Standard Issue Podcast

There has been some good news this week, if you squinted right. So we're saying "no thank you" to the White House bullies and "yes please" to big legal developments, potty training, the pursuit of happiness and teaching boys about positive masculinity. Plus, there's boxing news in Jenny Off The Blocks. You're welcome.You can find out more about the Big Toile Project here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast dives deep into the haunting themes of the 1990 film adaptation of a feminist classic. It reflects on women’s rights and the portrayal of a totalitarian society. The hosts critique its male-centric perspective and how it impacts feminist narratives. They explore the struggles of the protagonist against oppression, while also discussing commercial surrogacy's complexities. The conversation balances serious cultural reflections with humorous insights, examining how the film resonates with contemporary gender issues.

Imagine losing it in public, a video going viral and the whole world calling you a bad mother. That's what happens in playwright and actor Anna Morris's new play Son of A Bitch, now at Southwark Playhouse. Anna chats to Hannah about raging in public, viral videos, empathy, and the pressure on women to be mothers. Good mothers. Excellent mothers.You can book tickets for Son of A Bitch here: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/son-of-a-bitch/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like many new parents, Emily Callaci - writer and professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison - was amazed by the amount of housework that came with looking after small children. Her new book, Wages for Housework, is a history of the fascinating movement of the same name and explores how feminists before her have approached the dilemma of under-valued and unpaid work. Jen caught up with Emily to talk about the movement, why we could do with it making a comeback, and how different the world might look if essential work was valued differently.Wages for Housework is available now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The women tricked into relationships with undercover police officers have spent a lot of years investigating and campaigning, largely unnoticed. Might a new ITV documentary about their stories finally get them the widespread support they deserve? Hannah chats to one of those women, Alison, and to Lucy Wilcox, the director of The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed to find out more.* Hannah has previously interviewed Alison about her experiences of discovering her partner of eight years was a police spy. You can hear that interview, which also features Helen Steel, on Itunes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sim-ep-744-chops-255-groomed-gaslighted-ghosted/id1080808404?i=1000568597088* The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed starts on ITV and ITVX on Thursday 6 March.* You can find out more about the Police Spies Out Of Lives campaign here: https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hannah and Mick are ingesting and spitting out the news this week, and you’ll perhaps be unsurprised to hear that Trump needs to do better, the BBC needs to do better, the Church of England needs to do better, and Justin Baldoni needs to do better. Still, there’s always the prospect of mice paramedics to bring some cheer. And, for our £5+ patrons, extra rodent content courtesy of Sarah Millican’s Light Relief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryan Forbes’ 1975 satirical horror, based on the 1972 novel by Ira Levin, is so well known it's entered the lexicon. Is it a dystopian nightmare or does it have something to say about life right now? Why were some feminist groups against it? And if a woman had made it, how might it be different? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eowyn Ivey, the million copy-selling author of The Snow Child, has been wanting to tell the story of her childhood her whole adult life. In her new novel, Black Woods, Blue Sky, she draws upon her experiences of violence growing up, as well as classic fairy tales, such as Beauty And The Beast to do just that. Jen chats to Eowyn about the book, the duality of humans, becoming the literary toast of the town, and Alaska’s main character energy.Black Woods, Blue Sky is available now and you can watch an online event with Eowyn and Rachel Joyce online here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘Seasoned feminist hag’ Victoria Smith is sick to the back teeth of women being told to ‘just be kind’. This was catnip to our Mickey, who you’ll already have heard wanging on about Victoria’s 2023 book, Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women, which asks why middle-aged women are treated with such active disdain and traces the hatred and fear of them back through history.To be clear, Victoria's latest book, Unkind: How ‘Be Kind’ Entrenches Sexism, has no beef with actual kindness – in fact, she’s a big fan – but instead looks at how three little words – “just be kind” – can cost women way too much. And how a baked potato brought perspective.Both of Victoria’s books are available now, and you’ll find her on X and Bluesky @glosswitch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian, podcaster, novelist and mum-of-three, SophieMcCartney initially found fame with her hilarious online content, which shestarted posting when the Covid lockdown put her fledgling stand-up career onhold. Since then, she hasn’t looked back, publishing her Sunday Times-bestsellingdebut Mother Hens in 2023. And now she's about to embark onher biggest tour to date, One Foot in the Rave. Jen catches up withSophie to talk about the ageing process, “having it all”, and why becoming amum doesn’t have to mean the end of your ambitions.Tickets for One Foot in the Rave are on sale now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices