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Standard Issue Podcast

Standard Issuestandardissuepodcast.com
By women. For women. About everything. Standard Issue is a podcast championing women's voices, and packed with interviews, news, film, opinion and humour. For advertising enquiries, email [email protected]
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Episodes

The Bush Telegraph: What happens when you give a gun to a cat?

It's very much full steam ahead on the batshittery in America and Hannah is struggling to keep up. Mickey has news about the state (and we do mean state) of women's prisons in England, and we ask ourselves, do the French still hurt over Agincourt? There are two Sexisms of the Week, with some ageism to boot. And for our Patreon supporters, there's bonus joy courtesy of Sarah Millican's Light Relief. You can find Hannah's interview with Jules Rowan about life after prison here: https://podcasts.ap...

Feb 06, 202521 min

Rated or Dated: Beverly Hills Cop (1985)

Eighties smash Beverly Hills Cop is absolutely steeped in nostalgia for Jen, Hannah and Mick alike. But, despite its banging soundtrack, charismatic leading man, and textbook English baddie, can it be anything but dated? Are our childhoods about to be ruined? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 05, 202525 min

Doing the work with Diane Samuels

Playwright Diane Samuels has been working in theatre for more than 30 years, and her back catalogue includes 1993’s Kindertransport, winner of the Verity Bargate and Meyer-Whitworth awards. She’s back with new play As Long As We Are Breathing, which tells the real-life story of Miriam Friedman who, as a child in Slovakia during World War II, hid from the Nazis to survive the Holocaust. Jen chatted to Diane about trauma, grief, forgiveness and whether or not we still have cause to hope. As Long A...

Feb 04, 202525 min

Philippa Dunne's not worried

Actor, writer and former worrier queen Philippa Dunne is back on our screens this week as reliable Anne in Motherland spin-off Amandaland. She's chatting to Hannah about the highs and lows of being Amanda's friend, Mayo weather and learning to worry less. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 03, 202525 min

Sarah Treleaven on The Con

The second series of the CBC/BBC podcast The Con focuses on Kaitlyn Braun, who hoodwinked many doulas into believing she was pregnant. Hannah's talking to the writer, producer and host of Kaitlyn's Baby, Sarah Treleaven, about the hows and why of this extraordinary case, the harm it's done, and why it's often harder to persuade people they've been conned than it is to con them. You can listen to Kaitlyn's Baby on BBC Sounds here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvq7 Learn more about your ...

Jan 31, 202521 min

The Bush Telegraph: What in the skibidi is going on?

Suella Braverman’s glitching like Liz Truss, millions of kids in poverty, no new label for extreme misogyny, and ‘sexism is bad, pals’: there’s a lot to unpack in this week’s Bush Telegraph, brought to you by Mick and Jen. There’s good news, too, of course, including some of the yoot’s favourite words, brought to you by Jen, and a surprise book recommendation, brought to you by Mick. And if you’ve been hardcore manifesting a disturbing segue in JOTB about that time Ian Botham accidentally sent a...

Jan 30, 202526 min

Rated or Dated: Wonder Boys (2000)

There are lies, affairs, copious pot-smoking, stolen memorabilia, Michael Douglas in a dressing gown, and a dead dog this week, as we watch Curtis Hanson's Wonder Boys. But what do Mickey, Hannah and Jen make of it, 25 years on? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 29, 202525 min

Kathy Slack's growing through a Rough Patch

Rough Patch is the name of award-winning food writer, author and veg grower Kathy Slack’s new book (out on February 6, but available for pre-order now), and it’s a warm mix of memoir, a love letter to growing your own, and recipes. It covers a year in Kathy’s life in which a brutal depression meant she left her high-flying city job and, eventually, found solace and purpose growing her own vegetables. She chats to Mick about depression, what advice to ignore and the joy of feeding yourself. Learn...

Jan 28, 202524 min

Liz Johnson's Panathlon Challenge

Panathlon Challenge is a charity aimed at giving young people with disabilities and special educational needs the opportunity to take part in competitive sport, and is chaired by Paralympic gold medalist, Liz Johnson. Jen chats to Liz about the charity, what skills kids can take from competitive sports into their adult lives, and the barriers young people with disabilities and special educational needs face in terms of accessing services to help develop those skills. Learn more about your ad cho...

Jan 27, 202524 min

Dawn Adams on menopause, hormones and type 1 diabetes

In her early 20s, Dawn Adams was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and told she probably wouldn't live long enough to worry about any impact the menopause might have on her condition. And so, when Dawn started perimenopause and noticed changes in her condition, she began to question what exactly medical professionals and researchers do know about it? As ever when it comes to women’s health, the answer was not a lot. Dawn's now involved in several research projects, and so Jen got the midwife and di...

