Standard Issue Podcast

Donald Trump becomes the first convicted felon to win the Presidential race and will reenter the White House – again. URGH. Not least for women. Hannah and Mick’s yearned for monkey overlords remain frustratingly absent, but at least Gary Barlow’s massive son and the backpack-wearing rats are here. And there’s some extra light relief courtesy of Sarah Millican for our £5+ patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the “cool” movies of the 1990s, Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece* is a carnival of violence and humour set to a banging soundtrack. It made stars of Samuel L Jackson and Uma Thurman, revitalised the careers of John Travolta and Bruce Willis, and basically gave Tarantino a blank cheque going forward. But did it tickle the pickle of Mick, Hannah and Jen? Or is it all Dick Dale and no trousers? *Discuss. That’s why we’re here, right? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer and theatre-maker Rae Mainwaring was in her early 20s when she was diagnosed with Mutiple Sclerosis – MS as it's commonly known. All she knew of the autoimmune condition at the time was that every single representation she’d seen of it on TV was one of abject misery, which, ultimately, was not her experience of MS. Some years later, she wrote about her experiences in Bright Places, her Peggy Ramsay award-winning play and a deeply personal and authentic exploration of the condition.Jen caught up with Rae ahead of a tour of Carbon Theatre’s production of Bright Places to talk about chronic illness, misunderstandings around MS, and getting into theatre later in life.Bright Places is touring the UK until December 13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There used to be a time when it was said you were better to seek medical treatment from your wife or your mother than from a doctor, because at least your wife or mother wouldn't kill you. And then it all changed. Hannah chats to Professor Karen Bloom Gevirtz about her book, The Apothecary's Wife: The Hidden History of Medicine and How It Became a Commodity, to find out more. The Apothecary's Wife: The Hidden History of Medicine and How It Became a Commodity is out to buy on November 7, 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big news in the world of "how can that STILL be going on?" as both the Tory leadership election and the US Election enter their final days. Who will lose? Maybe all of us. Meanwhile, bus fares are going up and so is minimum wage but won't these just cancel each other out? In Sexism of the Week, we continue to let the side down by not having enough babies. And speaking of the next generation, in that she's young enough to be your daughter, Jen's got words for a basketball legend in Jenny Off The Blocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ellie Jackson, the curator of the Medieval Women in Their Own Words exhibition at the British Library, dives into the overlooked contributions of medieval women in literature and society. She discusses how these women navigated their world despite limited access to education and the power dynamics of their time. Fascinatingly, Ellie connects their experiences to modern issues like beauty standards and the gender pay gap. The conversation also highlights significant historical figures, challenging stereotypes and celebrating women's enduring impact in history.

Literary critic and feminist historian Joanna Scutts’s latest book, Firebrands, showcases 25 pioneering women writers you should have heard of – but probably haven’t. Why? Well, in this episode, Joanna’s chatting to our Mick about the whys, the whos, the what’s changed, what’s not changed and the trouble that kicks off when women start having ideas. Firebrands: 25 Pioneering Women to Ignite Your Reading Life is published by Duckworth and out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Summerscale’s bestselling narrative nonfiction The Suspicions of Mr Whicher was made into big telly, starring Peter Capaldi and unraveling a murder that took place in the 1860s. Her latest book is much more recent history, however, and in The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place, she revisits the crimes of John Reginald Halliday Christie, one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers, putting flesh on the bones of his female victims and looking at the role played by the sensationalist media of the time.She chats to Mick about all of the above, what Christie’s crimes said about Britain at the time, how much – if at all – anything’s changed, and why true crime is still such popular entertainment.The Peepshow: The Murders at Rillington Place is published by Bloomsbury and out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick and Jen are on news duty this week, talking cynical steps – or is it honourable intentions? – as social media companies try to get to grips with the Online Safety Act. Elsewhere, there are smiling faces aplenty outside Strangeways, as the Labour Government grapples with its inherited crumbling prison system. Thank the gods of whimsy that Paddington Bear is on hand to cheer us all up. Not Jen, though. He makes her cry. Also, there’s contraceptive chaos in Sexism of the Week, and some baffling sponsorship in Jenny Off the Blocks.Meanwhile the boss, Sarah Millican, is back for our £5 and above Patreon subscribers, offering some light relief around the gendered use of language.You can find the BPAS petition Mick talks about in this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is The Last Seduction your average "bitches be crazy" film? Why no more roles for Linda Fiorentino? Can anyone bear that much jazz? The answers to these and many more questions lay within. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices