Do you really know?

What is polyandry? Thanks for asking!When we talk about polygamy, we often automatically think of its most common and accepted form, which is known as polygyny. That’s when a man is married to two or more women. But discussions around polyandry, also known as female polygamy, are a lot rarer.In South Africa, the government published a green paper proposing to reform marriage laws. Polygyny is already allowed, but the country has now been debating the possibility of recognising polyandry for several weeks. The issue is proving divisive, but supporters have called it a step forward for gender equality in the country.Why change the law now? So why should a man be able to share a married life with several wives, while a woman can’t do the same? That’s double standards, isn’t it? Is polyandry recognised in any countries at the moment? What about throuples? Is that similar to polyandry? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:What is the Global Minimum Tax? What is sea snot? Who is Bo Burnham?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the global minimum tax? Thanks for asking! At the end of last week, finance ministers from the G7 countries met in London and formally endorsed a global minimum corporate tax rate. Going forward, companies will have to pay a minimum of 15% tax on their profits.The framework is part of an effort to stop multinationals, and in particular the GAFA companies Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, from profit-shifting to tax havens. Tech companies are able to easily move between countries due to the nature of their business. How will the global minimum tax rule actually work? Why do we need such a tax in the first place? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:What is sea snot? Who is Bo Burnham?What is the Smurfette PrincipleA podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is sea snot? Thanks for asking!In the last few weeks, a thick and foul-smelling foam known as mucilage has appeared in the Marmara Sea on Turkey’s northwestern coast. It’s been unofficially dubbed sea snot by observers, which might sound like a name invented on a school playground. But there’s nothing funny about the environmental impact of this outbreak, which is a result of global warming and pollution.How does this sea snot actually develop? Is this the first time the Marmara Sea has been impacted by sea snot? Do we know what the impact could be? Is there a way to make this sea snot disappear? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:Who is Bo Burnham?What is the Smurfette PrincipleWhat are sensitivity readers? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who is Bo Burnham? Thanks for asking!  Five years after Bo Burnham’s last comedy special, he released Inside on Netflix on May 30th. To mark the occasion, let’s discuss one of American comedy’s brightest talents. Many have put Burnham up there among the ranks of the world’s elite comedians. He’s multi-talented, with his shows mixing music, singing and clever jokes. As a straight white man, he’s supposed to come from a position of privilege without having any problems in life. But he shares his thoughts on life’s simple issues in a unique, self-aware and satirical way.  The Boston Globe has described him as "simultaneously wholesome and disturbing, intimate in a folksy-creepy sort of way”.What’s so special about the latest release? How did Burnham’s career get started? Where can we see his comedy? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:What are sensitivity readers? What is live shopping? What is Friends?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the Smurfette Principle? Thanks for asking!Does that ring a bell? How many of you spent hours in front of the Smurfs as children? We’re sure you remember the smiley little girl with blond hair, a white dress and high heels.In case your memory has faded, in the wonderful world of the Smurfs, Smurfette is created by the evil wizard Gargamel to sow discord! How curious that the role of agitator is reserved for a female character, don’t you think?!Add to that the fact that the Smurfville population is exclusively male, until the arrival of the lone Smurfette. That’s where the idea of the Smurfette Principle comes from. It’s mainly to do with the overrepresentation of male figures as protagonists in works of fiction, to the detriment of female characters.How can you base a whole theory on a single cartoon? What’s wrong with that? It’s fiction after all and fiction can write its own rules, can’t it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:What are sensitivity readers? What is live shopping? What is Friends?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are sensitivity readers? Thanks for asking!The role of sensitivity reader first appeared in the United States. Authors and publishing houses recruit these $200 per hour beta readers to go over works with a fine-tooth comb before they are released. The purpose is to make sure there are no offensive stereotypes, relating to race, religion or gender for example, or instances of cultural appropriation. numbThe rise to prominence of this area of work is helping to bring on a shift in representations. For example, sensitivity readers may notice the tendency of certain writers to limit black characters to socially devalued roles. They then suggest rewrites which are more respectful of certain characters and less caricatural. In the long run, the aim is that readers, whatever their background, can identify with characters.Isn’t this akin to censorship, which will stifle literature? Are there any examples of works which have had to be rewritten after a sensitivity reader’s input? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:What is live shopping? What is Friends?What is BookTok? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is live shopping? Thanks for asking!Technological disruption and the Covid-19 pandemic have combined to bring on new trends, one of which is live shopping. If the shops are closed or you don’t have time to go there, another alternative exists, in addition to standard online shopping. It’s a new kind of shopping experience, where customers see items on video before deciding to buy them.What’s so original about live shopping then? Where did live shopping come from? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:What is Friends?What is BookTok? What is Tiananmen Square Massacre? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Friends? Thanks for asking!On May 27th, all eyes were on HBO Max, who aired a Friends reunion special, 17 years after the sitcom’s 236th and final episode. It was the first time since then that the six main cast members had appeared together publicly to talk about the show.Friends was hugely popular throughout the ten years it aired, and is still consistently among the most watched shows on online streaming service Netflix. It won many prestigious awards over the years, including six Emmys, six People’s Choice Awards and a Golden Globe.But, believe it or not, when the sitcom launched, it almost didn’t make it past the pilot episode.No way! I can’t imagine a world without endless Friends repeats! So what do we learn in the reunion special? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:What is a virus variant region? What are zombie fires?What are sleep streams?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is BookTok? Thanks for asking! You’ve no doubt already heard of TikTok, the short video app of choice for teens and young adults. Well in the last few weeks a new trend has really taken off, and it’s known as BookTok. The idea is simple: recommend books to your Tiktok followers using the hashtag #BookTok.It’s really catching on and has even led to the emergence of literature enthusiast communities on the platform. The hashtag has been used millions of times since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.Is it a new form of literary review then? What kinds of books are covered? So is there such a thing as Booktokers now then? Has the trend been having any other positive effects? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:What are zombie fires?What are sleep streams?What are molecular scissors?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the Tiananmen Square Massacre? Thanks for asking!32 years ago today, Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing, saw unprecedented student protests. As night fell on June 3rd 1989, the Chinese military entered the square with a number of tanks and opened fire on the unarmed crowd. The number of deaths is estimated between 1,000 and 2,000, in what became known internationally as the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Thus ended seven weeks worth of pro-democracy and anti-corruption protests.One particular image is shared every time the month of June comes around. It’s that of a lone man blocking the path of the Chinese army tanks. It really highlights the imbalance of force between the military and the peaceful student protesters. This anonymous man became a symbol of anti-violence and the struggle for freedom throughout the world. The whole world was shocked and the Chinese government was universally condemned.How did we get to such a drastic situation? Are you saying the massacre put a stop to a series of social movements? Why is this period of Chinese history so poorly known? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:What are zombie fires?What are sleep streams?What are molecular scissors?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices