Suggestible - Love is Blind, Beanies and Banana Bread

Episode Date: March 10, 2022

Suggestible things to watch, read and listen to. Hosted by James Clement @mrsundaymovies and Claire Tonti @clairetonti.Ukraine crisis – donate to protect children: https://www.unicef.org.uk/donate/donate-now-to-protect-children-in-ukraine/This week’s Suggestibles:01:28 The Beanies05:46 Banana Bread (Recipes with Friends)11:07 Love is Blind: The Reunion23:36 The Dropout35:59 There’s No Place Like Home40:48 SeveranceSend 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.

Introducing Uber Teen Accounts, an Uber account for your teen with enhanced safety features. Your teen can request a ride with top-rated drivers, and you can track every trip on the live map in the Uber app. Uber Teen Accounts, invite your teen to join your Uber account today. Available in select locations. See app for details. I know I have to hit record. I know, you were talking to me as if it was recording, and I thought, does she know she has to hit record? I know, big bong, big, big bong. and I thought, does she know she hasn't hit record? I know.

Big bong, big, big bong. Hello, this is Jess for Podcasts. How do you do? How do you do? I'm Claire Tonti, James Hill, so James Clement. How do you do, I'm in. How do you do? How did Danny do? He is wearing a top hat to say how to do.

That's right, I'm wearing my podcasting top hat that I wear every week. On all my podcasts, actually, when I guest on a podcast, anytime I make a live appearance at a live show, you'll notice I'm wearing my podcasting top hat that I wear every week. On all my podcasts, actually, when I guest on a podcast, any time I make a live appearance at a live show, you'll notice I'm wearing my top hat. Does it have a rabbit in it? No, Claire. Boing. All right.

It's got one dead rabbit skeleton in it. You're nothing if not on brand. It's true. I enjoy it. We are married and this is just for podcast, so we recommend you things, as always, to watch watch, read and listen to. That's right. It is so nice to be back again. In many ways we do the Lord's work because we watch shows

that we think are pretty good or whatever. Not just shows. I have some other things to recommend today. Books and et cetera. Sometimes it's a reality show that you're revisiting for a second week in a row. I am so excited for you to revisit and share with us the passion that you have for the wonderful television show Love is Blind.

Oh, my God, Claire, I have so much to say. Should we kick things off? Do you want me to kick it off or do you want to kick it off? Why don't you kick it off? Okay, I'll kick it off because I'm going small but big today. Wow. I'm doing my thing where I have a little bouquet, a little mini bouquet of two recommendations.

Okay, let me squeeze them together. Correct, exactly. I have a little bouquet, a little mini bouquet of two recommendations. Okay. We're going to squeeze them together. Correct. Exactly. So my first recommendation are two things that have made us full of joy this week. Oh. One is the beanies. Oh, the beanies. And the other one is banana bread.

The banana bread. Oh, what a combination. Starting with B. So first up, the beanies. Now, my wonderful friend, Jamila Rizvi, her sister, Mim, has had a band, I guess. They have also been a podcast called The Beanies. And she's had it for quite a long time.

She does it with a friend called Laura and another friend called Michael. Now, they're best known first and foremost for a podcast series which has had almost a million downloads and won an Australian podcast award for best kids and and least podcasts. Anyway, and the podcast itself was kind of a mix of storytelling and informative fact-based teaching and music and was really cool and you can find it on Spotify. I haven't actually heard the podcast.

So is it aimed both at adults and kids? Are there different versions? Sorry, if anyone can hear scratching, it's because there's a dog at the door scratching at the door. But what were you saying, sorry? No, it's for kids. Yeah. Yeah, it's for kids.

But it's really cool. It's kind of got some facts and informative stuff while also having music and some music they're familiar with and also their original songs. And then it's also got stories too. So it's a little bit like, I guess it's like an episode of Play School on a podcast. Yes. But kind of more fun than that and upbeat and kind of, what's the word for it?

Dramatic, if that makes sense. Because they're very full of beans, these beanies. They certainly are. They cannot be stopped. Anyway, but just recently they've gone on to our Australian broadcast corporation, the ABC, on our television shows and they've got some original songs on there that our daughter is so obsessed with.

Losing her mind. It's the only thing that she wants to do. Oh, my goodness. And she can't really talk so she just calls them bees, bees, bees. But there's also a song about bees. There is. And she might be talking about that. Yeah, but if she sees them anywhere, she's just obsessed

and her two favourite songs are Topsy Turvy Zoo. Yep. The Topsy Turvy Zoo. It's a good song. It's so good. Why do you think it's so good? Because I saw you dancing at dinner time today. Yeah, we're loving the Topsy Turvy.

Everybody's loving the Topsy Turvy Zoo in this household, let me tell you that much. I don't know. So the song is basically it's like it's combining different animals together. So they'll get like a gorilla and a butterfly and they'll make a gorilla fly and the whole thing's in a song and whatever. And it's fun. It's got little like pause moments and it's – they've got like their facial

expressions are really funny as well and it's just a really catchy song. And like as a song it works and as a kid's song obviously it works really well as well. Yeah, and the animations because it's them dancing on a green screen and there's a whole lot of animation in the background. Yeah. And it's just – it's so fun. There's also Wobbly Wombat which's a whole lot of animation in the background and it's just so fun. There's also Wobbly Wombat which is a really fun one to wibble,

wibble, wibble, wibble, wibble. Anyway, I've got them going around and around in my head. I like the one about bees as well, bees collecting honey. And it's just the first time my daughter's like latched onto something and become really obsessed with it. Yeah, she's not really like we tried like the Wiggles and maybe Emma and things like that and maybe she was probably a bit younger when those were on. Yeah, she's not really, like we tried like the Wiggles and maybe Emma and things like that. And maybe she was probably a bit younger when those were on.

Yeah, she's probably right at the right age. But this was just like, what is this? I know, she will watch it just on repeat. And our son's really got into it too, which is cool. So we're at the dinner table all singing Topsy Turvy Zoo and pretending to be a gorilla crossed with a butterfly or a crocodile crossed with a flamingo. That's right, a floccadile.

Floccadile, yeah. Our son loves that one. He's bloody obsessed with it. Anyway, so. He loves combining things as well, you know what I mean? Yes. One of the things that he loves. Transformers.

Mixing two stuff together. He does. Or evolutions or evulsions or something in Pokemon. He loves that too. I think it's evolution. Anything that will like. He calls them evulsions. I don't know. Yeah. Maybe it is that. I loves that too. I think it's Evolution. Anything that will like, he calls them Evolutions. I don't know.

Yeah. Maybe it is that. I don't know. I don't know. If you've got little kids in your house, I would totally recommend the beanies. Absolutely. Super fun, super fun. The podcast is cool too and these animations and songs.

The newer ones aren't on Spotify but all of the older stuff, I think from like 2016 onwards is. But it's so worth trying to find Topsy Turvy Zoo. Yeah, I'm just trying to look now if they actually do have it. It's on ABC Ivy here, so if you had a VPN, you could find it there. Yeah, it's a free app. You'd be able to do it. No, I don't think those ones are on YouTube at least,

but you'd probably find them somewhere. I'm sure you'd find them somewhere. Excellent stuff. But, yeah, they're just so great. So that's that. And my other cheeky little thing in my bouquet, it's only got two things in it, is banana bread that I made today. Oh, my God.

What do they call it? Banana bread. It's not bread at all. No, it's banana cake. We couldn't sell it to our son regardless. No. Bread, cake. He wasn't having a bar of it.

He hates fruit. Anyway, God. It is on YouTube, but it's not the animated version. Ah, okay. Topsy-daisy, at least, yeah. Yeah, the animated version on the OVC is just, like, awesome. But even the song itself is so cool. Agreed.

Yeah, so that's my one recommendation. And the other is this banana bread. Now, it's from Alice O. You might have remembered a little while ago I recommended this as a gift for Christmas, Recipes with Friends, Alice O. I do remember this one. It's got fun little cartoons. Yeah.

It's really cool. The illustrations are really awesome. And this one's got some sexy bananas lounging on it. Anyway, the reason I'm recommending it, this one is because it's vegan, even though no one likes to make things as vegans. However, they're saving the planet. I don't think that's true. I think there's more of an acceptance.

Whenever someone's like bloody vegan, it's like fuck it, it's fine. Just relax, all right? It's 2022. These are people that exist. No, you've misrepresented me. I didn't mean that people don't respect vegans. I just meant no one likes to cook for vegans. Well, that is probably true.

But I think, again, like there's more options and that now. I don't think it's like as big a deal as what it used to be. It's just not as enjoyable because what are you going to cook? I don't know. There's some pretty good vegan stuff, man, like this banana cake, which I did not know was vegan. Well, anyway, this is the one that is. If you're a chef out there or a cook, you know what I'm saying.

He doesn't know. He doesn't cook that much. You do actually. What are you talking about? You made pizzas tonight and I'm saying. He doesn't know. He doesn't cook that much. You do actually. What are you talking about? You made pizzas tonight and I respect it. Anyway, this is so easy because, as you know, I like a one-pot wonder and this is that. That's right.

Three ripe bananas, two cups of self-raising flour, a quarter of a cup of margarine, though I used olive oil, it still works straight, one cup brown sugar, one cup coconut milk, and a half a teaspoon of vanilla essence. All you have to do is mash the bananas with a fork until smooth, put in all the other ingredients, stir it all around until it's smooth, and then bake it in like a loaf tin for one hour at 180 degrees. And Bob's your uncle.

You have the most delicious banana bread without all the fliggle and flaggle. There's not much fliggle. Like if you were looking for a fliggle. Something that's fliggle-induced. No, you're not getting that at all. And, again, your daughter helps your daughter, our daughter. My daughter. Our daughter we have together.

This is such a good one with kids because it's like all in one bowl. You don't even need one of those fangle mixer things. No, it's just a mash job, isn't it? Yeah, I'm using the word fangle, let's say. But, yeah, you don't even need that. You just have to look a little bit of elbow grease, a little bit of wooden spoon action, a masher, and also kids love mashing stuff and she really liked using the potato masher.

So that was real fun. Anyway, I would totally recommend it. It's actually recommended by Lorelei Vashti because, obviously, it's recipes with friends and every recipe is from a friend of hers. And Lorelei did this one. And it's recipes with friends and every recipe is from a friend of hers. And Lorelei did this one. And it's just excellent. With butter. Eat it warm.

Oh, yeah. Eat it cold. Just eat it, mate. Yeah, absolutely. It's so good. So, you know, we're all down in the dumps because of, you know, casual world ending, all the things. So eat some banana bread and listen to Topsy Turvy Zoo, why don't you?

Just some casual world ending. Don't even bloody worry about it. Just some casual impending war of nuclear explosions and possible ending of the planet. But that's fine. I mean, you know, mutually assured destruction hopefully keeps us safe for the time being. But, you know, watch people now throw that in my face if there is a nuclear war.

I think I'm like, James, you actually said that that wouldn't happen and there was a nuclear war actually. Oh, God. As we've said before, some people are listening back to 2019 and going from the start. That's right. And so they have listened in real time to us predicting terrible things. We're going to get I'm actually on nuclear holocaust. Actually, there was a nuclear holocaust.

Didn't you even know? Hopefully not. On that note, I have to apologise for my review of Mrs. Maynard last week. Oh, yeah, you got I'm actually this week, didn't you even know? Hopefully not. On that note, I have to apologise for my review of Mrs. Mabel last week. Oh, yeah, you got un-actually this week, didn't you? I know. On Twitter, I'm so sorry. I just, I know that it was a crooner.

No, you don't apologise. No, but I had watched all the episodes as well. It had been a while and I really should have refreshed my episode of season three. Yeah, you should have watched all the episodes before you went into the new season. Rewashed them again. Anyway, in my defence, they didn't do a normal three. Yeah, you should have watched all the episodes before you went into the new season. Rewashed them again. Anyway, in my defense, they didn't do a normal recap like they normally do.

What was it? What was it? It was like she didn't go on tour with a- Shai Baldwin was not a singer. He was not a comedian. He was a singer. Great. Now the world is safe again.

Now listen, Claire, it's time to move on. All right, here he goes. He's moving his role, he's shaking. Normally when people aren't actually me, I'm like, I don't give a fuck. But when it's you, I'm like, no, that's rude, actually. But for me, I'm like, yeah, whatever. No, I don't think it's rude. It's fair enough.

This is my job, James. It's my job to watch things and review them accurately. And when I get it wrong, I feel very defensive. I constantly get you wrong. It's like defensive. I constantly get you it wrong. It's like all I do exclusively. Anyways, it's heartbreak time. Well, I know that.

Am I right? I was a little late on the ticket there. She's bloody coming at me. She's bloody coming at me. I was drinking my tea out of my love mug, my Ellen DeGeneres love mug. Ellen DeGeneres. She may be questionable. Her range of mugs is excellent.

Famously loving person, Ellen DeGeneres. Anyways, it's heartbreak time on our Love is Blind season two, Claire. I didn't think I was going to come back to it. You know what I mean? I was about halfway through. Don't break my heart. Oh, my God. So for those people that don't know, please stay with me if you haven't seen

Love is Blind or you're like, you don't need to do it in reality TV because it's not really my thing either. But anyways. Un-cry these tears. You can't un-cry tears. But basically the premise of the show is, I'll just quickly recap. Claire, this is really distracting. I cannot do this while you're singing Un-Break My Heart.

I know, but I thought I should bring back. Also, heartbreak. One episode. You heal from it and you learn and you move on and you grow. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I know. I just was singing Toni Braxton for fun. I'm sick of Toni Braxton.

I'm just bringing back for one episode because you've told me that I can't keep interrupting you because it's very disrespectful and you put lots of effort into your reviews. That's what I said. I said it's very disrespectful and you will not interrupt me for even a second. No, but I know I'm not supposed to because it's not very kind and it's annoying, but I'm just bringing it back just for today. I closed that door. Because I had a lot of banana bread.

How did this dog? She's a beagle. She probably opened it. She's very clever. It's fine. Let's just record. No, because she runs amok. Let's go back to where I was being adorably interrupting you.

Oh, yeah. What were you doing? What were you up to? So the show is basically 15 couples meet and they're in separate sections of a house. They basically date with a wall between them. They don't know who they're going to get engaged to if they decide to get engaged.

So it's basically an experiment based on can you get to know somebody, is love truly blind, et cetera, and so forth. Anyways, it like dips after the engagements, do you know what I mean? After the different, you know, the people get together, it's like, oh, what's going to happen? Oh, who's rejected or whatever. Then it's like four or five episodes of people being like, we're in the real world. This is crazy. Can you believe this experiment that we've been on? What a journey. We're getting married in a week. This is crazy. This is my family. This is crazy. It's like, fuck all that. It's boring. It's boring. Because then when you get to the second last episode, you get the second best episode of the series, which is

fucking heart stomping time, Claire. My goodness. What they have to do, they walk up the aisle, both of them, right? And then they get there and then they say their vows at each other. And then one of them or both of them might be like, I'm not doing this. I'm not getting married. Guess what? We all got dressed up for this wedding and whatever and planned it all, but guess what? You're a lunatic.

I don't like you. And then it's out. And there was a lot of couples that, like, broke up and were like, good, this is fun. I'm enjoying this. You know what I mean? That shouldn't have happened. Like, that's a terrible person.

You don't want to be involved in any of that. But the reunion this year, my God, Claire, my God, it just made the whole thing worth it, right? So there was this dude from the start who like when he'd meet people in lovers blind, he's like, oh, like he tried to figure out what people look like or how big they were. He was kind of obsessed with that. He'd be like, oh, do you like exercise?

Do you enjoy exercise? Do you enjoy keeping fit? Or, hey, if I took you to like a music festival, do you reckon exercise? Do you enjoy exercise? Do you enjoy keeping fit? Or, hey, if I took you to like a music festival, do you reckon I could lift you on my shoulders or whatever? Do you reckon that's something that I could do? And people are like, what the fuck is wrong with this guy? Why is he asking all these questions about how heavy I am or whatever?

Anyways, he ended up getting engaged to this lovely woman. I'm not going to spoil, you know, who or whatever, but no one cares I guess at this point. And it's really weird because he spends the rest of the episodes just talking to camera and talking to other people and being like, I don't know, we've got this really cool connection and she's fun and we understand each other and we've got like a similar background and there's this real deep connection which I don't have because I'm always looking at things superficially. But then he's also like, but I just don't want to bang this chick.

I just look at her and I'm like, I don't want to, she's like, my aunt, I don't want to bang this chick. And also, and this is how he's talking, right? And anyway, you look at this woman, she's like a fucking 10 and he's like a four. Like it's crazy, right? It doesn't make any sense. And I think he's probably thrown off because recently she lost a lot

of weight so maybe he's just like, oh, what if she goes back to before she had a lot of weight or whatever, you know what I mean? He's just terrible. Anyway, she finds, I'm just recapping the show at this point I guess, she finds out that he's been just talking shit to everybody because even guys in the other group are just like, hey, tell her that he's been saying all this shit. And apparently a bunch of stuff that he said also didn't make the cut.

So the reunion time rolls around. He's out of the gate. He's fucking furious, right? Because also she rejected, make the cut. So the reunion time rolls around. He's out of the gate. He's fucking furious, right? Because, oh, he also, she rejected him at the altar. She's like. You missed the most important bit. No, it's not. That's not the most important bit.

That's why I skipped it. So she rejects him at the altar. Yes, because she found out because people were just like, hey, this dude is a fucking idiot. Okay, pause. Yeah. I have to tell everyone. One of the reasons James is ranting about Love is Blind,

which is not usually the calibre of shows that we watch, is that I was on the couch yesterday and James came in like he'd seen a ghost. Yeah. He came in and he just did the symbol for like my mind is blown. I felt like he had witnessed something miraculous. It was like a murder. It was a violent and terrifying and awful.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I thought to myself, what is this man of calibre and depth watching? I'm not any of those things. And he said, you should have seen the fucking Love is Blind reunion special. What? Anyway, he gets the reunion. They're all sitting on the couches, right, and a couple of them are married, most of them aren't.

And everybody's pretty, like, civil. Hang on, pause. Some of them actually get married. Yeah, a couple of them actually get couches, right, and a couple of them are married, most of them aren't. And everybody's pretty, like, civil. Hang on, pause. Some of them actually get married. Yeah, a couple of them actually get married. For real. And they stay together. Yeah, and it's been a year. How long between when they?

Year between filmed it and the reunion. Okay, all right. Right. And so they're just hashing it out, right, on the couch. And from the get-go, cameras start rolling, and he goes fucking nuclear, like, immediately. And he starts interrupting and talking over everybody being like this is what's going on with your relationship this is what the

problem with you is hey you know i think maybe if you had done this because i don't think you respect this about this person and everyone's just like can you just fucking calm down like you you what you think is like you're the way your brain works is the way that you think everybody else's work but you're broken like your brain is broken and you're just lashing out at everybody. And so everybody, he turns on everybody, everybody turns on him and his ex-fiance is just sitting there like, I dodged a bullet here, like thank Christ, this dude, right? Yeah.

Anyway, I haven't mentioned this and it's not really relevant, but this is hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey. Nick Lachey was in 98 Degrees. Do you remember him? Oh, my gosh. He was once married to Jessica Simpson. Yes. They're barely in it.

It doesn't matter. But anyway, they're back at the reunion, and then they fucking turn on him. Like, Vanessa Lachey's like, you're a fucking idiot. Like, she literally swears at him. Like, what is wrong with you? Why are you like this? And there's at one point he goes, I don't even find anybody attractive in this room. So what?

What am I? Who cares if I'm actually a shallow? That's the real world, isn't it? So I want to bang somebody. I want somebody who's attractive or whatever. The only person I find attractive in this room is Vanessa Lachey. And she's sitting right there with her husband, Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees. It was insane.

And what is also the craziest thing is like he's not a catch, like on any level. Like if you, like, and again, these things can be edited and he talks about how like, you know, I was edited and unfairly, but they just let this guy run his mouth. He's like, he talks through the whole thing. It's like an hour long and probably 40 minutes of him just getting real aggressive at everybody.

Do you think the producers, though, worked him into a frenzy? Maybe. Do you think they set that up? Because they usually do. I think it's definitely manipulated on some level. And this guy, I don't know whether they worded him up before, be like, you know, just go all out or whatever, but he just tries to burn everything down and it's just hilarious.

I loved it. It was really good. Of course they set it up. Of course they did. That's their whole job. I know, I know. But like – You've watched those shows of behind the scenes, right?

I know, but they probably like, you know, I'm sure they worded him up about what's going on. He was like, I'm going to go and say this. And I'm like, you should say that actually. You know what I mean? Like I'm sure there's elements of it, but he is a moron for like falling into that. But is he someone that is not very smart? Yeah, like doesn't he have to be therapy?

No, he's a vet. He's a vet. Okay, but he's maybe not emotionally intelligent. No, no, no. I don't know if I've made that clear. And see, this is my problem. And I get how hilarious that is and I totally understand the love slash like binge worthiness of reality television. You've fallen hook, line and sinker for it, James.

Yeah. You really have. And I get it. I totally have. But I also have so many problems with it because I think that at the end of the day it's exploitative of people with major problems. Yes. Whether that's mental health issues or low emotional IQ or a whole range,

like very kind of vulnerable in different ways. And I know then on the flip side, there are people that get into it now because they're savvy and they see that it's a way to launch whatever thing they want to sell or Instagram account they want to grow. I get that as well. And so I'm not naive to think that it's just a one-way thing. But, you know, so often the people that are then painted as the villains, their lives can be completely destroyed.

Oh, absolutely, yeah. And the kind of rubbish that they get online. Like there's an Australian site called Abbey. This guy's not online as well, like, yeah. And the kind of rubbish that they get online. Like there's an Australian celebrity called Abby. This guy's not online as well, like at all. All right. Well, there's an Australian celebrity called Abby Chatfield. Have you heard of her? And she was painted as a villain in one of the seasons.

