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Two Smart Blondes

Kirsten and Leila
Two Smart Blondes
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  • Heath Ledger's tragic death re-visited; Hugh Jackman's "good guy" image under pressure & The pea snack that fooled us! - feat. Paul Ayre
    The Two Smart Blondes are joined by special guest, Paul Ayre. Paul is an actor, comedian and writer, based in Sydney. They dive into:*Heath Ledger's tragic death - re-examined ... an how actors embody a character.There has been a flurry of articles and talk about Heath Ledger this past week, all due to one short sentence, spoken by Michelle WIlliams, Heath's former partner and mother of his daughter. On a recent podcast, Armchair Expert, with Dax Shepard, Michelle was asked about her relationship with Heath. She said he was "so special and thank God they have Matilda'.  It also prompted some media outlets to revisit his tragic death, which was by accidental drug overdose in 2008. He had been filming the Dark Knight and playing the character of the Joker at the time.*Is the "Good Guy" image unfair?...And has Hugh Jackman lost his?The Good Guy or the Good Girl image is often great... until it's not. Aussie actor, Hugh Jackman has held the good guy title for decades, but since going through his separation and now divorce with Deborra Lee Furness... is it starting to slip? And does it actually matter for his career? Deborra officially filed for divorce this week and issued a statement which said “My heart and compassion goes out to anyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal. It is a profound wound that cuts deep".*Did you also think that pea snack was real? We did!You might have seen the viral social media rant, where Tiktoker, Nia, discovered that her favourite household snack "Harvest Snaps Baked Pea Crisps"... are not in fact little pea pods at all. That's despite a large picture of a pea pod on the package. She thought it was a dehydrated pea. So how easily are we fooled by food packaging and good marketing?About the guest:Paul Michael Ayre is a writer and actor born in Maidstone, Kent and raised in Sydney Australia. Paul wrote the pilot for Channel 10's Drunk History which went on to series, as well as winning over $70,000 worth of writing prizes for his self-produced series The Justice Lease and an extra thousand for his writing on the award winning series The Pet Killer. His online sketches across different platforms and channels have amassed over 36 million views with many Australian collaborators (The Bondi Hipsters, SketchShe and Legally Brown).  Paul has performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for 5 years, with several solo stand up shows  His recent credits in television, include most streamers like Netflix's Wellmania, ABC's Barons and Stan's Bali 2002 - the retelling of the 2002 Bali bombings opposite Claudia Jessie.This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: [email protected]
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  • Firefighter Protests Go Viral and 10 years of Australia in Eurovision - feat. Ben Eltham
    Our special guest is Ben Eltham, who is a writer, journalist, researcher and creative producer based in Ararat, VIC. Why does the media struggle to report on suicide?The AFL world and the entire nation has been rocked by the death of Adam Selwood and just months earlier, the death of his twin brother Troy. Tributes are of course flowing for Adam, who played 11 seasons for the West Coast Eagles and friends have described him as kind and caring. Originally a Bendigo boy, he died on the weekend at the age of 41.We're not going to focus on the circumstances of his death... but more a broader conversation about suicide and men's mental health... especially in such a hyper masculine culture like football.Viral anger over Victoria's Fire Services LevyThe backlash against Victoria's fire services levy is coming in thick and fast on social media. New laws went through the Victorian parliament... steeply increasing the fire services levy... which for farmers will mean a tens of thousands of dollars more. Farmers and CFA firefighters... who are often one and the same... have also protested outside parliament. So what makes a successful protest?3. Australia has been in Eurovision for 10 years - is it worth it?Austria has won Eurovision.. yes Austria, not Australia.  The artist, JJ won with his song "Wasted Love". Unfortunately Australian, Matt Zambotto known by the stage name Go-Jo was knocked out in the semi-finals.So after 10 years of involvement in Eurovision, what is our track record? And is it all worth it?ABOUT THE GUESTDr Ben Eltham is an Australian writer, journalist, researcher, creative producer and social commentator based in Ararat, VIC. He is a lecturer in media and communications at Monash University's School of Media, Film and Journalism. He has a PhD in cultural policy and writes for  news website, Crikey.This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: [email protected]
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  • An Aussie version of Clarkson's Farm? And are "The Twinnies" destined for Hollywood?
    Leila and Kirsten dive into:1.  Does Australia need its own "Clarkson's Farm"? - Season 4 returns soon!The sensation that is Clarkson's farm is returning to Prime Video for its fourth season on May 23.  Jeremy has apparently opened a new pub, got a new female farmhand and Richard Hammond from Top Gear makes an appearance. So, WHY this show is so good... and could we make an Aussie version?2. Hollywood chasing viral "Twinnies"Looks like Hollywood, Netflix and all the other big names are after Australian viral twins, known as the "Twinnies". Paula and Brigette Powers - who look the same, always dress the same and talk together too, were interviewed on TV news about their mother's carjacking. They have since gone viral, been imitated online countless times. What's next for the sisters? Is this a flash in the pan moment, or the beginning of something bigger?3. Will the Minecraft Movie be a success on streaming services?The Minecraft movie is being released this week on streaming services, but will it perform well?  Many didn't like the movie... but at $900 million at the Box Office it is the most successful Hollywood film for 2025 to date at the worldwide Box Office.So will it pull the money in via the streaming services too?NOTE: There's no special guest this week! (Due to a blonde moment)... although a future guest, Paul Ayre, does make a cameo appearance. It's all very funny really.This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: [email protected]
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  • What does the 100% film tariff mean for Australia?; Spam election texts and Prince Harry's odd TV interview. Feat. Matt Neal
    Our special guest is Matt Neal, ABC journalist, crime author and film reviewer. This week we dive into: Trump threatens a 100% tariff on movies made outside the USFirst it was China, now all movies made outside the US are likely to be hit by the latest round of tariffs announced by the US President, Donald Trump. Trump says he wants to put a stop to other countries luring movies away from the US. So what does this mean for Australia, which offers big incentives for US film productions to be made here? Did all those bloody spam election texts work?According to my phone messages, someone called "Trumpet" is one of my top friends. Now I have never messaged him back... but my goodness Clive Palmer loved to spam us all with messages this federal election campaign. So did it actually work? Well Trumpet of Patriots... didn't win a single seat in the lower house. For the millions of dollars spent on advertising and spamming us all. Nothing. Clive wasn't the only one on the text... seems a lot of the independents were too. So how do we feel about the election text?Prince Harry's entitled BBC interviewPrince Harry, wants to reconcile with his family now... and get them to pay for security as he and Meghan travel around the US. He recently did a TV interview with the BBC, saying that his father, King Charles isn't speaking to him at the moment due to a legal battle over his security protection. Is Harry the only one, who can't see just how ridiculously entitled this comes off as? American actors are FINALLY getting better at Aussie accents. Why?We used to be able to pick the Yankee playing an Aussie in a movie a mile away. There'd often be a slight cocknee twang... a Kiwi vowel mix up ... or they simply couldn't fully shake the "r" sound at the end of words. But there have been some seriously good accents lately... for instance, the actor playing Belle Gibson in Apple Cider Vinegar, nailed the an Aussie accent.  So how come foreigners are finally able to do it? This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: [email protected]
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  • Has Trump killed blockbuster movies?... The legacy of Virginia Giuffre for women in entertainment - feat. Tara Iwomoto
    Our Special guest is Tara Iwamoto, an LA born consultant, who has worked in publishing entertainment and digital media. This week we dive into:* The legacy of Virginia Giuffre, for women in entertainmentThe tragic news of the death of Virgina Giuffre last week at her WA home, has caused an outpouring of emotion from around the world. Virginia, will be remembered for her bravery... and blowing open the lid on Jeffrey Epstein. She stood up to a culture across the entertainment industry, that said it was ok to use and abuse women for sex.* Has Trump killed blockbuster movies? Beijing strikes back at US tariffsChina has announced it will curb the imports of Hollywood movies, in response to Donald Trump's 125% tariffs on imports from China. So will this ruin Hollywood? Probably not...but it is likely to hurt blockbuster movies, many of which are created with the large Chinese film market in mind. And if the blockbuster movie industry suffers, there are likely to be knock on effects for those struggling to make a living in film.More about Tara Iwamoto:Tara's career has spanned publishing, entertainment, and digital media, leading development deals with top celebrities and producing unscripted TV pilots alongside major studios and platforms. She's originally from California, in the US but now calls Sydney home.This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: [email protected]
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About Two Smart Blondes

Leila McDougall and Kirsten Diprose bring on a well-known guest each week to discuss the latest in film, TV, media and pop culture. If you're talking about it, then so are we! Get up to speed and have a laugh in the process.Leila is a film producer and actor (best known for her movie, "Just a Farmer") and Kirsten is a journalist and podcaster, with much of her career at the ABC. They both live on farms... and yes, they're blondes.
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