Big Small Talk

We are back for part two of our series on Pauline Hanson, and things are not looking good. It’s 2003, the authorities have come knocking, and Pauline is staring down a criminal trial.

In our final episode, we track Hanson’s return to parliament and meteoric rise in popularity. Her reality television rebrand, her 

We ask ourselves: how do we make sense of Pauline Hanson? Is there a One Nation without her? Can you build a movement on anger? And what happens when the major parties stop speaking to a chunk of the country.

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Sarah kicks us off with a breakdown of the Lindsay Clancy trial unfolding in the US right now - who she is, what happened, the evidence we’ve heard in court and the reality of trial by TikTok.

Hannah then talks through the latest developments in the Sydney Swans scandal, with multiple players now stood down from the club, plus the powerful show of support for the Swans women’s team over the weekend.

Plus, the girls unpack the VMA nominations (Olivia Rodrigo snubbed?!), the latest changes to the NDIS, and finally… what the hell is going on with KATSEYE?

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Pip Northeast is the breakout star of Netflix’s My Brilliant Career, currently one of the Top 10 shows in the world.

But forget everything you’ve been told about getting ahead at work.

After chatting about taking on one of Australia’s most iconic stories - and the woman behind it all, Miles Franklin, we put the career advice we’ve all been fed to the test. Should you really “lean in”? Do you actually need a mentor? Can you be in love and have a career? 

Pip gives us her verdict on the best, worst and most outdated career advice, with insights into her own experiences. 

My Brilliant Career is out now on Netflix.

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First up, Hannah takes us through reports that three teenage boys from one of Sydney’s most expensive private boys schools – The Scots College – were arrested on charges of sexual assault. She also talks about Victoria Police’s investigation into the Sydney Swans.

Sarah dives into the business scandal that could see Bill Gates’ 23-year-old daughter go to prison. A fashion tech startup, a billionaire nepo baby, and a bunch of celebrity investors? Sounds like the making of a Netflix series.

Plus, AOC freezes her eggs, the world mourns Hayden Panettiere, what happened to Jason Arday, and One Nation is one of the “gayest” parties!?

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This ep was produced by Sarah Jane Adams and Justine Landis-Hanley

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Everyone has an opinion on AI. Some say it's the inevitable future. Others think it'll take our jobs, fuel misinformation, and hand even more power to Big Tech and billionaires.

This week, Sarah sits down with bestselling author, technologist and journalist Cory Doctorow to unpack whether AI really is the future or just a wildly overhyped tech bubble.

They also dive into Cory's theory of the "reverse centaur", why bosses and billionaires are so obsessed with AI, why he believes it's one of the dumbest financial investments of our time, and where Australia fits into the global AI race.

Cory Doctorow appears at Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas from 22-23 August and Now or Never on 25 August at Melbourne's The Capitol, presented by The Wheeler Centre.

Cory's books mentioned in this episode: 

 Enshittifcation: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It

The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence Before It's Too Late

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First up, Hannah unpacks the ABC’s apology to Gina Rinehart over comments made during its new Gen Z-coded show, Race Around the World. What’s really upsetting people here – the fact the public broadcaster said sorry OR who it is saying sorry to?

Sarah talks about the OpenAI luxury influencer brand trip (yep you read that right). The theme? Eco-friendly summer camp. Think farm-to-table meals, beekeeping, and cognitive dissonance.

The girls how TikToker Sydney Towle changed the way we see cancer, and why Abdul El-Sayed’s monumental Michigan Senate nom could shake-up the Democratic party.

Plus, Role Model loves Dakota Johnson, Olivia Rodrigo’s normie finance boyfriend, and Gracie Abrams has Phoebe Bridges’ sheets!?

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This ep was co-produced by Sarah-Jane Adams and Justine Landis-Hanley 

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When did women become expected to grow out of having fun?

This week, Sarah is joined by Happy Hour hosts Lucy & Nikki to chat about dating as a party girl, whether men are intimidated by fun, successful women, being on the apps and why your friendships shouldn't disappear just because you're in a relationship.

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BSTies – it’s been a week!

Sarah talks about Ariana Grande’s new album (which has sparked intense online debate around her appearance), as well as her decision to step away from public life. The girls chat about why we need to be careful in these conversations concerning Ariana’s body and health, but also about the dangers of collective silence.

Hannah dives into how a rogue OpenAI escaped its container and hacked another company. And just a few days later, Anthropic (the company behind Claude) revealed that THEIR model had done the same thing three times. Yay.

Plus, a Nantucket store goes viral for putting up a “No Influencers” sign, former NRL player and BookTok sweetheart Luke Bateman outs gambling companies at a Senate inquiry, and Nara Smith is actively walking back her #tradwife label.

Oh, and everybody please welcome producer Justine!

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This week, Sarah sits down with historian, author and educator Dr Esme Louise James, creator of Kinky History, to explore the fascinating history of sex, desire and shame. Esme explains how many of the things we consider "new" or "unnatural" have actually existed for millennia, and how our modern attitudes towards sex have been shaped by history, religion, medicine, law and power.

They also discuss Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated film The Odyssey, and why Esme believes it stripped away the complexity of its female characters and sanitised the role sex played in Homer's original epic.

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If you grew up watching Anastasia, chances are you believed there was always a chance the youngest Romanov princess escaped. But the true story behind one of history's most enduring mysteries is even more extraordinary than the film.

In this special two-part crossover with Ainslie Harvey's The Hot History Podcast, Sarah is joined by historian and host Ainslie to uncover the true story behind the world's most famous grand duchess. Together, they explore the rise and fall of the Romanov dynasty, Rasputin's influence, the Russian Revolution, the family's final days, and the mystery that captivated the world for decades: did Anastasia really survive?

Part Two is out now. 

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