Now, I didn't watch it, but I do know that she's since gone on to kind of talk about what that feels like to be at the bottom of a massive online pylon and the things that go on in those shows. And, you know, she's gone to build herself a really great career. But I don't know, I just feel like there's, for every person that, you know, might come out of it with, I don't know, some kind of deal, TV deal or something, there's someone whose mental health was low before they even got on there

and is now, you know, they're in a really dark place. And also, they don't really provide a lot of counselling or support. Oh, no, absolutely not. They might during the show, but as soon as the show finishes, they're dropped. They're just out in the world. Yeah, there's all these stories of, you know, people who, anyway, all I'm saying is that sounds hilarious. It was. And also terrible. You're right. And all of that is, all I'm saying is that sounds hilarious. It was.

And also terrible. You're right. And all of that is true. I'm like, I feel bad for this guy. Like, also, like, not only that, you know, this public thing that he's doing and is happening to him, but also, like, he's just not very, he's not very well. Yeah.

You know? I know. I know. And I guess the other flip side of it, though, right, is that also he's a misogynist. Oh, yeah. And awfully sexist. Yeah.

And so part of me is like I'm glad that people are seeing that. I don't know. Good God, James, you've really gone in hard to love his blinds. I certainly have, Claire. I can't wait for season three. They're like, we've got a new thing coming up. There's a new show. It's a spin-off.

It's like they send couples to an island or something and one of them wants to get engaged and the other one doesn't. Oh, typical. Am I right, everybody? Anyway, so what they do, they then spend some time with other people that might be just as compatible to be like, do I actually want to get engaged? And then I'm like, I don't want to watch that. But also, maybe I'll watch every episode of it.

Good God. Whatever that show is called. Right. Yeah. Why do you think it is that you're suddenly really invested in Love Is Blind? I have no idea. It was just on and I think I was just like, what's this? All right.

And then it just took over my life. That's what happens. I always think that. I always say things like, I don't like reality television. And then when I watch something from the very beginning, they get you. Nobody's yet. I don't think, and I think there's – I'm sure there's people that are like, you know, that's not me.

I think there is something that could get anybody no matter what it is. Especially if you watch it from the very beginning. Because all – like I've got a couple of friends who are just like, oh, I hate maths. I'm sick of it. My wife's just always – but they know like everything about it. Because it's like, yeah, you watch it. And that's fine.

Maths is married at first sight. I know what maths is. I know you know that, but Max is married at first sight. I know what Max is. I know you know that but I'm telling everybody else who might not know what it is. So, you know, you know how it is. I mean we watched Big Brother season 2012. I can only tell you the last time. You know what I do love?

I've already said this before in a reality TV show. Lego Masters. I love a Lego Masters. I love Dancing with the Stars. You do. Dancing with my stars, with my stars, with the stars, may just be my favourite. MasterChef's way better since they swapped out all of the judges as well.

Yeah, correct. It's so good. Anyhoo. Introducing Uber Teen Accounts, an Uber account for your teen with always-on enhanced safety features. Your teen can request a ride when you can't take them. You'll get real-time notifications along the way. Your teen feels a sense of independence. You can follow their entire route on a live tracking map. Your teen will get assigned a top-rated driver. You'll get peace of mind. Uber Teen Accounts. Invite your

teen to join your Uber account today. Available in select locations. See app for details. Okay. Can I have my second recommendation? I would love to. Oh, you mean third? Yeah, my third. I know. It's not the second one in there. Like a cheeky, cheeky person. Do you have... Actually, I think I would like to go last with this one. Okay. So you can go first with your second one. Are you sure? Yes, definitely. Okay. with this one. Okay. So you can go first with your second one.

Yes, definitely. Okay. There's a show that's come to star, Disney Plus star, which I think is on Hulu if you're in the places in the world that get Hulu. It's called The Dropout. It's based on a podcast called The Dropout, hosted by Rebecca Jarvis. Its stars are Amanda Seyfried and Naveen Andrews.

