Suggestible - A Close Shave

Episode Date: September 30, 2020

Suggestible things to watch, read and listen to. Hosted by James Clement @mrsundaymovies and Claire Tonti @clairetonti.Visit bigsandwich.co for a bonus weekly show, monthly movie commentary, early stuff and ad-free podcast feeds for $9 per month.This week’s Suggestibles:Skip to 17:10 for fun things.Jurassic World Camp CretaceousMichelle Buteau: Welcome to BeautopiaConsole WarsThe SplitKabu Kabu by Nnedi OkoraforThe Survivors by Jane HarperSend your recommendations to [e-mail], we’d love to hear them.You can also follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @suggestiblepod and join our ‘Planet Broadcasting Great Mates OFFICIAL’ Facebook Group. So many things. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey folks, it's Mark Maron from WTF. I travel all over North America doing stand-up and it's always good to know Airbnb is an option when I'm away from home. But if you're away from home, why not take your own place and Airbnb it? Airbnb your whole home to make some extra cash. Or if you have a spare room that's not in use, just Airbnb that. Whether you could use extra money to cover some bills or for something a little more fun, your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.ca slash host. All right, James, the baby is asleep. We hope.

Let's go. We've got four hours. We've got four minutes. We don't know. We don't know. Hello, this is Suggestible Pod. I'm Claire. James is over there.

We are married and we recommend you things. We certainly do. And this married and we recommend you things. We certainly do. And this week we recommend politics. We recommend not watching the political debate. Look, we have a full disclosure to make. We very quickly want to debrief because we watched the US presidential debate today. However, we totally understand that A, it's not our country, B, it's not our area of expertise, and C, some people just don't want to, it's not our area of expertise, and C,

some people just don't want to hear about the terribleness of the world. I hate politics in my media, Claire. I'm one of those people. You don't like it in your diet or in your life. I don't like it in my diet. Or up your bum. No, I do actually. I like talking about politics. I just, you know, some people get, you know.

Yeah, understandable too. So Collings is going to put a time code below. We're going to cap ourselves at five minutes because we just feel like we need to have a little debrief and then we promise the rest of the show will be sunny as sunshine. Yes. Where do you want to start? Because for me, I've just written here depressing, baffling. It's just, I don't understand how we got here. Yeah. It's interesting you say baffling. It's just I don't understand how we got here. Yeah, it's interesting you say baffling because it is baffling and then it's actually not because it kind of, the way that Trump. It went how I thought it would go.

Correct, yeah, exactly. Because what we're talking about is the Trump-Biden debate that was moderated by Chris Wallace and we watched it here at 11 o'clock in the morning. Sort of moderated. Sort of moderated by Chris Wallace and we watched it here at 11 o'clock in the morning. Sort of moderated. Sort of moderated. Look, my main feeling is I went on a massive rant to you for like 40 minutes after.

I shouldn't have watched it because I feel now I need to smudge our house up with a smudge stick like the hippie that I am at heart. I felt worse after watching it. I didn't think there were any winners. It was just like a horrible horrible muckraking nightmare. It was watching a massive bully talk like a bully from the schoolyard who was about eight years old. And the sad thing- To a man who probably shouldn't have been there also. Like it was just not a good combination.

And a man who has been through an incredible amount of trauma in his life, it just it was just awfully sad. However, I do think A, it's really important to vote. B, not to vote for Trump. I just, I'm just going to say it. I don't disagree. I'm just going to say it.

Because someone like that, I know, and I understand that too and it's not my country. I think what I mean is there is not a bone of integrity in that man's body. He just lied through that entire thing and it broke my heart. I watched it and I just, I started to cry when he started just muckraking and just accusing this, you know, Joe Biden of all kinds of things and then raking

and bringing his sons into it. It just broke my heart. Yeah, and look, I know like one of his sons in particular has had some very, like a very troubled past. Yeah. But I don't know, it just felt to me like, look, I don't particularly like Biden. Like I don't really like him at all but this is like this is it.

Like you kind of have to choose between these two. And, look, what I look for in a leader is unity, people are going to take a stance on climate change and just, I don't know, not like endorsing white supremacists, you know, on a national debate stage. And I know Biden could have definitely come out stronger on some issues of like Antifa. And I know he did, you know, talk about violence and how he doesn't encourage it or anything like that.

But just that you can't say, no thanks, white supremacy, like don't. Like what, that's like, it's such a low bar. You know what I mean? It's just, it's frightening. Because basically what you're talking about is that Trump refused to say that he didn't support white supremacy basically. And what's strange is like just before I said to you, oh, he's just going to say it because, you know, you just say it.

You just be like. Because he lies and says all kinds of ridiculous things like, oh, maybe we should set a nuclear bomb onto what, a volcano, a hurricane or something. Yeah, all sorts of. He just says all kinds of things. So you think he has zero integrity or ethics so he could just say whatever and it doesn't even matter because he'll turn around

and say something different. But he wouldn't say it and that was just so sad. And I don't know – and look, who knows like in the long run what is going to happen, you know what I mean? Do we know for a fact that, you know, getting somebody else in the White House would be a better outcome? Obviously not. There is no way to know that.

But these like – this is a world stage. Like these things matters. I don't know, we're not from the obviously not there is no way to know that but these like this is a world stage like these things matters i don't know we're not from the us but there is this isn't affects other countries it affects the culture like around the globe and it's just been i don't know it's just been four years of just like a disaster you know i mean and and i i'm sure he i know he has his good points i guess because a lot of people talk about how he's anti-war, but the way, like the violence that's been incited in the country, you know what I mean? You're supposed, like I said, you're supposed to bring people together.

You're supposed to disavow actions like this. It's just, I don't understand it. Like, it's such a great nation. It can be a great nation, you know what I mean? You see it. Like, we've been there, the wonderful people there. I just, I don't, I mean? You see it. We've been there, the wonderful people there. I just, I don't, I don't know, man. Just vote if you can in person if possible.

Yeah. Glennon Doyle said something that really stuck with me. And she said, if your house is burning, you don't wait for your favourite fire chief to come along. You just get out of the burning house, you know, and you go somewhere safe. And I think at the moment in the way the political landscape in the US, but it's broader than that because the US for us anyway in Australia kind of sets the benchmark for where things are going to go globally. Absolutely. And the pillars of democracy that need to be upheld and the things that he's doing are so dangerous.

It's like he's inciting civil war. But more than that, what worries me too is that he's not, he refused to acknowledge, which I think is a really, really scary point. He refused to acknowledge the peaceful handing over of power, which is one of the pillars of democracy, which keeps countries stable and safe. And to not do that, and I don't think that he even knows how terrifying and how

disruptive, I mean, maybe he does. No, I don't think he does. I don't think he fully grasps just how serious doing that is for the future of a country and the future of democracy. I just don't. I think he's, I think for a lot of it, for him, it's, it's self-serving. That's what I mean, it's ego. What can I, what can I get out of this situation? Like inciting violence, right?

Riling people up, you know, things like this. They're not, they're not for a greater cause. Like if you even believe the things that he's saying, they're not for, it's, it's all for him. Everything he does it's all for him. Everything he does is for him. He was, there was something fundamentally broken at his core. Yeah. I don't know whether that is just the way he is or the way that he was raised, but he's not, he's not right. He's not.

Yeah. And I think that's what broke my heart because watching someone talk in that kind of way who was supposed to be a leader and just use any tool in his toolbox to denigrate the other person in the debate, not following the rules that were set out clearly and that were agreed to, and then just spewing out lies so that he sounds better and just shouting and the aggression that came forward made me so sad and frustrated and angry. And I think the thing that really struck me the most was that in all of this neither Joe Biden or Trump as people really matters. What matters is what is happening to people and to our planet

across the world and particularly obviously in the US. People are dying. There are just so many problems. The inequity between the rich and poor is so huge. There's a virus. Even things like in a few weeks the vaccine will be ready. It's like that's not true. And even if it was true that they somehow managed

to magically get a virus in two weeks, it's not going to be safe. You can't mass produce it. It's not going to. All our medical experts in Australia who are at the top of their game have all said not until most likely the end of next year, if that, will they be comfortable issuing a vaccine to anyone in Australia? And we have some of the best healthcare practices globally. We have an excellent healthcare system and really,

really fantastic scientists and the technology here. So I just, that kind of stuff is so dangerous and damaging. Anyway. I think also just quickly, you've got to look at the team around people, you know what I mean? And obviously neither team is perfect but so many of Trump's associates or people he knows have been like the things that have been evolved in, like the people who have been arrested, the people who were jailed,

do you know what I mean, the people who have been investigated for this and that. And I think there are some other people on Biden's side who do have some ideas to how to deal with climate crisis, how to like help race relations, things like that. These are things that I'm looking at. I'm not looking at the person. I'm trying to look at the situation. Anyway, we can't vote.

And obviously you can vote whoever you want and I just encourage you, whatever you want to do, you should vote because it's a privilege. Like definitely for me when I was younger it was kind of like, because in Australia it's compulsory, you have to vote. It was like, who cares, they're all the same. It matters. Like it really matters. And your voice is important.

You are essentially in charge of these people. They're the leaders but you get to dictate what they do, really. That's what it ultimately comes down to, you know? Yeah, absolutely. And it's just so vital. It's vital not just for your country if you're in the US, but for all of us, I think, because we need to have a team and I think Joe Biden will be supported by a team of people

that are A, compassionate, and regardless of where you sit on the political fence, A, compassionate, B regardless of where you sit on the political fence, A, compassionate, B, well-researched and backed up by evidence and supported by scientists and people who really do spend their lives trying to understand and implement public policy. And you can fall on either side. I don't think this is a debate about Democratic or Republican. No, I don't. I think this is a debate about human decency and effective leadership

that unifies people. And to me there is absolutely no grey area in this, I actually don't think. Because in the end. And like you said, there is not a perfect solution. No. I look at both of these candidates and it's just like. And I just think they're all white men. They're so old.

It's like, it's baffling to me. Like I would have loved someone like Andrew Yang. Or Elizabeth Warren. I love Elizabeth Warren. I just think. I loved her so much. I don't know. But this is it.

Unfortunately, this is where we are. And the house is burning and you don't wait for the perfect fire chief. You just get out of the house. Yeah. Anyway, I'm sure we'll lose. Get somewhere safe. I know there's some people. You know what?

To be fair, most people, you know, are like, yeah, you know, your opinion is your opinion. And look, also, I understand the appeal of Trump because this idea that you're rattling the system and, you know, you're just shaking things up or whatever. Oh, look, he's charismatic and I have to say the way he debated, it was the lowest comment on anime but what made me saddest was that it was entertaining.

It was like a reality TV show. He came out with a lot of quips that were almost quite funny. Even Joe Biden and the moderator were laughing. And even though the gravity of this situation of 200,000 people dying is just so, you know. But I just mean like there is people, not all people, but people sense that something is not right with the country. You know what I mean? There is an undercurrent of things are not good here.

You know what I mean? Whether it be minimum wage, whether it be race relations, whether it be climate change, whether it be people who think the earth is flat or whatever. People think that there is something wrong and they're looking for someone to come in and kind of, you know, and fix that. But it's not him. It's not.

Like it's in my opinion. Yeah. Well, he's not out for everybody. He's out for himself. Anyway, that's our very precise five minutes, wasn't that, Claire? It was a little bit over there. So anyway, Collings is going to put a time code in. And obviously whatever side of the political fence you sit on,

we welcome you, we want you here. 100%. And we're sorry if we've offended anyone with what we've said, but to me this is just about, you know, equality and decency and hope. And I think there is always hope even in the darkest circumstances. The main thing I liked what you said was that if you have the privilege to vote, just use your voice. Yep.

And use it wisely. In person, if you can, if it's safe. Exactly. Obviously, there is a pandemic. Correct. Exactly. And be kind to each other. You know what I mean?

Because we're not that different really. I think at the end of the day people want the same thing. People want a fair go for everybody. Do you know what I mean? That's what people are looking for. You know what I mean? Yeah, I think most people are fundamentally good. If you get any two people and you sit them down,

no matter how different they are, I think you could definitely find some common ground and I think people need to remember that, you know. It's like us. We're so different. Anyway. Yeah. Sorry. Anyway.

Yeah, I know because we're absolutely not experts on this at all. It's just I see the world collapsing like and I see like, you know, with climate change and it's just like I just I'm at a loss. Like what are we doing? You know what I mean? I know. Because what world are we wanting to build for our kids? Yeah.

You know? And at the end of the day, I think most people are there. Whether or not you have kids or what your circumstances are, we all want a bright future. Yeah. You know, for our families and for ourselves. And the people that we have in charge at the moment don't seem to want that for everybody and they're much more

about serving themselves. And that's in a lot of places. Yeah, it's not just. It's very much here as well. And I think the only way to change it is for us. And by us, I mean every bloody person, not just people sitting in the backyard of their house podcasting, all of us to understand that we do matter and our choices matter

and our voices matter. A friend of mine said to me recently something and she was saying it from a really good place. She said, oh, well, who cares what Claire from, you know, Jo blogs or whatever thinks. It doesn't matter. Chill out, Claire. Relax.

It doesn't matter what you have to Claire. Relax. It doesn't matter. What you have to say, whether you stress about it or not, is not going to change anything. And for a while I was like, yeah, Claire, step back. You're bloody living in the burbs. Who cares what you say in bloody Melbourne in the middle of Australia? Whatevs. And then I turned around and I realised that's what the problem is. That's how you get here.

That's how you get here because we all sit and watch Netflix and hope for the best. And, you know, I think we all deserve more than that. Yeah. And we can be better and we should be better. I want things to be here after I'm dead. You know what I mean? I want this to keep going.

Yeah. I think people need to look beyond. I'm not talking about people listening to this. I'm talking about, I'm sure they do. But like, you know, world leaders, you've got to realise that you're not going to be here in 10, 20 years. And we might not be here in 10, 20 years but people, there are going to be people here hopefully and you need

to prepare them for that. Yeah, I know because our world is finite. David Attenborough is on Instagram now and I watch his beautiful – He's been crushing it, mate. Yeah. A lot of people are really into David Attenborough as a sexy man, just a sidebar. People are into David Attenborough.

He's been famous for like 17 years. No, like women in a sexy way. Oh, it's one of those guys. Yeah, and apparently he's had lots of comments on his Instagram like, ooh, DM me, I'll slide into your DMs, old Attenborough. He's probably married, Claire. Correct. Anyway, what he did say, ooh, DM me, I'll slide into your DMs, old Adam Brown. He's probably married, Claire. Correct. Anyway, what he did say was though, you know,

when they flew out in that spaceship for the first time to the moon and looked back at Earth and he was, you know, obviously watching that on television for the very first time, people realised that the Earth is finite. We're this beautiful blue orb floating through space and we need to look after it. Yeah, we do. Because that's it.