Jan 24, 202527 min

The Bush Telegraph: True or false? Who even knows anymore?

Trump's back in the White House, so what better time for a big quiz about what's real news and what Hannah has just made up? Good luck, Jen. Also, there's more on the Online Safety Act, the ceasefire in Gaza and women's prizes in sport. And in Jenny Off The Blocks, we're talking tennis, cricket and what's in that little jar they win in The Ashes. Plus, if you're a Standard Issue supporter, it's time for some more Sarah Millican's Light Relief. You're welcome! Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

Jan 23, 202528 min

Rated or Dated: Showgirls (1995)

They said it could never be done, but Tits Ahoy, Tits Akimbo and Tits McGee come together in Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 erotic drama/satirical masterpiece/car crash of nudity* and it’s more aggressively aggressive than is ever necessary. Showgirls bombed and took a critical spanking at the time, but 30 years on, opinion has softened. Well, some opinions. Do they include those of our Mick, Hannah and Jen? Find out. *delete as appropriate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 22, 202529 min

Women Are Mad – and rightly so

Psychotherapist Jen Cox and life coach Salima Saxton, are best mates and co-hosts of the podcast Women Are Mad. Together they’ve created a space to show women that emotions are a superpower. And it has – as the name of their podcast suggests – a healthy focus on rage as a source of fuel and change. They chat to Mick about the power in sharing, the joy of rage, and why we need to let it out. Women Are Mad is available wherever you get your podcasts and Jennifer’s book, Women Are Angry: Why Your R...

Jan 21, 202525 min

Outside The Box January 2025

Is your New Year's resolution to stay in and watch more telly? Unlikely, but let us recommend some things to watch regardless. This time we're chatting about What We Do In The Shadows, 100 Years of Solitude, Playing Nice, Somebody Somewhere, SAS Rogue Heroes, Missing You and Dr Odyssey (OMFG!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 17, 202545 min

Rated or Dated: The Usual Suspects (1995)

Bryan Singer’s much lauded, twisty-turny, Oscar-winning classic starring Kevin Spacey has us separating art from artist this week. But is the art all that interesting? What is Pete Postlethwaite’s head-scratcher of an accent? And when the surprise ending's all everyone talks about, how does it fare on a second watch? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 15, 202526 min

Fiona MacKenzie wants policies for women

Fiona MacKenzie is Standard Issue’s original ‘random angry woman’, a tag she gave herself when she first came on the pod to talk about her campaign, We Can’t Consent To This. Her work led to a change in the law and the scrapping of the ‘rough sex defence’. Fiona’s now exploring how Westminster can work better for women with The Other Half, a non-partisan think tank developing policy in women’s interests and spanning public life, justice, Mothers and Others. This includes assisted dying safeguard...

Jan 14, 202525 min

Tammy Beaumont and Ryana MacDonald-Gay on trash talk and top-spin

That great sporting rivalry the women’s Ashes got underway in Australia on Saturday. Jen caught up with two of England Cricket's finest, tournament debutant Ryana MacDonald Gay, and team stalwart Tammy Beaumont, to talk rivalry, excitement, and where the women’s game is at right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 13, 202525 min

Flicking #57: The Substance (2024)

Coralie Fargeat’s gonzo body horror comedy The Substance just bagged Demi Moore a Golden Globe and started a lot of conversations when it hit cinemas last year. Conversations in which the word “feminist” came up a lot. And so, for the first Flicking of 2025, Mick, Hannah and Yosra hold onto their boob vomit to talk ageing, bodies, ageing bodies, the relationship between younger and older self, and how they may never get over Dennis Quaid eating shrimp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

Jan 10, 202535 min

The Bush Telegraph: Phewee, who plogged?

New year, new news-storms, and grooming gangs have dominated 2025’s early headlines. But, asks Mick, how much do the people “leading” this debate care about the working-class girls at the centre of the story and what really needs to shift for that to happen? Meanwhile, Jen’s chatting about the foster care crisis, and some intriguing new fitness trends. In Sexism of the Week, we’re wondering how great a tourist destination Afghanistan actually is, and there’s cricket and tennis in JOTB. And for o...