I forget this name right. Utkarsh Ambudkar. Ambudkar. Ambudkar. James Hiroyuki Liao and Stephen Fry. Right now we watch this name right. Utkash Ambudkar. Ambudkar. Ambudkar. James Hiroyuki Liao and Stephen Fry. Right now, we watch this show together, Claire. The premise is, here we go, I'll read it out. In a tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong,

Elizabeth Holmes, played by Amanda Seyfried, develops healthcare technology that puts millions of patients at risk and loses everything in the blink of an eye. So this is a true story of this woman, Elizabeth Holmes, who people probably would have heard about, who was seen at one point as this like brilliant tech mogul. This is the next Elon Musk. This is the next Steve Jobs. Basically, yes, this is the next terrible person in tech, which is everybody in tech, it seems, at a higher level. So she wants to leave her mark on society for good. She's like, I'm going to invent something that really changes the world. And so she settles on this blood testing machine, which is essentially if you put in a drop

of blood, it can diagnose 80 plus illnesses that you may potentially have or could have down the line. And it starts from a point of like the US healthcare system is flawed as all healthcare systems are in many ways and it could speed up the process, it's cheaper and all of these things. But this thing that she invents and builds a team around and gets funding for, it does not work. It's not a thing that is viable at all.

So it starts as a small lie to kind of get this over the line, to kind of get this funding, get this person on board, you know what I mean? We can just like fake this prototype and then the next, you know, and then the next we'll get it down the line, you know what I mean? Because we'll get enough money together to be able to afford the research to make it work. Yes, exactly. But the problem is the core idea itself is impossible

or it is at this point. I don't know much about blood testing. Actually, I think about it. I don't know anything about blood testing now that I just go into my mind and have a look. So it's interesting because the way the series paints it, and there's only been three episodes so far, but they're doing eight, so now they're doing one every week until April.

She wants to do good, you know what I mean, and leave an impact. But it seems to, I don't know whether she was always this way or gets twisted this way, but it just more becomes, get it being enamored with being seen a certain way and people thinking that you're making a difference as opposed to actually making a difference. And it becomes harmful because all of a sudden you're using this machine on people who would need it, you know, cancer patients and the like, you know what I mean, people who, you know, need updated information about their health, you know what I mean, on a regular basis. And again, if this thing worked, it would be an absolute game changer,

you know, but it does not work at all. And this woman is real life in a lot of trouble, it turns out. Not to spoil a real life event. But, yeah, it's well worth checking out. So after you've done with Love is Blind, the reunion, hosted by Vanessa and Nick Lachey, please check out The Dropout. What do you think of it, Claire? We've watched the first three together.

Yeah, I really enjoyed it. I mean, I knew a little bit about the story, the real life story. I sort of followed it at the time and I read a couple of articles on it too. It's fascinating and fascinating because I think there's two sides to it. I know you kind of watched it and just went, oh, this person seems really terrible. No, I don't think that. I think not initially, you know.

No. The way it's portrayed here at least. The way it's portrayed here at least. The way it's portrayed, and I don't want to give too much away, but it kind of gives you an idea of why she is the way she is because there's a sexual assault that happens while she's at college. And it's from there that she seems to be able to shut off a part of herself and she drops out of college to pursue this business idea. And mum's like, just shut it down, you know what I mean?

Forget about it. Yeah, exactly. And I think that unfortunately from the nature of this and particularly, and I wonder if things are changing that much. I think there is some movement now on campuses but most of the time if you're raped on campus or, you know, women are just not believed in the same way. Anywhere, you know. Yeah, exactly. And so are just not believed in the same way. Anywhere, you know.

Yeah, exactly. And so she's not believed in that instance. No. And that I think fundamentally changes her. Yeah, because women aren't believed in those kind of instances. She's such a naive kind of really nerdy, super passionate, super smart, hardworking person who's super driven. She has this idea that she's going to be a billionaire

from the time she's really little. And that kind of single-mindedness, it's almost tunnel vision. She doesn't notice anyone else around her in lots of ways or she can't understand the way that other people are around her and she'll have scenes where she's like practising in the mirror how to smile and how to talk to people and, you know, all of those things. And then when that happens to her, it's almost like she has to shut

down a part of herself and therefore, and I don't know what the real story is, but in the show it kind of presents to me like she was then able to throw everything into this idea, then shut down the parts of it that weren't working, just like she shut down what happened to her in the assault. And I think that that can happen in trauma, right? Oh, absolutely. People compartmentalise things. And then she ends up in a relationship with a really older guy that starts

off kind of beautiful because they're both quite nerdy and kind of into the same things, but then slowly over time becomes abusive as well. And that in itself kind of lends you to think about what the world does to women who are incredibly smart and driven and who don't always fit in the mold. And even then, what the world just does to women over time. And not always, but often, and I've been thinking about this a lot because it's International Women's Day, I've been thinking about the trajectory of women's lives and how at different points they can be completely derailed. And I know this is true of all human beings, but I'm just

talking from my experience that in watching the women around me, you know, there are things that happen, whether it's relationships that they get into that turn violent or abusive, or whether it's difficulties with pregnancy and infertility and children, and then that trajectory that sends them in a different path. And it's really sad to me when you see that happening and when you see women being squashed or when you see girls who walk out in pantsuits when they're eight years old to go and meet Hillary Clinton and have this idea that I'm smarter than the boys in my grade.

