Katy Perry went to space with a group of famous women, so was it one giant leap for womankind or just a really weird marketing blunder? We have a lot of thoughts. And what do we want from our leaders? We are half way through the election campaign and it has got us thinking about what makes a good leader. JULES' PICK: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/voyager-1s-pale-blue-dot/...
The HBO TV drama "White Lotus" focuses on a number of very rich and in many ways deeply unpleasant people. So why are we so fascinated by the lives of the super rich? And the US has dominated the global news this week with Donald Trump’s new tariffs, but Jules and Jez are keen to talk about deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE. Since Donald Trump returned to the Presidency, tens of thousands of people have been arrested and it's leading to a lot of fear for migr...
The election campaign is in full swing, but when it comes to the news you consume, who do you trust? The ALP offered to pay travel expenses so some influencers could go to the Federal Budget lock-up. So did it get the Government favourable coverage? Or find audiences who just aren't listening to the mainstream media? And we've heard from so many teachers about the Netflix show, Adolescence. Lots of them have ideas about how we talk to boys. And because we like to tackle the big topics, Jez has b...
The Netflix drama, Adolescence, has been watched millions of times in the last week and it is raising a lot of questions about masculinity and how we treat boys. So why this series has hit such a nerve? And Jez was in Canberra for the Federal Budget, so what is the government offering and have we lost the capacity for long term planning? Buy tickets to our Sydney show here: https://www.swf.org.au/program/season-2025/not-stupid-live-with-julia-baird-and-jeremy-fernandez SHOW NOTES Donald Trump po...
US President, Donald Trump, is slashing diversity programs in the US, so is DEI over here too? Jules and Jez chat about what might happen in Australia. Also, Elon Musk says he has a prescription for ketamine and it comes at a time when the use of the drug in Australia is at an all time high. And Jules is obsessed with the story of the two astronauts who have spent nine months in space. Come to our Sydney show! https://www.swf.org.au/program/season-2025/not-stupid-live-with-julia-baird-and-jeremy...
After being slammed by the tabloids for the best part of decade, Meghan Markle (or is it Sussex?) has emerged with jam and cake and maybe a bit too much perfection. Jules has thoughts. And in the wake of ex-Cyclone Alfred, politicians have been pitching in and helping out. So what do we want from our leaders in a time of crisis? SHOW NOTES What we want in a leader https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656620300787 With Love, Meghan https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-05/with-lov...
Julia Baird and Jeremy Fernandez have been in Adelaide for their first live show as part of Adelaide Writers' Week. It was a chat about the news, hope, awe and sparkly suits. If you missed it in Adelaide, here is a taste!
This episode of Not Stupid discusses the overwhelming nature of modern news and its impact on focus and mental health. The hosts explore strategies used to distract and depress, the neuroscience behind news-induced anxiety, and practical techniques for staying informed without becoming overwhelmed. The conversation emphasizes the importance of community, connection, and maintaining hope in the face of constant challenges.
It's been three years since Russia invaded Ukraine and the US President Donald Trump says its time to make a deal. But he is also rewriting history with the American president saying Ukraine has been the aggressor all this time. Jules and Jez have been doing some fact checking. And how do you itemise the amount of work you do in a week? Elon Musk wants people to write lists of their weekly achievements, so will it work? SHOW NOTES Anne Applebaum on Ukraine: https://www.theatlantic.com/internatio...
There's plenty of hype around Netflix's new series about serial liar Belle Gibson, but what does the story mean to cancer survivors? Plus, we've got an interest rate cut, but when everything is costing more, so will voters blame the Government at the election? And Jez has been thinking about birthday cakes and making quite a few of them. SHOW NOTES Financial Review "Cost of Living" article: https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/how-australia-became-the-world-s-biggest-cost-of-living-loser-20241118-...
Jules has been looking at some Australian and US studies about church attendance and they show an increase in young men identifying as Christian. At the same time, the number of women in the Anglican priesthood in Australia is dwindling, so is the Anglican Church becoming more masculine? SHOW NOTES The Anglican Church's disappearing women https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-09/the-church-s-disappearing-women/104910172 In a first among Christians, young men now more religious than young women htt...