It's finite and our resources are finite and carbon and fossil fuels and all the things are only going to be around for a little while longer. I remember I did this subject when I was teaching grade sixes and we were looking at the environment and kids were looking at fossil fuels and one of my kids just put up their hand and said, and the environment and kids are looking at fossil fuels and one of my kids just put up their hand and said, so am I, I think I've read that oil and, you know, fossil fuels will only be around for 50 more years and then that's it.

And we all looked at each other and went, what? Yeah. What? Yeah. But that's the thing. It's finite. Just like David Attenborough who's 94 years old. It's finite.

It's finite too. Anyway, let's move on to fun things. I've got a fun thing. Do you want me to launch into a fun thing? Launch into a fun thing. There's a Jurassic World animated show on Netflix. Yes, I love Jurassic World. No, you hate Jurassic World.

That's true. I love Jurassic Park. I love Jurassic Park. And dinosaurs. I bloody love dinosaurs. So Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, and it's by Spielberg and Trevorrow who, you know, Trevorrow rebooted the series, Spielberg kicked it off. But it's developed by Zach Stentz, who worked on such movies as Thor,

the original Thor, which I am a fan of. So it's about six teenagers who win a chance to have kind of a summer camp experience at Jurassic World. One's like a social media, and one's from like a poor neighborhood, and one's like a rich kid, and one's like a nerd, and whatever. You know what I mean? It's all that situation. But it's set parallel with the events of Jurassic World.

So with like the Indominus Rex escape and the raptors running about and all those different things that are going on, that's all happening in the background of these kids' adventure through Jurassic Park. So the park is collapsing as they're trying to escape. And what I think is really interesting about this show is it's a kid show, but it's got a bit of that edge that the good Jurassic movies have. Like there's a sense of danger.

You see like people get eaten and stuff. You don't see it, but you know what I mean? You know, it happens off screen and things like that. It does a really good job of kind of bringing in like the dread and also the awe of dinosaurs. There's a moment where they're like canoeing and then they come out of like a pipe and then they're in the big Mosasaurus tank and they're just like, oh, shit, like we're in,

like we're going to get eaten because there's a giant fish monster in here or whatever. So there's like things like that that happen. It's quite, like it's really well structured that way. It's not good for like little, little kids. Like I wouldn't show it to our little guy just yet, but it's probably like anywhere between like six and, you know, ten for little kids would really enjoy it.

But I was surprised. Like it was one of the better of the Jurassic Park world things that have been made. This is one of my favourite things that they've done. I need to watch that. Yeah, it's cool, man. It's really, I mean, again, also it's for kids and whatever and, you know. Yeah, yeah, but I'm down. I'm down with that. Yeah, it's cool, man. I mean, again, also it's for kids and whatever. Yeah, yeah, but I'm down.

I'm down with that. That sounds good. You know how I've read both those books and they're excellent and I love them? Would you? Yeah, I was going to say would you read the third one but there isn't one. No, there's just two. I bloody love them. I love dinosaurs.

I often think about how crazy it is that dinosaurs were just here, just walking around. It's very likely that on this very spot where we're potting at some point was a dinosaur. No, my house. Yes. Do you see how they found that? That's insane and now they're just not here.

They keep finding like DNA of like a mammoth or something last week or something. Yeah, there was something, something going on. And they're like, we're going to bring him back. And I'm like, you keep saying you will but you don't. So you just bring him back or don't. I saw one of the guys from Flight of the Contours tweeted recently that they found some sperm, like a really old sperm inside like an insect

or tree or something. Gross. Yeah, I know, crazy. And his quote, and this is not true, but his quote was just like some guy was fucking a tree. Not true because it was an animal sperm. Anyway, interesting. It lasts for a long time.

That could have very well been the case. What are you doing? Okay. I've got such a fun one. I've been looking forward to this for ages. I love the comedian Michelle Bateau. She's really, really excellent and she has a Netflix special. Oh, my God.

It's called Welcome to Butopia and her book, Survival of the Thickest Essays, is out in December. Now, first thing I love about this, she comes out in the, like, most beautiful gold sequin suit. Fabulous. Loved it. Also, her hair is bloody spectacular. Yeah.

And she just comes out and it's already a party. Like, she's already just, like, hyped and the audience is hyped. Big energy. Big energy. Big hair. Cool suit. I loved it. Big energy.

Big energy, big hair, cool suit. I loved it. She's been a comedian for 18 years and she has just hit her stride in the last year. It is just so awesome to watch. What I find really interesting too is that she started doing, like, a bachelor's degree in journalism and then worked behind the scenes as a camera and editor and producer at Fox and later NBC.

And then after September 11, she decided she wanted to take on a less stressful job and became a comedian and started performing in New York. Anyway, since all of that stuff happened, she's hosted a podcast called The Late Night Whatever Podcast that just became one of the best podcasts of 2018, so said by Time magazine. Time, mate.

