Ewan: They will ask why. Why did they do that? Why am I not doing it for the next generation? Ewan: And that will cascade down the years. Ewan: You and I, this podcast is probably going to be gone in 10 years. Ewan: It'll be undiscoverable in 50. And our names will not be shining there in 100 years. Ewan: But the impact we make and the impact that cascades down, that is why we do this. Danny: Hi, and welcome to 5 Random Questions, the show with unexpected questions Danny: and unfiltered answers.
Danny: I'm your host Danny Brown and each week I'll be asking my guests five questions Danny: created by a random question generator. Danny: The guest has no idea what questions are and neither do I, which means this could go either way. Danny: So sit back, relax and let's dive into this week's episode.
Danny: Today's guest is Ewan Spence. Ewan is a freelance broadcaster and journalist Danny: and has been the UK radio commentator for Junior Eurovision since 2013 and a Danny: US radio commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest since 2018. Danny: As Scotland's first podcaster, he Danny: was nominated for a BAFTA under Best New Creative Media category in 2005.
Danny: Ewan co-founded Eurovision Insight in 2010 and under his editorship, Danny: it has grown to become an influential force in the world of the Eurovision Song Contest. Danny: He hosts its weekly Insight News podcast, the annual Jukebox Studio Review Show Danny: and the daily coverage from backstage at the Song Contest every May. Danny: So Ewan, welcome to 5 Random Questions. Ewan: Good afternoon, good morning, good evening, as my cliched intro is done for 25 years now.
Ewan: Yes, hello, have the normal introduction. Everybody who's heard me before now feels comfortable. Danny: Exactly, exactly. It's funny, I used to do that intro when I did the In and Danny: Around podcasting show with my colleague over at Captivate, Mark, Danny: Mark Askaway, if that was like what we did was Danny: Good evening, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Wasn't that,
Danny: it was a live stream we used to do, Captivate. Anywho, went off a little tangent Danny: there, but I hear you there. Danny: You've got to be there for all your audience, right? Ewan: What is the, oh, you definitely have to be, but I'm also wondering what's the Ewan: over-under on us going off on a tangent in this podcast? Danny: Oh, well, we've already gone, mate. You know, didn't even get a minute into Danny: the introduction there, but it's all good.
Danny: And being from the UK myself, I mean, I've been away from the UK for years, Danny: but I grew up with the Eurovision Song Contest, and it was always a huge part Danny: of me as a young lad and a young man back in the UK before I did leave. Danny: For obviously Europeans, Brits, etc. It's a very well-known and much beloved, Danny: sometimes much maligned institution.
Danny: But for anybody else, North Americans, Australians, anybody that doesn't know Danny: what the Eurovision is, what is that in like a little 10,000 foot nutshell? Ewan: I'm pretty sure most of Australia gets Eurovisioned as well. Ewan: Oh, cool. So, you know, they've entered for the last 11 years.
Ewan: They've broadcasted it since 1980. And because they have such a large first, Ewan: second, third generation of immigrants, you know, you'll find the Greek quarters Ewan: of the major cities all ready and getting ready to vote and doing all of that. Ewan: But essentially, it's the most stupidest idea in the world that would never Ewan: get past a pitch stage in modern television. Ewan: Each broadcaster, one from each country, chooses a three-minute song.
Ewan: They send it to an arena somewhere in Europe they Ewan: spend millions and millions of pounds doing this great big production that tests Ewan: new technology and broadcasts all of this music and then everybody who's watching Ewan: decides what the best song is with no criteria judgment whatsoever and whoever Ewan: wins it has to host the shenanigans the year after.
Danny: And you mentioned, I mean, shenanigans, I feel, is a great description for the Danny: contest, because it is very much, I mean, you've grown up, you know, Danny: watching it from its early days, and my early times watching it was probably the early 70s. Danny: So I remember ABBA winning in 74, for example, Daniel O'Donnell winning... Ewan: I just want to say, 1974, the Netherlands were robbed.
Ewan: Yeah, if de Gaulle hadn't died the week before, and France had still entered, Ewan: the Dutch would have beaten ABBA, so...
Danny: There it is first controversy of the episode I love it, love it but it's one Danny: of these things that you said it yourself mate, Danny: it's not something you would ever expect to be a success but it's been gone Danny: for decades and I mentioned myself that it's much loved but it can also be much maligned, do you feel Danny: it's gotten less maligned and people are accepting and respecting it more now Danny: or does it still got that sort of Terry Wogan joke feel kind to you?
Ewan: For our outside of the uk honestly we should know that Ewan: terry wogan um was a dj um Ewan: with uh bbc and a television host and Ewan: certainly took quite a wry and ironic look Ewan: at the contest i think he was said that you Ewan: know if there's a duck on stage you have to go there's a duck on Ewan: stage but to do it to a later degree he Ewan: started to get just a little bit too acidic and he Ewan: would complain that the duck was coming over to the uk and taking everybody's
Ewan: jobs so i think that eurovision reflects the broadcaster that is broadcasting Ewan: it so for example yeah the uk has always been very sort of oh you know we've Ewan: got much better music industry we'll just we'll just send black lace to you in 1979.
Ewan: But then there are other countries which it's not Ewan: only just deadly seriousness it is an important part Ewan: of their psyche so for example when the Ewan: berlin wall fell um and the wall Ewan: of communism waved back and you had all of these eastern Ewan: european countries who were now countries in their own right Ewan: and they ran to the contest they were like we want our three minutes because Ewan: if estonia is on stage at eurovision we're estonia we're a country we've made
Ewan: it uh you know when When you're talking about in those Warsaw Pact countries in the 70s and 80s, Ewan: people were trading blank tapes of the Eurovision Song Contest because they Ewan: were both illicit material and what was available in the West. Ewan: It was seen as a shining beacon to those countries. Ewan: But in terms of controversy, obviously, you know, right now there are some huge Ewan: issues around the contest.
Ewan: When you have something that is broadcast around the world and each of those Ewan: performers represents a broadcaster but is underneath the flag of their country, Ewan: then the geopolitical situations around the world, and those situations are Ewan: beyond the scope of this podcast, Ewan: they have an impact on the contest. Ewan: So can it be seen as quite kitsch? Ewan: Yes. Can it be seen as a serious musical endeavour?
Ewan: Yes. Can it be seen to holding up a mirror to society and society does not like Ewan: the reflection that is cast back on it? It is all that and more. Danny: No, I hear you. Like I mentioned, I'm not in the UK anymore, Danny: but I still keep up to what's happening in the UK. Danny: And obviously globally, my wife calls me her news beacon because she doesn't Danny: want to watch the news or anything.
Danny: And you're right. It's like there's a lot of discussion about our country is Danny: going to boycott the next Eurovision because of, you know, what's happening Danny: geopolitically, et cetera.
Danny: So I completely hear you. And it makes sense that, you know, Danny: smaller countries that have become standalone countries and got independence, et cetera, Danny: revere the fact that they're in there and want to make, you know, Danny: want to solidify their place as a new country, as a respected country.
Danny: So I completely hear that. and it's yeah it's it's one of these things if you've Danny: never watched it i do implore you to watch it because there's always at least Danny: one act that just is completely out of left field and you think this is what Danny: eurovision is all about and Ewan: The great thing about that is if we compare notes of the 26 songs that make Ewan: it to the saturday night grand final i reckon that song's a bit out there.
Ewan: Everybody would choose a different song all of those Ewan: songs for one person be like that portuguese song it's so out Ewan: there and others would just go yeah they're just celebrating the Ewan: carnation revolution this is a piece of important history for portugal and Ewan: others would just go no no no it's definitely out there Ewan: but it's not out is there as much as finland i would just Ewan: go well yeah that's just standard finished thrash metal
Ewan: with a band called steel reinforced concrete yep they do Ewan: that all the time next and that is the delight of Ewan: music that everybody can love different things Ewan: it's part of the the joy of the contest over its 70 Ewan: editions which is there is no genre limitation Ewan: really the only limitation is three Ewan: minutes six people on stage and away you Ewan: go but you know that's the same as podcasts what Ewan: what could be one person's podcast is being completely
Ewan: and utterly out there it's somebody else going yeah that Ewan: that's what we talk about at university and that's what we do all the Ewan: time and i think that when while the Ewan: eurovision song contest is one to many the strength Ewan: of podcasting has always been not necessarily Ewan: one-to-one because we all like our audience but it's Ewan: the fact that individuals can do many to many it's that Ewan: you can individually do one to many what
Ewan: would require hundreds of thousands if not Ewan: millions of pounds or euros or dollars or canadian Ewan: dollars invested in in hardware you no Ewan: longer have that i think that's one of the things that attracted me back in. Ewan: 2004 2005 it's just like i've got a laptop i've got a basic mixing desk you Ewan: don't even need the mixing desk to be honest but but it was there and that that Ewan: gateway opened up and i was so happy to run right through it.
Danny: No no 100 and i i completely i could talk to you on a completely different show Danny: and a different episode about podcasts until the cows come home. Danny: But Mr. Spence, we do have you here to put you on the random questions hot seat. Danny: So if you're ready, I shall bring up the random question generator and we'll Danny: see what questions we have for you this week. Danny: Alrighty, yeah, this is a fine one to open up proceedings with.
Danny: Question number one, Ewan, if you could invent a holiday, what would it be? Ewan: The thing about holidays is they're all individual. Yes, everybody has a summer Ewan: holiday, but summer holidays go to different places. Ewan: Might be Universal Orlando, it might be a bus to Greece, it might be down to Ewan: the pier at Margate, or maybe you mean Saints holidays. Ewan: Actually, what I think I want here is the holiday that was invented by Billy Connolly.
Ewan: Now, Billy Connolly is a stand-up comedian from Glasgow. Ewan: I'm pretty sure that he's known worldwide. Ewan: But if not, just go onto YouTube, find some clips. Ewan: He's been performing since the very early 1970s. Ewan: Very thick Scottish humour, very improvisational. Ewan: And if you've experienced him, you will know what I mean. And if you haven't, Ewan: then you're in for an absolute treat.
Ewan: But Billy Connolly always said that when he was working, he originally worked Ewan: in the shipyards, that when he worked in the shipyards, he always made sure Ewan: that one of his holidays was his birthday. Ewan: He would always take his birthday off. Ewan: And that's the holiday I would make. Ewan: In the same way that your standard contracts are, you get Christmas,
Ewan: you get New Year, you get the bank holidays. it would be part of employment Ewan: law that you get your birthday off. Ewan: Now, okay, if you want to do that in lieu or anything, well, Ewan: you know, if you've got one of those unscrupulous employers who go, Ewan: oh, you have to be in, we'll give you a day in lieu. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Ewan: You get your birthday off because that is a holiday. It's personal to you.
Ewan: It can mean something, whether that's just having a lie in in bed, Ewan: whether that's going out for a longer walk, whether you look forward to those Ewan: years when your birthday is on a Friday or a Monday and you go, hey, long weekend. Ewan: And I think that everybody just taking that time for themselves is a present Ewan: and is a gift and that should be mandated by law.
Danny: I like that. I know there's been some businesses recently, and I say recently, Danny: the last five, maybe 10 years, that I've noticed that they will include, Danny: you know, you get paid time off on your birthday. Danny: And I've seen that it's not so much larger corporations because generally they Danny: don't want you to have time to yourself.
Danny: But certainly smaller businesses, startups, stats companies, etc. Danny: Very much geared towards work-life balance and the health and well-being of their employees. Danny: One thing I'm curious about, and I like the idea of taking your birthday as a stat day. Danny: There are some people, and whether it's right or wrong, I'm not here to judge, Danny: But there are some people, understandably, don't like birthdays because at times Danny: it can remind them that they're getting older.
Danny: And as you get to a certain age, you start to think more about your own mortality, Danny: what you've done, what you've not done, etc., Danny: And I feel you've covered it with saying you can do what you want on that day. Danny: But for people that may not celebrate their birthdays because of these very Danny: reasons, what would you say would maybe be an alternative for them, possibly? Ewan: I mean, the obvious answer and counter, I guess, here is Christmas.
Ewan: Some people don't celebrate Christmas, but you will still have those large offices Ewan: closed down for the holidays. Ewan: So there's already precedent of you're Ewan: given a holiday for something that that you don't do uh so you know you do have Ewan: the in lieu you do have the options for that and yes mandating everybody off Ewan: is probably slightly too left-wing for for most people but i think that that's Ewan: a situation where it's individual choice,
Ewan: You can do what you want on that day. You get it off. I mean, Ewan: you could just maybe tell your work that your birthday is a different day. Ewan: You could just go, you know, you know, I celebrate my birthday the week before Ewan: my actual birthday because that's when my mother went into labor. Ewan: So I have to celebrate it seven days beforehand. So there you go. You're getting your. Ewan: Well, how about we change it? You have to nominate a birthday day.
Ewan: I like that. You might want to be guaranteed your wedding anniversary off. Ewan: Or the time that Scotland won the World Cup. Ewan: This is a fictional podcast, obviously. We will go out on goal difference to Paraguay, I think. Ewan: Moldova or something like that. Yes. Ewan: Yes, Scotland. Rubbish your mouth Ewan: until you ask us to calculate goal difference. We're very good at that.
Ewan: So maybe we should change it very slightly away from Connolly's original idea Ewan: and you're allowed to nominate a birthday celebration day holiday. Ewan: But, you know, it's still going to be called the Billy birthday rule. Danny: The Billy birthday. I like that. No, I like the fact that you mentioned. Danny: And even the idea of a week hourly, because that's when your mum went into labour. Danny: You know, that's also giving thanks to your mum for, you know.
Ewan: I mean, your mum won't want to be reminded of it. Danny: Well, yeah, exactly. We've got two teens now. Our daughter's 14. Danny: She just had her birthday yesterday, 14th birthday. Our son will be 16 in May. Danny: So we've been there, we know the joys that you have as a parent. Danny: So I hear you now, but I do like that. And I think that's a nice one to ease Danny: into the random questions for today. Danny: So on that note then, let's have a look at what question number two is.
Danny: Okay, I'm going to go over this. It has been up before with other guests, Danny: but I feel this follows on a little bit nicely from your first question. Danny: So question number two, Ewan, describe your perfect day. Ewan: Apart from avoiding the obvious pun into the Lou Reed song, I think that's tough. Ewan: And I think that's a tough one to answer because... Ewan: I like difference. I like change. I like a lot of normality as well.
Ewan: So I can tell you right now, wherever it is, I'm going to wake up in the morning. Ewan: It's going to be cereal. It's going to be two slices of toast, Ewan: and it's going to be a really big cup of tea for breakfast. Ewan: But at the same time, it may also be, you know what, we're just going to make pancakes as a family. Ewan: So, and you know, and if it's a, if it's a weekday, it'll be brand flicks. Ewan: And if it's a Saturday, Sunday, it's going to be honey nut cornflicks.
Ewan: But a lot of my life is both regularity, but Ewan: a lot of it is also going away to do silly Ewan: things or things that people Ewan: look at me and just go really like backstage at the Eurovision Song Contest Ewan: you know I started doing that in 2009 in Moscow and to me that is a completely Ewan: regular thing that's done every year certainly up until the pandemic but to Ewan: others it's just like the most amazing unique weird thing in the world,
Ewan: i i do baseball commentary in scotland now to me it's just like yeah we do baseball Ewan: commentary for everyone else is going but it's in scotland so you know to me Ewan: what is just a nice thing to do on a day.
Ewan: Is can be just both really out Ewan: there or really sensible it's a bit like going back to music going back to podcasting Ewan: and i enjoy so many different things to go what's your perfect day is is like Ewan: asking what's the weather outside you know do i do i have bran flakes or do Ewan: i have honey nut cornflakes straight away it's just like i can't get past the defining of breakfast, Ewan: so i think it has to be a much more emotional answer it has to be something
Ewan: that quietly challenges me. Ewan: Not enough that I get frustrated, but something that puts me into a zone where Ewan: I'm learning, where I'm doing, where I'm experiencing. Ewan: It has to be something, like, it's probably going to be something showy. Ewan: I do a lot of stuff writing for people to read. I do a lot of stuff talking with people to listen. Ewan: I rarely do video because I like, don't want to burn anybody's eyes out.
Ewan: And the old joke of I've got a great face for podcasting. Ewan: Scotland's first podcaster agrees. This is the rule. It's set all the way through. Ewan: The only Scottish person you're allowed to watch in a podcast is David Tennant. Ewan: And believe me, you have a wide choice of podcasts to choose from. Ewan: So it is going to be something showy like that. Ewan: I guess it's going to be like the next step up in something that I do.
Ewan: A bigger podcast, a live podcast, a live commentary in the next tier up in sport, a larger venue. Ewan: So it's going to be something like that of something that I do, but taken one more step.
Ewan: But i'd be struggling to actually say which one that that's that's like a you Ewan: know if you're flying southwest airlines and the air and the oxygen mask drops Ewan: you put it on yourself first and then you choose which child you love the most Ewan: um and it's only in those moments that you realize oh i do have a favorite i've.
Danny: Never thought of it that way but um yeah that would be interesting to like have Danny: your both kids either side of you okay you're first here you go but i'm i'm Danny: wondering because obviously you've got a varied professional background and Danny: what you do professionally as well as personally as well. Danny: So yeah, let's see the Eurovision's held in France and the World Cup is held
Danny: in France. I think it's actually maybe in France in 2030. I could be wrong. I don't know where it is. Danny: A bigger live stage. Maybe the winner of the contest performs live at the opening Danny: ceremony of the World Cup final Danny: and you're there presenting both the winners and you're also expanding from Danny: baseball, which is strange for Scotsman to be talking about, Danny: but expanding from baseball into football, the lovely game, the global game.
Danny: And it's our beloved Scotland that's in the final against Brazil. Danny: Maybe that's, you know, and we win, which I mean, it's not a realistic perfect Danny: day, but it could be a good day to spend and mix up things. Ewan: Curiously enough, and you go there on baseball, is I'm not actually that much of a football fan. Ewan: Um, most of my sport love is baseball has been for probably about 18 years now. Ewan: Um, and sport wise for a long time, it was formula one.
Ewan: Formula One, let's just say that the incident in Abu Dhabi, and people who follow Ewan: Formula One will know the one I mean, just left a little bit of a bad taste Ewan: in the mouth, and I've kind of fallen a little bit out of love with that. Ewan: So, sports-wise, it really kind of just sits down now at the hardball. Ewan: The American football, if it's a Sunday night and it's on, I will put it on. Ewan: But other than that, sports aren't really the traditional Scottish ones.
Danny: Okay, well, will you be watching the Super Bowl later this time? Ewan: Oh, still be watching the Super Bowl. Danny: Still be watching that, Ewan: Yeah. And the great thing I love with the Super Bowl is whenever you go on to Ewan: what was Twitter, I suspect we're doing it, everybody does Advert Watch. Ewan: Have you seen Advert Watch go through? And everybody talks about what's going Ewan: on in the big car and the Geico and everything else.
Ewan: And I love doing Advert Watch with the UK hashtag. Ewan: And it's usually like Club 55 holidays. Ewan: Car insurance um signing up for life insurance and we'll send you this free Ewan: pen the real big hitters of the advertising industry, Ewan: jet two holidays.
Danny: I remember the UK I mean I've not seen UK ads at least in the Super Bowl for Danny: a while and I don't really watch the Super Bowl I watch it because of the halftime Danny: shows I always enjoy the halftime shows and I remember the year when Bruno Mars Danny: was invited and there was so many people asking why is he just a pop star he can't sing, Danny: can't play and then he blew a lot of doubters away I'm curious about this year's
Danny: for various reasons but I'm curious about how this year's is going to go down Danny: with both the opening act, the main act etc it'll be an interesting halftime Danny: show i'm curious how those sense of that if need be Ewan: I'm sure somebody will be hovering over the dump button to Ewan: break the broadcast now in the 30 seconds i suspect with Ewan: a lot of those what they'll do is they'll have a lot of inserts recorded from the dress
Ewan: rehearsal and if something does happen they'll Ewan: just switch the tape over but yeah somebody Ewan: would have to make that call very very quickly Ewan: and with a huge amount of Ewan: confidence and uh that would not be my perfect day hovering over the dump button Ewan: at i've forgotten the artist's name so for example bob villain uh at glastonbury Ewan: do you hit the dump button or not no now no yeah you're too late you've missed Ewan: it welcome to the front page of the tabloids.
Danny: It's going to be interesting and like i say i do enjoy the halftime shows i've Danny: watched lady gaga bruno mars is still one of my favourites to be honest you can't beat Prince Danny: well Prince yeah in the rain classic and he continued to play even though it Danny: was like a horrible horrible weather situation for him so yeah I will be watching Danny: I'll try to be watching a half time shot and I'll look out for you on the old
Danny: Twitter I'm not on Twitter anymore I haven't been for years but I haven't been Ewan: For years either over on Blue Sky here. Danny: Oh there you go I'll look out for any live stuff that you're doing on Blue Sky Danny: etc but okay so not quite a perfect day and completely understandable so So Danny: let's see then if we can maybe, maybe get a perfect question for question number three.
Danny: Okay question three what was your favorite children's book Ewan: I don't it's one of those answers i don't think i Ewan: can narrow it down so i'm just going to name a few that spring to mind and Ewan: then let the host work out what the follow-up question is Ewan: going to be um but the one thing that Ewan: i remember about books uh when you bring this question Ewan: up is the library i absolutely Ewan: adored going to the library growing up
Ewan: um i grew up in a mining village called cowden Ewan: beef which is in the guinness book of world records uh for Ewan: the uh most run of games of football at Ewan: home without victory so um i'm very scottish very on point um so i had the library Ewan: card there but i also had the library card for dumframan which is the next town Ewan: over and they had they were like Ewan: the huge central library for all of fife which is um the region and um, Ewan: I could just go in there and just sit.
Ewan: Because once you got to 11 years old, you were allowed to have two books out Ewan: of the adult side as well as your four books out of the children's side. Ewan: And I was a straight-in voracious reader. Ewan: And, you know, there are still books that I can pick up now and go, Ewan: I read this 40 years ago, and it still has echoes. Ewan: So, look, I'll give you some of the books that come to mind. Ewan: One of them is the Kingfisher Pocket Book of Magic.
Ewan: Which was by peter eldon um and it Ewan: was just a book of magic tricks and how to perform them Ewan: i mean people are probably familiar you know familiar with that Ewan: sort of style of book but this was not only Ewan: was it geared towards a sort of young you know 11 to 13 year old group um but Ewan: it had some really really what i now realize are complicated effects so there's Ewan: a magic uh act called out of this world by Paul Curry.
Ewan: Now, it was in this book, and it took me a long time, you know, Ewan: doing magic as a hobby further on to realize, oh, hold on, I learned this trick when I was 11. Ewan: And it's an absolutely stunning trick. And the book was full of that. Ewan: So that one and Royal Road to Card Magic, which is a much more traditional piece Ewan: on how to learn how to do card magic. Okay, so that has to be there.
Ewan: There's a book called Heroes, which is Ewan: basically a narrative of the space race between america Ewan: and russia um and it's got it's the Ewan: cover has bruce mccandles who's like the first free floating Ewan: astronaut in a jet pack out the space shuttle it's just Ewan: him in in black and i loved Ewan: space and planes and i still do and that was a sort of Ewan: the comfort book because it went through all the missions it gave you a rough
Ewan: idea of them not in a huge amount of enough depth for a teenager again young Ewan: teenager probably this would be about 14 years old so enough depth and enough Ewan: bite to spark the knowledge but.
Ewan: Enough that if you go out and read more you'll find Ewan: more of the story the great thing about it nowadays is Ewan: you can find these books and put them on on Ewan: the bookshelves here talked about the library there Ewan: but there was another place that i loved about books and Ewan: that was a little second-hand bookstore in the Ewan: shopping center in kirkody which is another town that's that's close by and
Ewan: it was like a charity bookshop it was like one pound you get you can get two Ewan: books out of this box or three books out of of this one and again we would go Ewan: shopping and my my mom would just go like.
Ewan: Normally you would think you'd get some money and go to the sweet shop get Ewan: some candy and get some chocolate stuff no no it'd be like there's a pound go Ewan: to the bookshop i'll get you in half an hour and i bought so Ewan: many books in there because just reading so like i got a complete collection Ewan: of the james bond pan books they were Ewan: their favorite books they were then nowadays Ewan: you look at them and just go wow that's that that's that's
Ewan: so problematic that's so wrong but at that point they were Ewan: they were they were comfort rates and to a certain Ewan: extent now they still are um the Ewan: finding fantasy books where like do you want to investigate Ewan: the cave turn to page 12 if you want to go and and play xylophone Ewan: turn to page 714 um those those were wonderful the early doctor who novels Terence Ewan: Dix now he was a again script writer but in the 70s and 80s you didn't have
Ewan: home video you couldn't watch old episodes of Doctor Who once they were broadcast Ewan: on the television that was it they were done. Ewan: Except the target book of novelizations existed. Ewan: These are like 128 pages, 12 chapters, so three chapters per episode. Ewan: Doctor Who stories are generally four-part episodes.
Ewan: Nowadays, when I look online and you see recaps going through on websites, these books, Ewan: the target books, Terrence Dicks and the rest of the authors for Doctor Who, Ewan: and also the James Blair Star Trek novels. Ewan: Which were actually, they were all just essentially recaps of these TV shows.
Ewan: But when you didn't have video, when you didn't have anything, Ewan: when these were the cultural memory, you know, Peter Davidson is, Ewan: you know, for many people, the fifth doctor, but for people my age, Ewan: he's the doctor with the old young face.
Ewan: Tom Baker is the one who is all teeth and curls, because that's Ewan: how they were described in these books Ewan: so what was your favorite children's Ewan: book all of them just let Ewan: children read whether it's comics or annuals or pamphlets let them read because Ewan: reading should be joyous reading should not be a chore so don't make it a chore Ewan: when you for for children or anybody will they graduate to bigger and better Ewan: books and more complicated stuff maybe,
Ewan: maybe they'll just stay on comics and and read Ewan: 2000 AD and when you're looking at the the ideas of judge dredge and judge jury Ewan: and executioner being on the streets dispensing intense justice immediately Ewan: under a fascist system you just go oh hold on a second maybe 2000 AD was trying Ewan: to tell us something 40 years ago let people read simple as that. Danny: No, it's interesting. I could feel your struggle trying to identify your favourite book.
Danny: I know if I got asked that question, I'd probably be the same as you. Danny: I'd be thinking of different books that I really enjoyed. Danny: We had a sci-fi bookstore. So I saw Star Wars when I was eight, Danny: originally, when it first came out back in 77, 78, eight, nine-year-old.
Danny: And it was a sci-fi bookstore in the middle of Edinburgh on Princess Street, Danny: or just before Princess Street, sorry where I used to live so I'd go there every Danny: week at the weekend, my mum would take me or when I got a little bit older, I'd get the bus hop on off Danny: Go there, pick up some comics, go to the Commonwealth pool, sit down, Danny: get a Coke and a sandwich or whatever, start reading there. Danny: But it's funny you mentioned that, you know, just not funny.
Danny: I completely agree with you. Danny: It's just like kids read. During the lockdown, our son got into a really good Danny: habit of getting books to read. Danny: And one of the ones that he got was, it was a really abridged version of an Danny: early part of Muhammad Ali's life, when he was still Cassius Clay, Danny: before he became a Hound Ali.
Danny: And it kind of touched on the reason for, you know, the Vietnam draft, Danny: what he went through, getting stripped of his titles, and it gave a little spark Danny: of an idea as to what happened. Danny: And it left him, it left my son wanting more details. So he then started researching online. Danny: He went to the local library where we lived beforehand and got more books, Danny: like the big hefty tombs as well, and really understood what Ali went through, you know.
Danny: And he wouldn't have known that if he was turned off by that original book, Danny: which is just really, it's like a typical kid's book. It's got a cartoon version of Ali on the front. Danny: It's maybe, I don't know, 20 pages tops. Danny: So not in depth. And I've got a picture of my son on the chair really deep into
Danny: this and then, you know, further on in the book. So let's say, Danny: yeah, you have to, you can't force, you know, kids, kids will pick their own Danny: favourite books, right? Danny: And I love the fact that you've got so many different ones. Danny: And, oh man, the Choose Your Own Adventure books with Steve Lowenstein and that, Danny: you know, it's like, they were times, they were times, mate. Danny: You mentioned like the Choose Your Own Adventure books.
Danny: Were you ever like tempted because i tried that once to make my own book where Danny: you'd go to page 17 if you did this you can go to page 31 if you did this and Danny: it ended up me having like a big sheet and i lost track i couldn't make my own Danny: it was just too much work to try and make my own do you ever get tempted to Danny: do that or do you just like enjoy reading i mean going on that adventure Ewan: Not on the book as such but you know
Ewan: one of the other books that had a huge influence me was that input Ewan: magazine which was a part work which is Ewan: available over 52 issues every two weeks from your local news Ewan: agent which would build up to a collection and this would Ewan: be marshall cavendish 1982 1983 and it Ewan: was the rudimentary of computer programming it was Ewan: essentially a basic language course over two years and Ewan: the end of volume one over four
Ewan: weeks was how to program your own adventure game as in go north Ewan: eat tiger get bone kill Ewan: jester uh so and it's Ewan: like because it's all open it says right okay we've shown you how to do this Ewan: one now you can go away and change it yourself so i there is somewhere on a Ewan: magnetic tape uh lost to time probably a tiny 12 room adventure game written Ewan: by me so yes i did give it a go but i cheated i used a computer.
Danny: Yeah, well, that was far above what I could do. I still can't code. I'm a copy-paste guy. Danny: So if I have to put something on a website, I'll grab some HTML and then drop Danny: that and probably break it. Ewan: I was good on programming right till about 2003, 2004, and at that point they Ewan: changed how phones worked. Ewan: And then I'm like, that's it, I'm out. This is as far as I can go.
Ewan: I do have a lot, when I occasionally do Twitch, I do have a lovely Twitch splash Ewan: screen and programmed and everything, but it actually runs on a ZX Spectrum emulator. Ewan: So I've got a ZX Spectrum driving the screens that I use when I go on Twitch. Danny: That is amazing. And for our younger listeners, I will leave a link to the ZX Danny: Spectrum wiki page or something so you know exactly what...
Ewan: Essentially, it was a Nintendo entertainment system, but in Europe, but we could program it. Ewan: And if it wasn't for the ZX Spectrum, there wouldn't have been a Miami Vice game, Ewan: which meant that Denton Designs wouldn't have seen it, which means they wouldn't Ewan: have written the very first Grand Theft Auto top of town, which means you would Ewan: not have had Grand Theft Auto without this computer and Nintendo can't say that Ewan: about their system I like it.
Danny: I like it extra controversy through the episode it's not controversy, Danny: it's true and I can't even say the word, that's what I like about it but this is why I like having Danny: guests with so many different takes on this podcast because stuff like this Danny: I will definitely leave a link to that but I completely agree as well ZX was, Danny: it's a beast and that's Sinclair right, Danny: never remember was it Sinclair ZX yeah it was so I will leave a link to that
Danny: in episode show notes so be sure to have a look at them when you're looking Danny: to find out more about the ZX Danny: So, yeah, another random fact about Nintendo and Grand Theft Auto, Danny: which ties in perfectly to the random nature of our episode, as always. Danny: So let's have a look then. We're doing well here, Ewan. Let's have a look at question number four. Danny: All right, here we go. Because this is a global thing. Most countries now have
Danny: reality TV. Reality show, sorry. Danny: So, question number four, Ewan. What reality show would you think you'd do well in? Ewan: Who's doing the editing?
Danny: Me. Ewan: Because the problem with reality shows is not are Ewan: you good at the reality show it's what you do in the edit um there Ewan: is a lovely episode part of a tv show Ewan: called screen white by charlie brooker and they talk about Ewan: the you know how reality tv could only Ewan: happen with digital editing because you Ewan: have to take 24 hours worth of footage multiplied by Ewan: however many cameras to get a half hour clip show for
Ewan: the original big brother for example and it Ewan: doesn't matter what you do with somebody in a big brother house the Ewan: edit can do whatever it wants the edit can make Ewan: you you know if you glance over at a Ewan: housemate the edit can either make that one of friendship one Ewan: of romance one of stalking one of murderous intent Ewan: so i would Ewan: be very very reticent to hand over Ewan: my public image to a reality tv show Ewan: so um which one
Ewan: would i be good at well i'm gonna Ewan: twist the question you know i would be very good Ewan: at producing one it's only in audio i don't Ewan: wouldn't want to be a contest i think this comes back down to the podcasting Ewan: and everything so you know i would want to work on the other side of it because Ewan: the craft of storytelling through reality tv through editing through presentation. Ewan: That is where the real skill is.
Ewan: You know, something like Taskmaster, for example, which is a, Ewan: I think that's pretty fair to say that that's known relatively worldwide. Ewan: So much of that value is in the edit. Ewan: When, you know, you're seeing the clips of the tasks being mixed together. Ewan: For those of you who don't know, five panelists are given a task to do in a house.
Ewan: They do the task. It's usually something silly like make a cake can sit on it Ewan: fastest wins and they come back and they watch it a couple months later with Ewan: a studio audience they watch the edited clip and they all react to it, Ewan: You and I know from podcasting that you can move a single breath. Ewan: And sometimes we do because we need Ewan: to set up a rhythm in an edit or we're bringing together two thoughts.
Ewan: And it's just like, I know that's how it was said, but it just needs a little Ewan: bit, it needs another four tenths of a second. Ewan: There's a gasp from here five minutes ago. I'm just going to lift that up and put it in there. Ewan: And it's utterly seamless if you're good at what you're doing.
Ewan: Now yes a little bit of dunning kruger but i Ewan: have been doing podcasting and auditing for a fair bit so i think Ewan: it would be a reality tv show that's not Ewan: on tv that's on radio that's on podcast uh and i would want to be the editor Ewan: the producer working behind the scenes lifting out those stories finding out Ewan: about these people a bit like what we're doing here with five questions um Because Ewan: isn't Five Questions a reality TV show?
Ewan: Can we boil down the essence of what we are doing here to Survivor or Big Brother Ewan: or Taskmaster or anything? Ewan: TV entertainment is all about storytelling and I always love to credit myself as being a storyteller. Ewan: So the show that I would think I would do the best in is the one where I can tell the story.
Danny: Now what I do like about that is, as you mentioned, you're flipping it and you're Danny: making it audio, which is your expertise, your passion and where you can really guide the story. Danny: I know there's a big push we were talking about in the green room before we Danny: came on to record the episode. Danny: I know there's a big push, at the moment anyway, for a lot of creators to go Danny: to video first as opposed to audio first.
Danny: And that's fine if that's what you want to do, have at it. And if you do it Danny: well, good for you. Love it. Danny: But I do find that sometimes video first can struggle to make the transition to audio. Danny: Because your video, it's a visual medium, obviously. Danny: And what you can see happening isn't always what a listener can see.
Danny: Or hear not see is what a list can hear happening Danny: you know um if people were talking about oh look at this Danny: lovely decoration behind you know steve or whatever what's Danny: the challenge there for let's say you were to make this a reality tv Danny: stroke audio only podcast Danny: so reality podcast i guess what would be the challenge that you feel switching Danny: from what would typically be a tv you know first approach or a video first approach
Danny: where you can see you mentioned yourself uh the error can make a look be friendly Danny: flirting playful demonic nasty how would you transfer that to audio only Ewan: I think you have to look back at history um because Ewan: essentially what you're doing is a soap opera so you Ewan: are doing and again this is Ewan: a reference that either 100 of listeners will get or they Ewan: will just go what are you going on about you're essentially trying to do the archers
Ewan: which is a radio for which Ewan: was originally of course the home service uh here in the Ewan: uk of a soap opera based in Ewan: the village of ambridge farming um Ewan: but essentially a soap opera so that that is what you're doing the twitter is Ewan: of course you're doing it on material that is being generated in real time by Ewan: your cast and it depends on the story you want to tell so for example you Ewan: might want to do a sort of.
Ewan: Teenage focused and the pressures Ewan: that they're going under um just during their Ewan: life for example whether they're going through exams so you might want to Ewan: do an exam uh so you Ewan: know there's there's going to be a different flavor to that Ewan: for example if you decide to follow um Ewan: six people who are going through Ewan: grief for example um and for Ewan: those of you who aren't aware the carrie ed lloyd podcast the
Ewan: grief cast absolutely fantastic listening um go Ewan: find the archive of it that tells you Ewan: a different story you know are you doing this with Ewan: them staying mic'd up all the time are you doing it through an interview base Ewan: look personally i would be doing it through an interview base it's like what happened Ewan: today tell me what happened today um so it Ewan: would come back as multiple interviews going through Ewan: so there's probably
Ewan: a a complicated media university Ewan: term for that one but i would probably bias towards Ewan: something like that um i would want Ewan: to choose people who are already going through a journey so you've got a natural Ewan: storyline that you can build on whether that is going to be um uplifting or Ewan: or depressing let's just just take those for example whether it makes you think then it's that so.
Ewan: Okay. You know, what, what is, we're coming back now to that question of what is reality? Ewan: Is it a group of people? Is it a single person? Is it, you have to see their Ewan: lives? Is it, they talk about their lives? Ewan: What would the sponsors be interested in? Uh, probably has to, Ewan: unfortunately come into that conversation as well. Ewan: So what would it be? I mean, look, I've come up with, with podcast ideas that Ewan: I've never made it past that that would be fun stage.
Ewan: Um i did an in just just during the last half of lockdown i did a podcast called Ewan: my cat's tail um and question one was tell me about your cat um and that was Ewan: it we would talk for half an hour about one person's cat now is that reality Ewan: audio podcast yes it is is it about cats yes, Ewan: was it hosted by david tenet no so it didn't go any more than a year, Ewan: it depends on what you want to do and the delight of doing it as podcast is
Ewan: you don't need to find a huge audience you don't need to find tens of millions Ewan: of people tuning in every night you need to find like if you want a really big number five thousand, Ewan: if you can find five thousand people and that people are starting a podcast Ewan: if you don't have that sort of star power energy to go with that takes a bit of time to build up.
Ewan: It would be something like that it would be those lines of staying honest with Ewan: minimal editing which is probably why i want to do it in the interview format Ewan: after they've done something because, Ewan: every time you cut with an edit you're taking away some of the truth and if Ewan: you look at reality tv nowadays there's a huge amount of editing there's a huge Ewan: amount of cunning which means,
Ewan: they get further away from the truth and further towards a story that is pre-written by the cast, Ewan: but not by the cast, by the crew. I wouldn't want that. Ewan: I'd go the other way. I would want to be as close and inside as possible. Ewan: I think I'm describing something that is called a documentary. Danny: I know, I like that, and I love that you went so deep into that to explain exactly
Danny: how it would work and why it should be that way. And I agree, Danny: I feel as much as it's fun for TikTok, Instagram Reels, etc. Danny: I'm sure my age, because nobody probably watches Instagram Reels these days.
Danny: But as much as people, you know, veer towards that short-term content and really, Danny: you know, that quick fix, that quick dopamine hit, Danny: it does take away because now you're trying to make that perfect little 30-second, Danny: 60-second snippet for clicks, views, etc. Danny: As opposed to really just letting a story breathe and you know I love the fact Danny: that you mentioned that edit can take away from that you know you've got to
Danny: be really careful that you don't take away from the essence of what a conversation Danny: was about because that does ruin and spoil everything Danny: I also love the fact that you mentioned the archers there. Now, Danny: I'm of an age that I remember the archers. I know what you're on about.
Danny: And it's funny that you mentioned Billy Connolly out there because one of my Danny: favourite skits of Billy Connolly, of many, many, many, many, Danny: many, is when he's on about we should change because our national anthem, Danny: or the British, English national anthem, whatever way you want to look at it, is so dull.
Danny: So when you go to the Olympics, you know, we've already lost because all these Danny: other countries have got these grand, you know, trumpet-laden national anthems Danny: and we've got this guard, save the king or queen or whatever, Danny: we should replace it with the archers theme. Danny: And we're just like marching along, parump into the archers theme. Ewan: This is what a sketch I'm familiar with. It's quite an early one.
Ewan: It's before 1985, 1986, and that Five Nations season with Scotland playing rugby against England. Ewan: Because now, of course, Scotland has Flower of Scotland.
Ewan: Now, Scotland actually doesn't have an official national anthem, but Ewan: uh there are various adoptions quite a few people Ewan: still go with scotland to brave um but essentially the Ewan: rugby fans chose flyer of scotland and that's become Ewan: scotland's anthem and if anybody hasn't heard a Ewan: scottish sports crowd joining in the anthem go google uh euro euro scotland Ewan: anthem the um the when it opened up in germany with the euros and scotland was
Ewan: drawn to do the opening game and the anthems come up and.
Ewan: Every scottish fan will sing um and Ewan: i don't mean in a sort of stand up put Ewan: your hand on your heart um because you need to do the Ewan: pledge of allegiance you need to sing the anthem um every Ewan: morning i know i mean sing i mean that emotional Ewan: core and depth and Ewan: yes the united kingdom of great Ewan: britain and northern ireland does have god save the Ewan: king but we have flower of scotland and we are scotland and yet at that point
Ewan: it hadn't been chosen it hadn't been played that moment at five nations where Ewan: flower of scotland kicked off and basically england lost the game of rugby beforehand Ewan: because we sang the enthusiasm out of them, Ewan: We have that anthem now, Billy. We have that strength and power, Ewan: and we are known for it. We're still rubbish at sports. Danny: But we've got a damn good national anthem. Ewan: We're good at curling. There are some sports that Scotland is good at.
Ewan: We're probably some of the best Canada-Scotland at the Winter Olympics as the curling final. Ewan: Yes, please. I'll watch that. Thank you very much.
Danny: No, no, I hear. It reminds me, I think it was 1990, that was the Grand Slam Danny: game between Scotland and England Danny: normally you run out on the pitch and it was at Murrayfield so obviously it Danny: was like the home crowd so England's players ran out on the pitch as expected Danny: and then the Scottish team marched out when Florida Scotland and I think at that moment Danny: it almost sensed that we've got this is our day so I completely hear you and
Danny: that's just given me a little bit of tingles so thank you for bringing that back as a memory It Ewan: Always surprises me that nobody at the Super Bowl does that as well if you have Ewan: all the great, the pomp and the circumstances, they're right out, yay, yay. Ewan: And I think if you'd just taken one of those teams and you'd just marched out, Ewan: stood on the halfway line and looked at the other team, they would just be, what are they doing?
Ewan: What's going on? If anybody's seen like the New Zealand All Blacks, Ewan: you know, they start playing the game of rugby long before the whistle blows. Ewan: And I think Anthems play a huge part in that.
Danny: Well, I agree. A hundred percent. A hundred percent agree. you and i i Danny: love that question to kind of almost ease us out of your time in hot seat but Danny: we do have one more for you so let's have a look at what one we're going to Danny: take you home with all right let's go with this one question number five do Danny: you think you would survive a zombie apocalypse um Ewan: It would answer one of my favorite questions for pondering though so it's,
Ewan: Let's say, right, you get zombified, whatever the technical term is, Ewan: you have become a zombie. Ewan: If you're pregnant, does the baby become a zombie? Danny: Well, that kind of almost answered in season, was it season two? Danny: It was season one, actually. So The Last of Us TV show based on a video game, the same name. Danny: It showed the main or one of the main characters, Mother Sock. Danny: Ellie is the young lady in the TV show game.
Danny: And she's with a guy called Joel. They're trying to get Ellie to somewhere where Danny: she's meant to be the cure for the zombie apocalypse. Danny: Her blood is immune. Danny: And the reason that they showed that was they had a spoiler alert. Danny: Stop listening here if you've not seen it. Danny: But the reason that she was that is it showed it at the start as her mum, Danny: as she was given birth, was attacked by a zombie and was bitten.
Danny: And that mixed the bloods up. and that's why she became this...
Danny: Immune person if you like so i'm not sure if you become a zombie probably not Danny: a zombie but maybe there's a mix of human stroke zombie there if that makes sense Ewan: But that's during birth yeah now i've not seen last of us Ewan: so but that's during a birth yeah that's correct yeah okay Ewan: right so that doesn't matter because what i'm getting at here is while Ewan: you're in the womb and the blood placenta barrier is still Ewan: in effect that's you know that is weakened during
Ewan: birth so i would say worth well things are going to break down Ewan: there uh on on on both sides so um Ewan: no i don't think that answers the question at all um swine Ewan: oh trust Ewan: me i've been through lots of these ones it's the same question about Ewan: vampires as well if you get turned into a vampire and you're pregnant the baby Ewan: become a vampire what if the baby becomes a vampire and you don't Ewan: is that possible and if that's the case what i know
Ewan: lots of funds on that um surviving Ewan: a zombie apocalypse well it kind of depends on what you need kind Ewan: of depends on how long the zombies are going to be earned it depends if they're Ewan: fast or slow zombies um lots of things uh for example if zombies are dead does Ewan: that mean that there's no living bacteria in them and if that's the case then Ewan: they've only got the energy that they've got when they die which means you've Ewan: only got to get through about three days,
Ewan: so if the question is can i hide from the world for three days pretty sure i can get a boat. Ewan: Pretty sure I could go up a mountain. Pretty sure I could go into the middle Ewan: of a football stadium in Cowden Meath because nobody would think of going there Ewan: because Cowden Meath can't play football. Ewan: So, can I survive three days of a zombie apocalypse? Yes. Can I pronounce it? Ewan: No. But that's fine because I would want to be really, really quiet while doing it.
Ewan: Longer term, then there are bigger questions about infrastructure. Ewan: So, let's take power, for example. How is power going to be generated? Ewan: Are we going to have to rely on portable generators?
Ewan: Are there going to be people who can still run nuclear power plants um are there zombies, Ewan: there's the other thing will zombies still want Ewan: to go to work you know is it just like oh we're going Ewan: to eat okay you've eaten now what are you going to do um um well Ewan: you know i was making a nice model spitfire from Ewan: an air fix kit well you're a zombie that doesn't stop you Ewan: carrying on doing modeling oh yeah i'll
Ewan: go do that then tell me when you're hungry we'll get you some more food oh right fine Ewan: fair enough you know the idea Ewan: that zombies are constantly going and constantly eating Ewan: i could disagree with because Ewan: as i said they're dead and if they're dead Ewan: nothing works and if nothing works how do they process food Ewan: you know do they eat food it just goes all Ewan: the way through they just leave trails of tiny mashed Ewan: up bits of human behind them if that's
Ewan: the case yeah my three days are still good so in my science fiction world either Ewan: a zombies all die out after three days it's a i know it's a bit hg world's war Ewan: of the worlds but yeah bear with me um or the second one is yes there are zombies Ewan: but they don't have an insatiable lust for food, Ewan: and even if they did we've got manjaro now you know what happens if you give a zombie manjaro, Ewan: oh i'm not hungry anymore oh what do you want to do race cars great you want
Ewan: to put a seatbelt on No, don't be silly. I'm a zombie. Danny: It's it's an interesting fact i've never thought of it that way to be honest Danny: mate um and you're 100 correct obviously it's like no Ewan: No no i only sound 100.
Danny: Well okay yeah you sound you've you've like convinced me i can Ewan: Say things with confidence and they will make sense until somebody moves on Ewan: to the james o'brien podcast next in their feed and then they go hold on a minute Ewan: he was talking rubbish wasn't he yes so was human yes.
Danny: No i like it and like you say though Danny: you're dead so you're not going to be hungry I don't even know why the original Danny: reason to eat brains came about, I'm sure it must have been Georgie Romero's classic 60s, Danny: early 70s, you know, Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead movies that that came out and happened Danny: it's funny though, you mentioned about how fast are they and how clever are Danny: they etc, there's a little cartoon like meme kind of thing or whatever that
Danny: I saw just the other week there actually last week even maybe, Danny: and it was about if the zombie, how to survive the zombie, well not to survive Danny: but if the zombie apocalypse or if you get attacked by zombies here's how to Danny: beat them and basically you're just in your house but all the way around your Danny: house is like a moat of treadmills, Danny: you know, so if you try to get the zombie on the treadmill, they're just going
Danny: nowhere for days, right, they're just running and it's the same idea, it's like, Danny: as you say there's no real reason to rhyme to zombies really, and if there is, Danny: why can't it be normal after that building an airplane you know taking a dog Danny: a walk as a dog a zombie as well are they are they real they're going to try Danny: eat the zombie bones whatever so yeah Danny: I'm going to start thinking that way if I get asked about zombies and such as
Danny: but I would recommend watching The Last of Us certainly season 1 season 2 I Danny: wasn't quite as sold on season 1 really really good Ewan: To slightly paraphrase Adam Savage, I reject your zombie apocalypse and I replace it with my own. Danny: And for anybody that doesn't know Adam Savage, I will link to that in the show notes, obviously.
Danny: One of the cool things that episodes show notes do, they give you all the links Danny: to details about everything that your host and your guest is speaking about. Danny: So always check them out. Danny: But I like that. And I feel it's a nice way, that sensible answer is a nice Danny: way to ease out your time in a random question hot seat, mate.
Danny: But this is only fair, because I've had you in the hot seat for almost an hour Danny: now, it's time to hand over the question Asking Baton to you. Ewan: Do you know how difficult it is trying to come up with one question? Danny: That's why I use a random generator, mate. Ewan: No, five. I'd be good with five, probably, because I could do a structure and a story. Ewan: And I have been thinking about this one. So I've decided to go back to my favourite question.
Ewan: And it's one that I tell people when they ask how to do interviews and podcasts Ewan: or YouTubes or whatever.
Ewan: It's one that I've used certainly going back according to family mythology till Ewan: I'm about four or five so um it's just like okay let's go with that one let's Ewan: not try and do anything sneaky, Ewan: let's not try and go oh I've read your LinkedIn and I see that you that you Ewan: once finished third in a Crufts look-alike pedigree chum contest what you know Ewan: what about that one not going to do any of that although i will ask you that
Ewan: one when we get back into the green room right i'm. Danny: At it why just why yep Ewan: That's yeah that's the question why why. Danny: And i've got to come up with a thing about why Ewan: You've got to answer the question i think that's the rules of the podcast that. Danny: Is the rules of the podcast okay why let's see why not Ewan: Oh, somebody's looking at the term and going, I want to get this under an hour. Danny: Why not? No, I think it's like anything, mate. It's like, I mean,
Danny: that's a really obviously open-ended question. It could cover any, any, anything. Danny: But I think at the end of the day, it's why not? Why ask that girl or guy out? Why not? Danny: Why put that thing in your mouth when it tastes horrible? Why not? Danny: I've never tried it before. Or why jump out of a perfectly working aeroplane Danny: with just a piece of material in the back of you to keep you alive? Danny: Why not? Never done it. Never will. I'm not that brave.