Sam Kerr has been found not guilty of racially harassing a police officer and Jules and Jez are wondering how we decide if "white" is a racial slur. And Donald Trump has pulled funding from USAID, so what does that mean for global aid and for the US' position in the world. SHOW NOTES I was a London judge. Sam Kerr’s case should never have gone to trial https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/i-was-a-london-judge-sam-kerr-s-case-should-never-have-gone-to-trial-20250210-p5lb1e.html US Soft Power took ...
A UK poll has found that more than 50% of Gen Z think a dictator is a good idea. Jules and Jez are flabbergasted but when you think about all the things younger generations are up against, maybe it is not a surprise. They discuss the findings, the Grammys and seven hundred Marilyn Monroes. Show Notes: Gen Z: Trends, Truth and Trust: https://www.channel4.com/corporate/about-4/gen-z-trends-truth-and-trust#:~:text=Meet%20Gen%20Z%3A%20a%20diverse,why%20urgent%20action%20is%20needed. Jez' pick: https...
Jez attended an Australia Day event recently where last year's Australian of the Year recipients, Richard Scolyer and Georgina Long, were speaking about their work. They shared their concerns that young people aren't paying attention to sun-safe messages. They say we've seen worrying trends on social media in the last few years which glamorise tanning and sunburn. So why are #sunburn and #tanlines trending? SHOW NOTES A TikTok tanning trend is making the rounds on social media. Here's why it's d...
At the Australian Open, a protester yelled out in the quiet stadium at the end of the men's tennis final. Jules and Jez unpack what it was all about and how sports deal with allegations against players. And after hosting a few days of Australia Day events, Jez has been thinking about how we mark important dates. BUY ADELAIDE SHOW TICKETS HERE https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/events/2025-writers-week/not-stupid/ JULES PICK The Remarkable Normalcy of Being Disabled and in Love: https://www.nyti...
Have you come back to work after a summer holiday? Are you thinking that this year, you'll get your work/life balance sorted? Are you wondering if it really is possible? Jules and Jez chat about whether we should have a "right to disconnect" from the office and it turns out they are just very different humans. The Right to Disconnect https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-01/we-now-have-the-right-to-disconnect-but-has-it-changed-anything/104711380...
Donald Trump has taken office, so what will the next four years look like in the White House? Jez and Jules look at what Donald Trump has done in his first days in the job and who is pushing back. And after a series of Anti-Semitic attacks across the country, the Government is promising to act, but Jules thinks we also need to think more about our history. SHOW NOTES COME TO OUR ADELAIDE SHOW! TICKETS HERE: https://my.adelaidefestival.com.au/4188/4189 JEZ' PICK: De-extinction https://edition.cnn...
Jules has been reading up on solitude after finding a piece in The Atlantic about "The Anti-Social Century". It looks at our changing habits around social isolation and says that Americans are spending more time alone than ever. So is it the same here? And if you love your solitude, do you sometimes think about why? "The Anti-Social Century" in The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/02/american-loneliness-personality-politics/681091/ Multi-tasking research https://childmi...
The fires in California have been dominating the news for the last couple of weeks and on social media its getting hard to sort the facts from fiction. Jules and Jez look at the conspiracy theories about the fires and whether Meta's decision about fact checking might make it worse in the future. And we are a few weeks into January, so how are your new year’s resolutions going?? Have they already fallen by the wayside and does it really matter. SHOW NOTES: Jez' Pick: Every Best Actress Award http...
A US study found that when a group of people were asked to read poetry by famous authors and poetry written by Chat GPT, they preferred the Chat GPT poems. Jules and Jez put Chat GPT to the test, plus more of your favourite poems. Buy tickets to our Adelaide show here: https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/events/2025-writers-week/podfest-not-stupid/ Poems discussed: "Good Bones" by Maggie Smith "A May Night On The Mountains" by Henry Lawson "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver "Still I rise" by Maya Angel...
Do you have a favourite kids book? Can you still recite it? Jules and Jez chat about their most-loved children's books and the ones they remember reading to their own kids. Have you got a favourite? We'd love to hear from you. You can email us at [email protected] Buy tickets to our Adelaide show here: https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/events/2025-writers-week/podfest-not-stupid/...
This year, Jules has been speaking to lots of people about what makes them resilient. She wanted to know how they cope in the aftermath of horrific events or how they deal with ongoing pain. She's been writing about it in her "Staying Upright" column and she and Jez chat about what she has learnt. STAYING UPRIGHT https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-24/staying-upright-life-can-be-hard-how-do-people-endure/103615514 STAYING UPRIGHT: JAMILA RIZVI https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-07/staying-uprig...
After a big year of pretty toxic politics globally, can we learn to disagree better? Jules has been reading up about the "Dignity Index", so could it make a difference? And the so called "hot assassin" has lots of people talking about healthcare and health insurance in the US. Also, could "Not Stupid" get in the Guinness Book of Records? SHOW NOTES Buy tickets to our Adelaide show! https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/events/2025-writers-week/podfest-not-stupid/ Utah Governor advert: https://www....
We asked if you needed any life advice and you've got questions. What's the best trifle recipe? Is a plastic Christmas tree better than a real one? Do I have to buy nice presents for people if they only give me rubbish ones? Jules and Jez offer their advice and their baking tips. MADS' EMERGENCY TRIFLE TIPS 1.Use the right bowl. A good bowl is the difference between an amazing looking trifle and slop in a bowl. Making a trifle on holidays? Take the bowl to the holiday house. They never ever have...
The Raygun Musical was shutdown before it even began, so is it ok to make fun of celebrities? How much do people in the public eye get to control their image? And if we can recreate dead celebrities with A.I., who controls that story? Also Syria is back in the headlines as Syrians across the globe celebrate the end of fifty years of the Assad regime. Jules and Jez take a closer look at what's happened and what it means for the Middle East. SHOW NOTES The Celebrity Machine Never Dies https://www....
Jez had an idea to make a playlist with all the songs he loves to dance to. When he asked for song requests, so many of you got in touch. Jules and Jez chat about some of the songs you love to dance to and why you love them. You can find the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/36xBCBL6jCrPJe6J8drjYe?si=BF6PCTj-QCK-nIDa1LTPTg&pi=a-CpIDFEEDROGt And if you have other suggestions, you can get in touch at [email protected]...
Has your year been: a) brat b) demure c) enshittified? Join Julia Baird and Jeremy Fernandez as they chat about the words of the year. Plus why is it so hard to cap the amount of plastic produced globally? And would you eat a $9 million dollar banana? SHOW NOTES NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE ABOUT THE PLASTIC INDUSTRY https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/27/climate/plastic-industry-internal-documents.html MACQUARIE DICTIONARY WORD OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST: https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/wp-content/uplo...
Jules got a tattoo in New York after some particularly strong margaritas, so we asked you for your tattoo stories. And boy did you deliver. Join Jules and Jez as they read through some of your emails about weird and wonderful tattoos. You can always get in touch at [email protected]
Donald Trump's White House picks have many questioning whether the #metoo movement is dead. So is it? And here in Australia, executives from Coles, Woolworths and ALDI have appeared at the ACCC’s supermarket inquiry, so what have we learned and is anything going to change? SHOW NOTES Please do our survey! Link here: https://forms.office.com/r/XCJvrKqCkd JULES' PICK Jesse Krimes Exhibition https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/jesse-krimes-corrections JEZ'S PICK Nadal Retires. https://www.youtube...
Jules is in the US talking about grace and forgiveness and it is a tricky topic in the wake of the election result. So what reaction has she been getting? If you can, please fill out our listener survey. It's anonymous and will only take a few minutes. SURVEY LINK HERE: https://forms.office.com/r/XCJvrKqCkd