Yeah, and then she became part of the comedy line-up on Netflix. Have you seen that one where they have up-and-coming comedians? Yeah, they do like 20 minutes each or whatever. Yeah, correct, exactly. And then last year she starred in some of my all-time fave movies of the last two years. You know how much I love a romantic com. What movies though?

Ooh, Someone Great. Which one was that?. What movies though? Ooh, Someone Great. Which one was that? Did I watch that? Yeah, Someone Great. Or maybe, no, you didn't see that one. That's really good. It's set in a workplace and it's like a sexy workplace and there's a lot of bantering.

It's really good. Isn't it romantic? The Rebel Wilson one. Yeah, Rebel Wilson. Brilliant. And Always Be My Maybe. I've always been my maybe. No, with Ali Wong. Just like so good. Got a great Keanu Reeves rap at the end. Wilson, brilliant. And Always Be My Maybe. Always Be My Maybe. I know, with Ali Wong.

Just like so good. Got a great Keanu Reeves rap at the end. Correct, exactly. She also stars in First Wives Club, the television series. Oh, yeah, the new one. You like that, don't you? Yeah, I bloody loved that. That was like a reimagining of the film, the old film.

So, so funny, so great and just like hilarious. And now she also hosts The Circle, which is a reality TV show also on Netflix. Anyway, she also just had twins this year to a surrogate. Oh, my God. The comedy special, you know, it has some kind of old tropes. It walks along the lines of like parenthood and makes a lot of fun of her husband who's Dutch, whose name is like horse or something. Very funny.

Stupid one-shoes loser. Yes. She just has some really funny – okay, one of the things I love the most about it, one being that it's just full of joy, the other being that she doesn't do that thing that comedians have done and Hannah Gadsby talked about in her special where she just kind of puts herself down. Yeah, right.

What she does is kind of the opposite. She just like – her comedy is a lot about just celebrating herself. where she just kind of puts herself down. Yeah, right. What she does is kind of the opposite. She just like her comedy is a lot about just celebrating herself. Yeah. She's just a really voluptuous woman and she also has this bit that I really related to because I have really broad shoulders and I've got really skinny little ankles and she is the same and she just calls herself like an ice cream cone and she's like, mmm, delicious. And I was like, yeah, I am like an ice cream cone and she's like, mmm, delicious.

And I was like, yeah, I am like an ice cream cone. I'm delicious. It was just really joyful and fun. It's just great seeing a woman who looks like a real woman that's really funny and sexy and she has some really funny stuff to say about the fact that she's now working with J-Lo on a film. Oh, cool. And her and J-Lo had the same birthday.

She's a massive fan of J-Lo but she had to pretend the whole time that she didn't know anything about J-Lo or that she knew J-Lo's birthday was hers as well. But she kind of leads the discussion into it. Very funny. The last thing I will say, she's in her 40s as well. Okay. Looks so bloody young.

Loved it. And she points that out. Fabulous. The last thing she says, which I really related to hard at the moment, She looks so bloody young. Loved it. And she points that out. Fabulous. The last thing she says, which I really related to hard at the moment, is she said it's so funny she never understood why parents would always be like, my child is eight months and four days or like 19 months and three weeks and two hours or whatever. And then she said she realised now she's a parent why that is.

It's because the last time they slept was exactly those many nights ago that's not yeah so the way people say it is how old's your baby and they're like six months and two days and you're like yeah it's because that's how long ago i had a good night's bloody sleep anyway so i recommend that cool okay how much How much time we got? Have we got time for another record? Yeah, why not? Joe, why not? We can wait for clean water solutions. Or we can engineer access to clean water. We can acknowledge Indigenous cultures. Or we can learn from Indigenous voices. We can demand more from the earth.

Or we can demand more from ourselves. At York University, we work together to create positive change for a better tomorrow. Join us at yorku.ca slash write the future. I know you love me talking video games and there's a documentary based on the book of the same name called Console Wars. It's everybody's jam. I got so many emails about your bloody Mario obsession. You're goddamn right! Blake J. Harrison, Jonah Toulas

put it together and it's essentially an hour and a half. A Toulas, huh? Toulas. Essentially about in the 90s, I don't know if you remember, but there was the Sega and Nintendo rivalry. So Nintendo were leading the market like big time, 100% all the time. Big time.

And Sega were like one of the minor players at that point. You know, they had their master systems and whatever. The only thing I remember is like I liked Nintendo, we had one, and Sega always seemed a bit dodge. Like just a little bit of shit. Don't really know why, just had it in my head. I didn't feel that way at all. So basically they came along and they got this new marketing guy

to run like the American side of it. So he brought in this like edgy, cool campaign and built these games around like celebrities and sports stars and things like that and they bring in like a cool, faster mascot with Sonic the Hedgehog. So it's making like Nintendo look archaic and then when they get to make Mortal Kombat, Nintendo make theirs. So instead of blood, they use like sweat or like green kind of paint coming off the characters

and Sega were like, we're doing full blood and decapitation and all of those things. And they ended up taking a massive chunk out of it and they were one-to-one at one point. So it's a really interesting kind of like knock-down, drag-out brawl between these two huge companies until like the next generation where Sega fell down big time and Nintendo. Did they fall off something?

Well, they basically, they've never recovered. They've never been anywhere near the height that they were then. And then the next generation was PlayStation 1. They sold like 100 million PlayStations or whatever. But there was this period in time when I was a kid and I remember when that was like the talk. It's like which one is better? And it's like Sega was like the street one,

but Nintendo maybe had better games, but maybe it didn't, you know what I mean, depending and whatever. Now looking back, I would say if I had to choose, I would say Nintendo probably had the better games at this point because I think Sonic the Hedgehog, it's built for speed, but it's not a great platformer in terms of like precision, you know what I mean? I feel like there's playing through the Mario games. Do you don't mean that i feel with the mario games in particular

they're so like well put together and they don't they don't feel like when you get hit it feels cheap it feels like i made a mistake here do you know what i mean that's what i think anyway i would say they're both wonderful streets of rage what a game. Good game. Sonic 2, good game. It plays Tales. Streets of Rage. That sounds like what happens when I get my period. Oh, my God. Gross. Thought I'd put that in there for you. It was ruthless.

It was ruthless. Anyway, but also I want to point out that there's a show on Netflix called High School, which I talked about a few weeks back, which I think doesn't touch the limit a bit of this, but I think that's better than this because they can go – because it's longer, they can go more places and tell more interesting stories. But it was still good. I still liked it.

All right. I have a serious question for you about this. I love questions. On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad do you think the haircut is that I gave our son today? Oh, my God. Oh, I wish the scale went higher. I mean, that 10 being the worst.

So what happened, guys, is we were about to drop him off at his nan and bars. Yeah. And he hasn't had a haircut in like 10 months because hairdressers have been shut for like most of the year and I missed that little window when they were open for a tiny bit. And so I just got sick of looking at you as well because James' hair was also terrible and I just decided I'd get the clippers, like James's beard trimmer out. And I asked him and he's like, yeah, yeah, grab it upstairs.

I said put the guard on it. And I thought you were just going to trim the back. I thought the guard was like a cap. No. So I didn't put the guard on and I just sat him in front of Paw Patrol and I just went, okay, it's time. We've got to go out the door. I'll just quickly do this.

I've never cut anyone's hair. It's not something you can quickly do. And she took it, lowest settings, like the lowest settings you can put something on, like to the bone and just ran it up the back of his head. And because his hair is so thick, he has beautiful hair. Oh, no, his hair looks so sad. It was like you dug a trench into his head. And I'm just like, you're like, James.

And I came out and I'm just like, what the fuck have you done? I've never seen you look so mad at me. It was so bad. You were so mad. You kept walking back and forth going, what the fuck? What the fuck? We have to go to kidnap. Your son is just sitting there on the chair.

He has to go to kidnap. Next week. Oh, my God. And you were just like, you had those crazy eyes where you were really like looking at me like, who am I marrying? I'm like, do we have to shave his head? He looks horrible. Like, we can't.

Why did you do this? But anyway, I fixed it. You really did. I fixed it. I went to his grandparents. They have like a home set of hair clippers and I like gave him a bit of a fade and I evened it out and it's not perfect but I fixed it. No, I mean he's still got a few holes in the back where it's bald.

Only lasts a week. That'll grow out in a week. But, yeah, and then off the back of that I'm like, I've got to cut my fucking hair. Yeah, and you did a great cut on your head. So in the end it all worked out. You cut the lawn. You cut your own hair.

You fixed your sun hair. It feels good, man, having short hair. Yeah, I know. I've been bloody telling you. You were worried you were going bald. Oh, it was because you're so long and thin. Yeah, I know. I've been telling you, you need to listen to me.

Too straight. I've been telling you for so long. Look how thick and luxurious this is and great. But, yeah, get a haircut, man, if you can. Do it yourself. Yeah, cut the grass. I'll cut your hair. Let me come around here.

I'll cut your hair. Claire will start your haircut and I'll finish it. I couldn't believe it. I'm like, oh, my God. I think because you had flashbacks to all the terrible times you had your haircut as a kid. We worked that out later. There was a lot of anger.

It was so much anger directed at me that I just felt sick in my stomach. I wasn't yelling. No, you weren't. But I know you. You don't get angry very often. And there was just this energy coming off you like I had just murdered somebody. Like it was like if I'd murdered our family cat and you'd looked at it and just were like, what the fuck have you done?

And then I sat there on the couch after you left with our baby, just like looking at it, being like, I'm a terrible parent. I'm the worst person. Well, I'm there like bloody Picasso, like working my way around his hair, trying to fix it up. Well, I think in the end, successfully, I planned this so that you would cut your own hair as well. And also finish cutting his hair because I didn't know how to do it.

So really, we should all be thanking. Yeah, you did a great job, Claire. Correct. Exactly. Okay. Can I just quickly recommend one more? Whatever, man. All right.

