Standard Issue Podcast

Earlier this year saw the publication of Deep Deception, a non-fiction book about the Spycops scandal by five of the many women targeted by undercover police officers in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and into the 2010s. They were part of left-wing activist groups routinely spied on by the Special Demonstrations Squad, a police unit founded in 1968. All five were hoodwinked into believing they had met their perfect man, when, in fact, the person they shared their life with did not really exist. Instead, their partners were being played by specially-trained - and married - police officers who had stolen the identity of a dead child. This week, Hannah chats to two of them: Helen Steel and Alison* about the fascinating, mysterious, horrifying and important history of the Spycops scandal.* Not her real nameSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s definitely a podcast of two halves this week. In BT, Mick chats the US Supreme Court’s barbaric striking down of Roe V Wade and what that means for women and people who can get pregnant, and Jen looks at the ongoing binfire that is the UK government and every fecker in it. Screaming pillows mandatory. But, it’s not all doom and gloom, as that’s followed by not one, but TWO brilliantly funny women being brilliantly funny. Mick catches up with everyone’s favourite “Tory MP” Rosie Holt, aka actor, comedian, satirist and social media sensation, Rosie Holt. And Jen somehow manages not to shout “Pivot!” at the excellent Laura Lexx, even though they’re talking about Laura’s new book, set in the world of recreational netball and called Pivot. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following a 2020 investigation by Guardian journalist Lucy Osborne that exposed an historic culture of control, coercion and abuse within some of the world's leading modelling agencies, the fashion industry has been having something of a #MeToo moment. Building on Osborne's ongoing investigation, a new Sky Documentaries series, Scouting For Girls: Fashion's Darkest Secret, began on June 24.In this week's Chops, Jen chats to former model, actor, therapist, and contributor to the series, Marianne Shine, about her experience as a young model in Paris in the 1980s. They talk about the endemic culture of abuse, its links to serial abuser Jeffrey Epstein, and how the unregulated industry put - and continues to put - young women and girls in harm's way.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Teresa Lim’s first book, The Interpreter's Daughter, recounts what happened when she set out to trace her family history. She tells Hannah about her discoveries, which span 19th century China to modern-day Singapore, and include a hidden tale about her great aunt, who was, it turns out, a woman after our Hannah’s own heart. Mostly. In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s been on the Zoom with fellow journalist Natasha Everitt to find out about the HerGameToo campaign, which works to eradicate sexism in the football industry. They chat about what the campaign’s up to, why men's football is still an unwelcoming place for women, and Charlton Athletic. Obviously. And if Mick sounds giddy in Rated or Dated, it’s because she is. But what will Hannah and Jen make of Face/Off, John Woo’s 1997 blockbuster of batshittery, and just how tall is Snoop Dogg?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than half of young women are ‘filled with dread’ at the state of their finances and 29% are “always in debt”. The picture for young mums is bleaker yet. That's according to The Young Women's Trust's annual survey, released this week. Hannah got on the Zoom with Claire Reindorp, the charity's chief executive, to find out more. They chat about university debt, discrimination, the gig economy, the cost of childcare and – of course – whether cancelling the Netflix subscription is the cure-all some people seem to think it is. SPOILER ALERT: It is not.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leila Mottley is the author of the hour – and don’t take our words for it, that’s straight from Oprah Winfrey. She joins Mick to talk about her novel Nightcrawling, based on a real-life story, which tells the tale of Oakland teen Kiara, who is fighting to keep her life together any which way she can, leading to her being sexually exploited by police.Meanwhile Hannah catches up with actress Sinead Matthews, star of Hullraisers - who can currently be seen on stage in The Madhouse, alongside David Harbour and Bill Pullman - about dysfunctional families, death, and money, among other things.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen’s chatting about the ongoing outpouring of stories of abuse in gymnastics, while it’s high fives all round in cycling. And can women really not play baseball? Hannah and Jen question 1940s American Voice’s judgement in this week’s Rated Or Dated, as they watch 1992’s A League Of Their Own.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having private photographs you sent to your boyfriend hacked from your iCloud and spread around the internet is most people's idea of hell. When it happened to actor Melissa Johns, she knew there was only one way through it. She chats to Hannah about intrusion, body image, shame, disability and turning the whole thing into a one-woman show, Snatched. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She’s kept it quiet until now, but turns out Hannah loves Kayvan Novak. Who knew? (Everyone. Everyone knew.) But his beautiful face isn’t the only reason our Dunleavy’s a colossal fan of Four Lions, Chris Morris’s 2010 cult gem about an inept gang of jihadis. But will it make Yosra and Mick laugh? Will it make them cry? Both? Find out in this month’s Flicking. WARNING: Toploader earworm imminent… Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We need to ditch the shame around sex. Everyone's good with that, yeah? If that hasn't convinced you, Natalie Lee - aka Style Me Sunday - will almost certainly do a better job. She chats to Mick about the absolute joy of feeling herself and her aptly-titled new book, Feeling Myself. And while we're on the subject of feelings, Hannah gets dangerously close to having some when she chats to Theresa Heskins, director and co-writer of a new play, Tom, Dick & Harry, based on the true story of the "great" escape from Stalag Luft III. And we stick with the history in Rated or Dated. Of course we don't, we're watching The Untouchables. Also, Mick has a SOTW MASTERclass and there's mosquitos, mojitos and that Bojo mofo in the Bush Telegraph.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Football’s domestic leagues have wound up for this season, but we are here for you with some excellent chat from excellent women, as Dr Carrie Dunn joins Jen to chat about their respective new books. In 1921, women were banned from playing football in the grounds of affiliated Football Association clubs for 50 years. Of course women didn’t just stop playing football, and Carrie’s new book, Unsuitable for Females, is a deep dive into the history of women’s football during the ban, and the people who kept the women’s game alive. Our Jen’s new book, The Year Of The Robin, charts the ill-fated 2019/20 season of her beloved Charlton Athletic. She recounts her personal experiences living through it with her brother, Michael, and looks at what a lower-league football club can tell us about society. Carrie and Jen also chat about being female football writers, tribalism, and where the women’s game is at ahead of the Euros this summer.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices