Standard Issue Podcast

Mama’s got a brand new bag! And by “Mama”, we mean Flicking. This year, instead of watching firm favourites from their pasts, Hannah, Yosra and Mickey are giving their thoughts on films released in 2023. 

And what an absolute classic to start with: Cocaine Bear. Elizabeth Banks’ 1980s-set creature feature, in which a massive black bear eats a whole load of cocaine and goes full carnage. It’s the magnificent Ray Liotta’s Swansong and he’s joined by a cast of dreams – and an apex predator off her furry tits on coke. But does it live up to the hype and that title? 

(Guess who chose it. Guess who was the only one of them to see it at the cinema. Go on. Bet you can’t…)

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Yes, we do keep banging on about medical misogyny and you'll get no apologies from us. On that note, Mickey's been on the Zoom with journalist Sarah Graham, who specialises in writing about women’s health, to talk about her excellent book, Rebel Bodies: A Guide to the Gender Health Gap Revolution. Hannah's chatting to Lonely Planet writer Jade Bremner about how to do a bucket list holiday on a budget. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's excited about the return of Emma Raducanu. In BT, we're banging on about electricity meters, plagiarism and hot flushes. And there's cold flushes aplenty in Rated or Dated, as well as useful info on how much a broken leg can hamper a nice walk in the mountains, as we watch 2003/4's Touching The Void. 

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Journalist India Rakusen is about to launch an ambitious new project for Radio 4/BBC Sounds, so Hannah leapt at the chance to chat to her about it. The 27-part series (wow), Child, starts from when a sperm meets an egg, and then follows the mother and her pregnancy, through to birth and the first year of a child's life. India and Hannah chat about why we should all be interested, even if we've no intention of having children ourselves, about the science and the politics of this early stage of human development, and about how babies aren't just big lumps who cry and shit themselves. Who knew?

* Child starts on Radio 4 on Friday, 12 January, at 2.45pm. It will also be available on BBC Sounds.

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Don’t worry, we’ve not come over all ‘new year, new you’ bollocks, but this week’s podzine is packed with exercise chat, from recognising a cult when you see one to getting a bit more bang for your buck when it comes to walking. 

Jen’s been on the Zoom with writer and performer Kate Sumpter to talk about her one-woman show SPIN, as well as wellness in general, and the ‘church’ of fitness in particular. 

Meanwhile Hannah, a recent convert to the joy of pounding the P, has been chatting to Joanna Hall, sports scientist and founder of Walk Active about walking, why we should all be doing it and how to maximise the time you have for exercise. 

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We're having a little break for Christmas, but to keep you entertained over the festive period, here’s a blast from the gigcast past. Jen’s chosen a cracker - pun intended - from 2017, just as we were about to launch the podzine. In it, the Boss - Sarah Millican - and Mick, play host to Sue Perkins, Zoe Ball and Cariad Lloyd.

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We're having a little break for Christmas, but to keep you full of Standard Issue joy while you’re in a cheese coma/back at work, here's a favourite gigcast from the before times. In this episode, Mick's taking us back to 2018, when A Very Good Thing Indeed happened for women – and not just that we got Marian Keyes, KT Tunstall and Vicky McClure onstage. 

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We're having a little break for Christmas, but just in case you are jonesing for our voices, here's a favourite gigcast from days of yore. In this episode Hannah's revisiting one from way back in January 2017, when we spoiled you rotten by putting Sarah Millican, Sharon Horgan, Sandi Toksvig and Claudia Winkleman on the same stage. Yes, you read that correctly.

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The wonderful Lisa Palfrey is back on our screens over the festive period, alongside all of Wales (almost), in BBC One comedy drama, Men Up*, about a 1994 trial for the then-new drug, Viagra. Hannah jumped at the opportunity to get on the Zoom with Lisa to talk about the show, as well as Welsh talent, Christopher Guest, and one of Hannah’s faves, the 2014 film Pride.

Mick’s chatting to the legend that is Robyn Davidson, solo adventurer and author, whose wonderful new memoir, Unfinished Woman, explores unexpected fame, the slipperiness of memory and the impact of her mum’s suicide.

In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s talking about history-maker Rebecca Welch, who is set to become the first ever woman to referee a Premier League match. And did our hearts love, or indeed loathe till now? We find out by watching 1998’s Shakespeare In Love, in Rated or Dated.

Meanwhile, given it's nearly Christmas, it's quiz time in BT! Head scratchers pertain to current cabinet ministers and a woman's missing identity. BIG CASH PRIZES!

*  Men Up is on BBC1 on Friday, December 29 at 9pm. It will also be available on the iPlayer.

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From the lowly F-bomb, all the way over to the spam-faced jizz clown end of the spectrum, we’re big fans of a swear here on Standard Issue. But why is swearing considered offensive when the words don’t really mean anything offensive? Dr Rebecca Roache, philosopher and senior lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, was keen to get to the bottom of this topic, which she examines in her book, For F*ck’s Sake: Why Swearing is Shocking, Rude and Fun.

In this week's Chops, she joins Jen to chat about swearing in general, what makes anything offensive, the double standard when it comes to women and “industrial” language, and why “cunt” is The Worst Word. Contains strong language.

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Sure, you're probably busy with Christmas prep, but if you'd like some recommendations on what to watch during/after, you've come to the right place. This month we're talking about Lupin, Time, Kin, Vigil, Boat Story, Scrublands, The Crown and Squid Game: The Challenge. You're welcome.

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