Okay. Other than the gold suit that Michelle Bateau was. Oh, spot on. I want to very briefly talk about this show we're watching at the moment called The Split. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And look, it's not a particularly cheerful subject matter. It's a BBC show about divorce lawyers, basically.

Divorce lawyers. Divorce lawyers. On the BBC. Now, it's created by Abby Morgan. Abby Morgan, Jane Eden, Louise Ironside wrote it. It's directed by Jessica Hobbs and it's starring Nicola Walker who's from Spooks, if you remember that. I do remember Spooks.

Stephen Mangan, Fiona Button, Annabelle Shorley, Barry Asma and Deborah Findlay are all in it. Interestingly, the composer is Isabel Waller-Bridge who is related, the sister of one of my favourite girl crushes of all time. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, yeah. Yeah, Phoebe Waller-Bridge is related, the sister of one of my favourite girl crushes of all time. Phoebe Wallerbridge, yeah. Yeah, Phoebe Wallerbridge, who created Fleabag. And Isabel also did the score for Fleabag as well, which I didn't realise.

The score in this is bloody fantastic. Like, I thought it was good before I realised that it was her that had created it. It's just a really great score. Absolutely. What I love about it to my very bones, and I was so not surprised when I figured out it was all directed by women, written by women, created by women, scored by women, because the dialogue, there's three sisters and a mother who are kind of the core family, the Defoe's, and then it kind of tracks their lives and kind of the ins and outs of being a divorce lawyer while also the main character is kind of navigating in an affair and a few things.

What the joy is though, the conversation between the women is so familiar, funny, great, heartfelt. Feels real, man. Well, it's just so wonderful to see characters that are women that are so complex and can be hilarious. And they traverse that wonderful thing that I love with my female friends in that you can in one breath be talking about the most serious thing that's ever happened to you, a miscarriage, the breakdown of your marriage, and the next second be laughing about something that happened in the past or your boyfriend's ridiculous haircut or, you know,

or making fun of each other but you're still fiercely there for your friends. And it just, oh, it just, it just lifts my spirit. Plus the mother in it is just fantastic. She's sort of this woman who's been a lawyer, you know, in her I'd say 60s now with three grown-up daughters, raised them as a single mother, as a lawyer as well herself, and is just kind of kick-ass and completely herself,

sexy and kind of very intellectual but like a force to be reckoned with, a little bit frightening. She's just great and witty. And also the main reason I'm watching it, as always, is why I watch like BBC shows. London just looks beautiful in it. I love London, man. And the tailoring is excellent.

All the clothes in it are so melodic. That's what you said to me. You're like, this show's good, you can tell because you're like, I love a crisp suit on a woman. Yeah, that's the whole reason I loved The Fall with X-Files' Gillian Anderson for her white shirts. My God, there's been like whole things, reams of things written about her shirts in that show.

I bloody love an escapism escapade of a television show with excellent tailoring and incredible clothes and shoes and the suits and the hair, everything about it. It's just great. Also, they have like these incredible houses. And also because I've never been in that corporate world, I sometimes have fantasies that I could, you know, wear heels and a crisp suit and walk around sort of staring moodily at people

and then demanding the Alistair file right now. Why isn't it on my desk? I'll be there in five minutes, Jordan. And people are like, we've got a Google Drive for that, Claire. Can you not? We're a paperless company. I'm mainly in it for the high-waisted skirts, the heels, and the excellent jackets.

I can understand that. And a nice crisp silk shirt. You can get those regardless and you can sit out here and we can podcast in your crisp white shirt and your jacket. I'm currently wearing the same overalls I've been wearing for like six months and a jumper. Yeah, but they're cool. You look like you're waiting for Postman Pat to deliver you something.

All right, here we go. That's so mean. Thanks. It's a great show. Look, if you want to review the show, probably not after this episode, we'll get some reviews, don't you worry. But we do appreciate it. It really helps out.

Like from Killer Galski says, no bloody snitches. This pod is an absolute delight. Clear as a ray of sunshine and a great counterbalance to the old boot known as James. Yeah. Big fan of all the pods from the Weekly Planet. Really been enjoying all the big sandwich perks. Hope all is well with you, beautiful souls. And Nick Mason too, I guess.

Thanks all the pods for keeping me sane during this never-ending turmoil. That is life. Be safe out there. And, of course, no snitches. This does go ad-free and early up on BigSandwich.co. Correct. I don't know if people know that, but it does. It does.

Along with a bunch of other stuff that goes up there as well. What have you got in terms of letters this week, Clegg? Okay, so I have one from a man with an excellent name. Here we go. His name is Herbert Covington. That's a great name. I don't even know if that's actually his name. That sounds like somebody who lives next to you while you're waiting

for Postman Pat to deliver you. Postman Pat and his black and white cat that I murdered. Remember? I said that you came at me today like I murdered a cat. Oh, yes, that's true. A family cat. A black and white family cat. I thought you like murdered me today like I murdered a cat. Oh, yes, that's true. The family cat. The black and white family cat. I thought you like murdered a cat and I didn't realize.

All right, so this is from Herbert Covington. Oh, Herbert Covington. His email address is great too. Anyway, howdy, Claire and James. I know you're still stuck in level 3000 lockdown. You are correct, sir. So I figured I'd give you a killer book recommendation to push through. It's called Kabu Kabu, a collection of short stories written by one

of the best authors of our decade, Nnedi Okorafor. Nnedi is a master of weaving African culture with science fiction. Whoa, like Black Panther. Yes, she's written some of my favourite Black Panther stories. It's called Afrofuturism, I think is the term, maybe. Anyway, sorry, go on. That is so cool. And you can see that in all of the stories in this collection.

The book's opening short story, The Magical Negro, is particularly effective. It's short and sweet. It could be read while you wait for your coffee to cool off, but despite its short length. I don't drink coffee. Yeah, well, wait while you warm up your kombucha. That's really like your fifth kombucha for the day.

I'm really worried about your gut bacteria. Anyway. Yeah, well, enjoy your 40 coffees, Claire. Don't even worry about it, mate. I have two a day. Well, I have two of these, sometimes five. I need to have two goddamn coffees to put up with you full time in this house. Well, I need to put my head in a bucket of rusty nails to put up with you in this house.

That's my coffee in the morning. Good, good, because you cut your hair so it won't get stuck in all the rusty nails now. What are we doing? I don't know. Let me finish poor Herbert's email. Thanks, Herbert. But despite its short length, the story stuck with me like glue for months to come.

That's all I'll say. If you like creepy science fiction and masterful storytelling, give it a read. Herbert Covington, I salute you. What an excellent email. Thank you very much. Great stuff. Great stuff.

That sounds like something I would be interested in. I know. Me too. I'm totally going to read that. We've been Suggestible Pod. Stay safe, be kind. Yeah. And, ooh, side note, I haven't read it yet.

I'm going to review it later. But if you loved my recommendation for The Drive by Jane Harper, which many people have told me they did. She has a new book that's just come out, The Survivors. Ooh, so good. I'm really excited to start it. So just letting you know. You don't know it's so good.

I already know because she's brilliant and all the reviews have been great. Okay. I love her writing. I'm so excited to jump in. Difficult second album though. So I'm just letting people know that it's out. If it is a second book, which I don't think it is. No, it's not. It's her fourth.

Oh, then that's even worse. Bloody program goal. Can you name a band's their fourth. Oh, then that's even worse. Get with the bloody program, you old dick. Can you name a band that their fourth album is the best album? Nah. Okay. This isn't a book. This is not a band. It's an author.

Are these your glasses? Yes. You picked up my – that's where my glasses are. I found them upstairs. Oh, guys, if you've been following along, this is a real waffler of a pod. But I will say, you know how someone, namely you, sat on my glasses and broke the frame? You literally sat on them.

It was you. Anyway, I've solved it. I've clocked life. You and your ice cream cone body came stomping in. Oh, delicious, mate. So if I was an ice cream cone, what flavour would I be? Plain. You wouldn't even be a cone.

You'd be one of those paper cups. No, you're forgetting the whole analogy is skinny at the bottom, wide at the top. You'd be a waffle cone because of all bloody this, mate. I'm doing the yap, yap, yap signal with my hand. What would I be? Poisonberry? Because of my poisonous statements? No, you would be chocolate chip. Okay. Nobody's favorite. People like chocolate chip. Nah.

It's not a go-to though, is it? You like chocolate chip. It's like white with chocolate bits in it. You want like double choc fudge or something if you're going to go chocolate. Nobody wants chocolate chip. Nobody does want chocolate chip. No, exactly and they don't want you. No, that's not true. I want you. I'm so sorry.

You upset yourself as you said that. I really did. We're being kind. I'm so sorry. Anyway, I just wanted to tell everyone, nobody cares. I now have two pairs of glasses. It took the six weeks for them to arrive because we're living in the over times with the overlords

and they can't get my glasses. So I was literally watching television with glasses with only one arm for like a month, six weeks, and then I lost that pair. And then I literally couldn't watch television. Yeah. I had to wear my contacts, but they I lost that pair. You lost them. And then so I literally couldn't watch television. Yeah. I had to wear my contacts but they made my eyes hurt.

And I don't know if people know this about me but I have perfect vision. Here he goes. I've got a lot of physical faults, don't get me wrong. I was going to say, I'll list them. Grey hair, pointy ears, slightly misshapen eyeballs. Weird forehead. Yeah, it's like a shelf it is like a shelf

frog legs yeah my teeth are a bit crooked at the bottom no they're not I've got short arms like a T-Rex got skinny little knees you could be taller I could be taller I could be taller

my chest is too hairy what else I like all those qualities I love you despite them all. Thank you. I appreciate that. You're welcome. All right, let's get out of here.

Let's get out of here. I'm off to watch some television with my glasses on. I'm going to lie down on my face. All right, I've been James. He's been Claire, and we've been Successful Pod. Yep. So long. So long.

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