping in Australia’s poshest Vinnies, and Charlotte George tells us about the Victorian Government’s plan to demolisth 44 block of public housing without any reasoning behind it whatsoever!

Charlotte has also just launched her comedy web series Buried which is very dark, and very funny for every parent who hasn’t had quite enough sleep (Lewis?). It stars the very funny Miriam Glaser and stars a bunch of Australian comedy legends.

Click to watch Buried on YouTube.

In order to get a new sponsor for A Rational Fear we need to find out more about you! So please jump into our survey and answer a few questions — it’s totally anonymous — we won’t Medibank you, we swear! CLICK HERE

🤑 CHIP IN TO OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ARationalFear

Here's all the fun stuff you get when you sign up to Patreon.

🎧 Get an ad-free and sponsor free version of the show.

🎟 Get early access and discounts to live shows.

🎥 Get early access to final videos, and draft edits of upcoming videos.

👨🏼‍⚖️ Make show suggestions.

💬 Get a link to the A Rational Fear discord.

If you enjoyed this please drop us a review on Apple podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-rational-fear/id522303261

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G'day Fearmongers,

Big thanks to Ampel and Myrtle & Pine Studio for lending us their podcast studio to record this week's A Rational Fear in person.

We have in the studio Grace Tame, and Punter's Politics, as well as Lewis Hobba and me (Dan Ilic).

This week we discuss the Murdoch family's legal battles, the controversy surrounding the Australian remake of The Office, and environmental concerns related to the Betaloo Basin.

And here’s a quick plug — Grace Tame is touring around the country this month in conversation with various people including me in Sydney and Melbourne — she’s also going to Canberra and Brisbane. 🎟️ Get tickets here.

Thanks always for listening to A Rational Fear — if you can chip into the Patreon, or a the very least leave a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll read them out on air.

Cheers,

Dan Ilic

Takeaways

• The podcast humorously critiques current events and societal issues.
• The Murdoch family's internal dynamics are complex and contentious.
• Legal battles within the Murdoch family reflect broader media power struggles.
• The remake of The Office in Australia has sparked significant debate.
• Public reactions to media adaptations often mirror past controversies.
• Environmental concerns are often overshadowed by corporate interests.
• The Betelgeuse Basin represents a critical environmental issue in Australia.
• Political commentary reveals public skepticism towards government actions.
• Humor serves as a tool for discussing serious topics.
• The podcast encourages listeners to engage critically with the news.

🤑 CHIP IN TO OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ARationalFear

Here's all the fun stuff you get when you sign up to Patreon.

🎧 Get an ad-free and sponsor free version of the show.

🎟 Get early access and discounts to live shows.

🎥 Get early access to final videos, and draft edits of upcoming videos.

👨🏼‍⚖️ Make show suggestions.

💬 Get a link to the A Rational Fear discord.

If you enjoyed this please drop us a review on Apple podcasts:

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If Patreon isn't your thing, and Apple Subscriptions are too Appley — chip in with A-Cast here: https://plus.acast.com/s/a-rational-fear-1.

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In this episode of A Rational Fear, the hosts discuss a range of topics including the impact of Russian funding on YouTube influencers, the effectiveness of political propaganda, and a detailed analysis of the recent US presidential debate. They also touch on the upcoming COP31 climate conference and its implications for Australia. The conversation is filled with humour and insightful commentary on the current political landscape.

Takeaways

• The influence of Russian funding on political messaging is significant.
• Tim Pool's case exemplifies the intersection of media and propaganda.
• Polarisation strategies are effective in shaping public opinion.
• Influencers play a crucial role in disseminating political messages.
• The recent US presidential debate showcased contrasting strategies between candidates.
• COP31 presents both challenges and opportunities for Australia in climate discussions.
• The hosts emphasise the importance of questioning funding sources in media.
• Humour is a key element in discussing serious political issues.
• The dynamics of political debates can shift public perception.
• Future episodes will continue to explore these themes in depth.

🤑 CHIP IN TO OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ARationalFear

Here's all the fun stuff you get when you sign up to Patreon.

🎧 Get an ad-free and sponsor free version of the show.

🎟 Get early access and discounts to live shows.

🎥 Get early access to final videos, and draft edits of upcoming videos.

👨🏼‍⚖️ Make show suggestions.

💬 Get a link to the A Rational Fear discord.

If you enjoyed this please drop us a review on Apple podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-rational-fear/id522303261

If Patreon isn't your thing, and Apple Subscriptions are too Appley — chip in with A-Cast here: https://plus.acast.com/s/a-rational-fear-1.

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