Standard Issue Podcast

This week, Hannah and Mickey look at some of the week's best and worst stories, including major finds by archeologists, the scandal that continues to engulf Cambridge University, free travel for disabled people in England, and the ongoing "early release" crisis.

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Alejandro Amenábar’s creepy AF tale of grief and darkness in post-war Jersey cleared a path for the return of old-school horror. But does it stand up when you already know the twist? Is there a fate worse than Keith Allen in your upstairs? And will we ever stop inflicting Nicole Kidman on poor Hannah?

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It’s been a while since comedian Susan Calman went on tour: 10 years, in fact. Her brand new show, Tall Tales, kicks off in September, and promises stories, big laughs, a dose of peri rage, and – possibly – some dancing.

Mick got on the Zoom with Susan to talk comedy, weights, cats, anxiety, grief, facing big challenges, sex cruises and serial killers.

As ever, there’s more chat for our £5 and above patrons, including a really very convincing argument about why we should all be playing golf. Get involved at patreon.com/standardissue.

Tickets and info for Susan’s tour can be found at susancalman.com.
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When it comes to saying no, journalist and author Anna Holmes has form. Back in 2007, she founded feminist website Jezebel, which at the time was a big old flip of the bird to traditional women’s media, and went on to change the entire media landscape. In her new book, The Power of No: A Celebration, she turns ideas around a presumed negative (especially when uttered by a woman) on their head.

Jen chats to Anna about “no” as a complete sentence, why when it comes from a woman, the word is often understood as a provocation, and the many other ways in which society expects us to diminish ourselves.

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Eva Victor’s lauded auterial debut about a bad thing that happens to a young woman called Agnes and how she feels and deals in the aftermath, is Yosra’s pick for this month. Billed pretty much everywhere as a black comedy, will Mick and Hannah do any laughing? Is Victor’s telling of trauma authentic? How big is that cat? And how do they all feel about the term ‘traumedy’? (Spoiler: traumedised. They feel traumedised.)
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