Jan 09, 202523 min

Rated or Dated: Shallow Grave (1995)

Danny Boyle's debut film won awards for Ewan McGregor but is he really the star of the show? Did anyone want to see that much of Keith Allen? What's Boyle's problem with friendship? All the answers lie within. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 08, 202530 min

The importance of being Sharon, Ronke and Eliza

A new version of Oscar Wilde’s iconic play The Importance of Being Earnest is enjoying a sold-out run at the National Theatre. Jen caught up with its stars, Sharon D Clarke, Ronke Adekoluejo and Eliza Scanlen, to chat about the enduring appeal of the play, how they’re bringing it to a fresh audience, and accessibility of theatre in the UK. The run is now sold out except for Rush tickets, but you can catch it on NT Live from February 20. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

Jan 07, 202529 min

Spring Day's sprung

As a teenager, American comedian Spring Day was in a cult. Her latest show, Exvangelical, explains why she joined and why she left. She and Hannah chat about that and a lot more besides, including the differences in being disabled in the US and the UK. * Tickets for the Soho Theatre shows, on January 7 & 8, are here: https://sohotheatre.com/events/spring-day-exvangelical/#:~:text=As%20seen%20on%20BBC's%20Live,dark%20comedy%20for%20nice%20people.&text=Spring%20joined%20a%20Christian%20cul...

Jan 06, 202522 min

Wendy Grace chats cold, hard cash

Money makes the world go round, and that doesn’t look likely to change anytime soon. So why do so many of us put our head in the sand when it comes to cash? And how do we get more fluent at the money talk? Our Mick definitely needs a little guidance where budgeting, saving and investing is concerned, so she got on the Zoom with financial literacy expert Wendy Grace. They’re chatting fears and anxiety around money, how we can change our relationship with it, when and how to get kids financially s...

Jan 03, 202526 min

Laura Tristram’s no year’s resolutions

With the New Year approaching, some of us will be thinking about resolutions for the year ahead. Not Laura Tristram, founder of new app, Lumii Life, an AI-powered mental health companion, who believes that shaming ourselves into “better” behaviours is never the way forward. Jen caught up with Laura to talk about how New Year’s resolutions can actually be bad for our mental health, why we should treat ourselves with compassion, and what led her to found Lumii Life. Learn more about your ad choice...

Dec 30, 202426 min

Christmas Rated or Dated Revisited: Home Alone

It's our second revisit of a classic festive Rated or Dated and this time it's picked by Jen. How did 1990's Home Alone stand up when we watched it all the way back in 2020? Ahh, 2020. I'd say happy days, but you know... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 27, 202418 min

Christmas Rated or Dated Revisited: Love Actually

We're having a week off, so here's a classic from the Rated or Dated files. But what did Mickey, Jen and Hannah make of Richard Curtis's 2003 Christmas offering? You can probably guess, but if you haven't, it's probably best not to listen with your Nan while you're prepping the sprouts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 23, 202422 min

Outside The Box #70

In the last Outside The Box of 2024, we've been watching Say Nothing, Shetland, Until I Kill You, The Day of the Jackal, Bad Sisters, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, Mrs Davies and, you've guessed it, more Attenborough, in the form of Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 20, 202456 min

Rated or Dated: Gremlins (1984)

Christmas classic or RSPCA headache? Chris Columbus and Joe Dante’s creature feature had a lot of input from one Steven Spielberg and it shows. But will this horror/comedy/action combo for kids still surprise and delight Mick, Hannah and Jen? Is Gizmo still a charming little nugget? Are the gremlins mischievous, anarchic fun or irritating? And WHEN THE HELL IS BREAKFAST? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 18, 202435 min

Breast cancer is a feminist issue

Dr Laura James ND specialises in naturopathic breast oncology and is on a mission to get breast cancer recognised as a feminist issue. That means her approach to breast cancer is holistic – imagine that, she takes the whole woman into consideration. Her argument is compelling and in this episode she’s explaining to our Mick how a breast cancer diagnosis pretty much always shines a light on the existing challenges women face. Laura has also created a line of products for women who have or have ha...

Dec 17, 202426 min

Flicking #56: Anatomy of a Fall

It’s Hannah, Yosra and Mick’s final review of a film of 2023, and Hannah’s picked another celebrated “feminist” movie from that year. Neither Poor Things nor Barbie impressed us much, so the pressure’s on for Justine Triet’s awards-bothering legal drama, Anatomy of a Fall. Will Sandra Hüller impress as a woman on trial after the sudden death of her husband? Will young Milo Machado-Graner’s acting chops blow us away as Daniel? Is Messi the French Border Collie more than just a “good boy” as Snoop...

Dec 13, 202430 min
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