Not Stupid

Pope Francis was the most humble Pope in living memory, so has he shaped the future of Catholicism? For some, he was too much and for others, not enough. Jez and Jules chat about his legacy and the future of the Catholic Church. And we asked you about incorrect lyrics or "mondegreens" and you have so many great examples. 

SHOW NOTES

Peter Kay's misheard lyrics: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7my5baoCVv8&t=206s

Jeremy's pick of the week: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/love-sex/relationships/a64444507/men-asking-chatgpt-for-dating-advice/

Julia's pick of the week: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/fifty-years-ago-this-irresistible-disco-song-and-dance-craze-swept-the-nation-and-changed-the-music-landscape-180986460/

Katy Perry went to space with a group of famous women, so was it one giant leap for womankind or just a really weird marketing blunder? We have a lot of thoughts.

And what do we want from our leaders? We are half way through the election campaign and it has got us thinking about what makes a good leader.

JULES' PICK: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/voyager-1s-pale-blue-dot/

The HBO TV drama "White Lotus" focuses on a number of very rich and in many ways deeply unpleasant people. So why are we so fascinated by the lives of the super rich? And the US has dominated the global news this week with Donald Trump’s new tariffs, but Jules and Jez are keen to talk about deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE. Since Donald Trump returned to the Presidency, tens of thousands of people have been arrested and it's leading to a lot of fear for migrants and for people planning on travelling to the US. 

SHOW NOTES

Buy tickets to our live show in Sydney ! https://www.swf.org.au/program/season-2025/not-stupid-live-with-julia-baird-and-jeremy-fernandez

Jules' pick: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/30/world/plants-make-sounds-scn

The election campaign is in full swing, but when it comes to the news you consume, who do you trust? The ALP offered to pay travel expenses so some influencers could go to the Federal Budget lock-up. So did it get the Government favourable coverage? Or find audiences who just aren't listening to the mainstream media? And we've heard from so many teachers about the Netflix show, Adolescence. Lots of them have ideas about how we talk to boys. And because we like to tackle the big topics, Jez has been pondering the meaning of life.

SHOW NOTES

Rebecca Sparrow on Adolescence: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasparrow72/p/DH3KKfNBnxa/?img_index=2

Tom Holland "Umbrella" Lip Sync Battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPCJIB1f7jk

JEZ PICK: The Meaning of Life: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/22/what-is-the-meaning-of-life-15-possible-answers-from-a-palliative-care-doctor-a-holocaust-survivor-a-jail-inmate-and-more

JULES PICK: Paddington Bear statue: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/judge-reprimands-thieves-in-bear-statue-heist-your-actions-were-the-antithesis-of-everything-paddington-stands-for-180986337/

The Netflix drama, Adolescence, has been watched millions of times in the last week and it is raising a lot of questions about masculinity and how we treat boys. So why this series has hit such a nerve?

And Jez was in Canberra for the Federal Budget, so what is the government offering and have we lost the capacity for long term planning?

Buy tickets to our Sydney show here: https://www.swf.org.au/program/season-2025/not-stupid-live-with-julia-baird-and-jeremy-fernandez

SHOW NOTES

Donald Trump portrait removed: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-26/donald-trump-portrait-removed-from-colorado-state-capitol/105096442

George W Bush's portraits https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-26890910

Blobfish is the fish of the year https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l125d0597o

US President, Donald Trump, is slashing diversity programs in the US, so is DEI over here too? Jules and Jez chat about what might happen in Australia. Also, Elon Musk says he has a prescription for ketamine and it comes at a time when the use of the drug in Australia is at an all time high. And Jules is obsessed with the story of the two astronauts who have spent nine months in space.

Come to our Sydney show! https://www.swf.org.au/program/season-2025/not-stupid-live-with-julia-baird-and-jeremy-fernandez

SHOW NOTES

Astronauts arrive back https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-18/iss-arrival-back-in-us-after-months-stuck-in-space/105064762

Club apologises after sports star found alive https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/clydxyv94k8o

After being slammed by the tabloids for the best part of decade, Meghan Markle (or is it Sussex?) has emerged with jam and cake and maybe a bit too much perfection. Jules has thoughts. And in the wake of ex-Cyclone Alfred, politicians have been pitching in and helping out. So what do we want from our leaders in a time of crisis?

SHOW NOTES

What we want in a leader https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656620300787

With Love, Meghan https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-05/with-love-meghan-markle-duchess-sussex-review-netflix/105009410

Grandmother gets X-rated AI message https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l1kpz3w32o

Scottish Elevator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMS2VnDveP8

Brighton Man breaks record on crutches https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2gkvn0k9vo

Julia Baird and Jeremy Fernandez have been in Adelaide for their first live show as part of Adelaide Writers' Week. It was a chat about the news, hope, awe and sparkly suits. If you missed it in Adelaide, here is a taste!

The news can be a lot. And sometimes it feels hard to keep up and difficult to keep paying attention. So how do we cope when the world is full of triggering news? 

It's been three years since Russia invaded Ukraine and the US President Donald Trump says its time to make a deal. But he is also rewriting history with the American president saying Ukraine has been the aggressor all this time. Jules and Jez have been doing some fact checking. And how do you itemise the amount of work you do in a week? Elon Musk wants people to write lists of their weekly achievements, so will it work?

SHOW NOTES

Anne Applebaum on Ukraine: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/02/putins-three-years-of-humiliation/681810/

Jules' Pick: https://apnews.com/article/valentines-day-animal-shelters-fundraisers-rats-elephants-40537881d8f5ad65dd971fef11a856f5

Jeremy's Pick: https://x.com/SusanDavid_PhD/status/1894066591551086683