Yeah, But It's Not As Simple As That

Anyone who has ever tried to be creative – in music, the arts, in their filing system at their shit temp job – has at some point felt the sinking feeling that they will never come up with anything new; that everything has been done before. And this feeling only intensifies as the internet continues to give us free, easy access to every cultural product in recent human history.

So has originality really died for good?

In this week's podcast, performance artist Marina Abramovic, PC Music's Danny L Harle and a big TV commissioner tell us how they deal with the question of originality. Then visual artist Matthew Stone discusses how 2016 may have messed up our feelings towards newness, and explains why, sometimes, it's not all about being first.

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Our lives are full of moral grey areas, things our parents' generation never had to worry about. Is it ok to send the same line to 10 different people on Tinder? Is it better to tell all your previous sexual partners about an STI individually, or on a group thread? Is it wrong to sleep with someone who's already in a relationship, even if they tell you they're "basically broken up" anyway. This week on the VICE podcast, our team of Vice contributors discuss modern moral quandaries, from cancelling plans at the last minute to wanking over Facebook photos. as we vote on what is and isn't ok anymore.

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Our jobs and our mental health are obviously linked: if you're suffering from anxiety or depression, it can affect your ability to work, while the stresses of work itself can be a trigger for mental health issues. It's in bosses' interests to have a mentally healthy workforce, yet most chose to look the other way: 56 percent of employers say they wouldn't hire someone with depression if they knew about it.

This week on the podcast, we're joined by Alastair Campbell, the spin doctor during Blair's years in Downing Street, to talk about what can be done to change attitudes to mental health at work.

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Most of us don't worry about living in our overdraft. But is that sustainable? What happens if you end up living your whole adult life in debt? This week on the VICE UK Podcast we’re talking about money, inheritance and what we should call a generation of people who have no money but still take Ubers everywhere. We hear from a Wonga user about their relaxed attitude to debt and talk to broadcaster Miquita Oliver about what happens when bankruptcy becomes your only option. ​

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The term "harm reduction" is being used more and more by academics, politicians and pharmacists. It's encompasses everything from testing pills for purity to having festival councillors to talk people down from their trips. But what does it mean for the legalisation debate? And will it actually make your drug-taking experience any better? This week we kicks off series two of the VICE UK Podcast, with drug tester Guy Jones, government drugs advisor Professor Alex Stevens, and VICE staffers Matt Shea and Joe Bish.

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The two biggest selling new artists this year, Jack Garrett and Zayn Malik, had fewer combined album sales than the new Rick Astley album. What can be done to save new music, and is there any need for a music "industry" anymore? We speak to grime artist Novelist, plus superstar MIA and new musician Laura Doggett. Plus, were the Mercurys actually good this year? And what's it like to date Sean Paul.

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For the second time in a year, Jeremy Corbyn is contesting a Labour leadership election. But a lot has changed in that year. The hope and enthusiasm of Labour members has been tested, as Corbyn has suffered a number of high-profile controversies. Meanwhile in the party grassroots, lives have been changed, people who rose to the top in the New Labour years have found, not only their politics, but their social lives and careers threatened. We hear from them, as well as London Young Labour leader Benjamin Butterworth about what it’s been like in Labour.

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There was this kind of depressing survey last month that revealed that 75% of women aged 17-21 felt powerless. In this episode, we spoke to young women about why that was, and heard stories of cat calls, dodgy sex ed and playground bitching. We also spoke with writer Sophie Heawood talks about how gender politics is changing in the UK, sort of. Plus: weird conspiracy theories and the confusing success of Mrs. Brown's Boys.

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Tuition fees are rising, maintenance grants have been scrapped, and course sizes have ballooned, all as the average wages of graduates have tumbled. We speak to academic and journalist Richard Seymour about the future of higher education and head on campus to ask international students what they make of British student culture?

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