Danny: But I think that would be my answer, mate. Danny: It's like, unless it was like a specific why this, why that, Danny: why that or whatever, I think it always comes back to why not. Danny: Because there's always a reason to do or say something, you know, Danny: and it could be personal beliefs, could be political beliefs, Danny: This could be giving a voice to voiceless, you know, thinking the current times, etc. Danny: I think it comes down to why not? That would be my answer, I think.
Danny: And I hope that's OK, because that's such a good open-ended question that no Danny: one has ever come up with before. Ewan: Ah, yay! Danny: What would yours be, out of curiosity?
Ewan: I have asked that so many times. You know, it was one of the questions I, Ewan: you know, my next rename when I was growing up, who said oh here comes you Ewan: and why um because i would just go what are you doing that for Ewan: why are you doing that why are you doing that why are you doing that and it is it Ewan: is a curiousness it is an instinctiveness it's Ewan: i think it's just a sort of general question to just
Ewan: ask yourself anybody around you you know why are you doing something why did Ewan: you do that why are you making that decision why am i doing that thing i think Ewan: it is a a lovely encapsulation of the human condition it can be a very personal Ewan: question it can be a wonderful question in a group as you said it is open ended, Ewan: but it is just something that will always advance what you're doing.
Ewan: You know as you've seen here you know one word Ewan: why led to your answer you why not and then Ewan: yes i can see what you've done i've done this long enough you've Ewan: thrown the same question back at me that's fine because it Ewan: allows you know why why it advances Ewan: conversation and if it advances conversation it Ewan: advances understanding and if it advances understanding Ewan: then it advances compassion and empathy Ewan: it advances emotion it advances
Ewan: togetherness you know we are as a Ewan: species so shattered so broken Ewan: and the the challenges that are facing the world are immense and the only way Ewan: to solve those challenges are for people to band together to ask why to come up with sensible, Ewan: well-thought-out answers, emotional answers, you know, to challenge people, Ewan: to not only hear the answer to the question why, but to also go why.
Ewan: I mean, if you stop going me or this in any of the circumstances that are happening Ewan: today and just go why and then challenge the answer. Ewan: And the easiest way to challenge a why answer is just to do it again. Ewan: Why? Why are you doing this? Ewan: And that is how we evolve. That is how the human condition grows. Ewan: That is how, as Douglas Adams, we get out the trees.
Ewan: That is how we get digital watches. That is how we make this world a little Ewan: bit better than how we found it. Ewan: And if everybody does that, if everybody makes one tiny positive change by simply going, why? Ewan: Why should you do that? because the world will be in a better place and you Ewan: will leave it in a better place for the next generation. Ewan: And then they will ask why. Why did they do that? Then why am I not doing it Ewan: for the next generation?
Ewan: And that will cascade down the years. Ewan: You and I, this podcast is probably going to be gone in 10 years. Ewan: It'll be undiscoverable in 50. Ewan: And our names will not be shining there in 100 years. Ewan: But the impact we make and the impact that cascades down, that is why we do this. Ewan: That is why I do this. This is why we create art or jobs or science or creativity.
Ewan: It's because we want to take another step forward. And everybody who tries to Ewan: take it a step back should be challenged at every single moment. Ewan: And they should be said, why? Ewan: And if they do not come up with an answer, you challenge them again and again Ewan: and again. And that is how we get out of the hole that we're in right now. Danny: And I think that is a fantastic place to close this episode off.
Danny: If that doesn't give listeners a reason why to check out your stuff that we're Danny: going to ask about right now then there's no reason because that's the perfect Danny: reason and I love that explanation and as a dad I've got two kids I've got two Danny: teens I do have concerns about what the world's going to be like for them Danny: when I was a young man's age like when I was in my early 20s what's it going
Danny: to be like for them in say 10 years time and I think that's perfect mate I think Danny: that asking why and challenging back like you said there Danny: Perfect. And a perfect way to end this time on the hot seat. Danny: So I appreciate the question and I super appreciate your extended answer. Danny: When I cheated a little bit and asked why, why not, but I asked you to expand on that.
Danny: So Ewan, for people that want to know more about you and hear more of your thoughts Danny: like this, hear more of your stuff on Eurovision, baseball, maybe read your Danny: blog, because I know you have a blog that you posted on again.
Danny: Anywhere that you've got awesome, cool stuff going on. where's the best places Danny: to either catch up with that listen read or even connect with you mate Ewan: This has been my weak spot for for all the time i'm creating stuff Ewan: getting the proper marketing behind it that's a little bit Ewan: more tricky so the obvious places start off with the blog Ewan: which is you and spence.co.uk slash blog um there's Ewan: a bit there for social media links so that will link you to the the
Ewan: blue skies the links in the the youtube the other Ewan: sites and stuff so that's how you would get in touch with me um Ewan: in terms of the the projects that we have mentioned let's Ewan: run down those just now so eurovisioninsight.com or Ewan: escinsight.com but both urls will will work Ewan: there's over a thousand podcasts there most of Ewan: them feature me but it is essentially a collective so Ewan: you will find other voices going on in there um
Ewan: in terms of baseball two places i'll give you youtube.com slash ampersand baseball Ewan: scotland and some number search for baseball scotland on youtube um it's the Ewan: scottish amateur league we started to do youtube and streaming two years ago Ewan: i had to rapidly teach myself how to be a baseball commentator so you will find my efforts there.
Ewan: It's the off-season, so I'm carrying on doing baseball commentary by commentating Ewan: on historical games from the 40s, 50s and 60s because we still have the paper Ewan: record of what happened, so I could pretend to be a commentator. Ewan: From the 1940s, welcome! The Gillette Safety Reservoir Company welcomes you Ewan: to Kaminsky Park and today's... and all of that stuff. Ewan: That's classicbaseballradio.com, or again, search for that on Spotify, Ewan: podcasts and YouTube as well.
Ewan: I mentioned the Cats podcast. So a lot of my older podcasts are kind of like only running, Ewan: intermittently you'll find that the podcast corner.com um Ewan: my cat's tail is in there the um the edinburgh festival Ewan: fringe podcast is in there that only really runs in august Ewan: because that's when the festival is on um and there's another couple more dawning Ewan: in there but yeah if you get the social media links um from the blog if you
Ewan: just search for you and spence.co.uk on blue sky that's probably the place for Ewan: for the immediate thing yeah i'm about not very visible which. Danny: Is a shame Like a good Scotsman, you're about. You're not just here, Danny: there. You're everywhere, mate. Ewan: So just stand in a room at a web conference and shout, why? And I'll go, oh, that's me. Danny: That's Ewan. Say hello. But as always, I will leave all these links in the episode show notes.
Danny: So whatever podcast app you're listening on, or even listening to this on the Danny: website, just check the episode show notes out. Danny: It will link out to the good and average stuff that Ewan is doing. Danny: So be sure to check the notes out. Danny: So again, Ewan, thanks for taking the time today to appear on the 5 Random Questions hot seat. Ewan: Lovely. Thank you very much. been a pleasure.
Danny: Thanks for listening to 5 Random Questions and if this was your first time Danny: here feel free to hit follow and check out past episodes if you enjoyed this Danny: week's episode i'd love for you to leave a review on the app you're currently Danny: listening on and if you know someone else that would enjoy the show be sure Danny: to send them this way it's very much appreciated until the next time keep asking those questions