And often that's the case, not necessarily that they're smarter, but that girls really thrive at school in that environment and often come out with, in Australia anyway, higher interscores and they also come out with higher university scores or at least enter university in greater numbers. But then over time it drops away for lots of different reasons. There's just lots more barriers set up and they're sometimes invisible and sometimes very visible. And that just really breaks my heart. And so that's what

I was thinking about when I was watching it. And not that I necessarily think Elizabeth Holmes is without fault because she did some horrible things. And not saying that necessarily because she's a woman, we should just feel sorry for her either. That's not what I mean. And she committed crimes and there was definitely fraud at play. I just think it's an interesting reflection on what happens to women in the world and why we don't see as many women in positions of leadership, you know, and that kind of thing. So anyway, that's what it made me think about and it made me angry and sad but also fascinated because it made me think about and it made me angry and sad, but also fascinated

because it made me also think about the world of entrepreneurship and startups and burning through investment and how, you know, at one point with Planet Broadcasting, I had this idea that maybe we would turn it into this kind of startup and go and look for investment. And I never really did it in the end. And sometimes I think maybe we should have to try and grow it big, as I've talked multiple times, but I'm really glad we didn't. Hell no, I'm so glad we didn't. Because that whole idea, and it can be incredible,

but that whole idea of start-up culture where you bring a company up to a certain point so you can then sell it. Yeah. It's kind of like you're doing it so that in the end you make lots of money, not necessarily. Like a big payout and then I guess you got a lot of money at once, I guess. Yeah. And then I don't know.

Which is fine. Whatever. I guess we can do that. And some of those ideas can change the world. I just mean do we need them always and also that kind of idea that you just burn through people and burn through money to create something that you don't at the end of the day care about. Yeah.

It's just so that you can sell it. I don't know. I don't know. It just doesn't sit entirely right with me. And, again, this is just framed as the show was. It seemed as if, like, she just, if she had a better idea, you know, like something that was actually good. Like 20 hours a day. She's clearly very intelligent, you know, like something that was actually good. Because she worked like 20 hours a day.

She's clearly very intelligent, you know what I mean? I think if she'd stayed at uni. Absolutely, because a lot of it is like I want to get to the next thing. She drops out really, really young. So it's, I think, yeah, and look, a lot of these like, a bunch of these people should be in jail. Like it's not like, I don't, she's not like, oh wow, this one rogue tech CEO, you know.

Fucking Zuckerberg's like, he's a monster, you know. I just, I think it's also unfair that like this is the one that's like, that's being targeted, you know. And, you know, I think it's also because she just took a bunch of money from people and that's why, you know. Yeah. So I think that's what it comes down to. I mean also.

She was young I think that's what it comes down to. I mean, also. She was young, I think, too. But that's why there's consequences because she took money from people that you shouldn't take money from. Yes, correct. That's what I'm saying. Exactly. You're absolutely right. Yeah.

And the cancer thing. But I genuinely think it's more the money thing. Yeah, I do too. I think she really pissed off a lot of people in very high places. Mm-hmm. Totally. Which is similar to inventing Anna, right? Yeah, yeah do too. I think she really pissed off a lot of people in very high places. Totally. Which is similar to inventing Anna, right? Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

You get the feeling that this young woman upset a lot of apple carts in very high places of very wealthy people and, therefore, that's probably why she's back in jail again. Yeah. You know, because they have the puppet strings, you know, that they can pull. And that's not to say that they are good people because that's not true. No, I'm not saying they are.

No, but at the end of the day, and I think that's what they talked about in Ventiana as well, there's this murky waters because Mark Zuckerberg is not a good person. No. Donald Trump, you know, like he has so many failed, up-failed sort of fraudulent. Yeah, he owes a lot of people money. Yeah, exactly.

And, you know, things that don't go well and still manages to land on his feet. And I just don't think the world gives women the same kind of chances. Yeah. You know, if you fail, you really fail and that, you know, and it's very hard to come back as a woman. It's much harder. Yeah, absolutely.

You know, you have to kind of, which is something that is actually done in this. and it's very hard to come back. As a woman it's much harder. Yeah, absolutely. Which is something that is actually done in this. There's an academic who's a woman who she initially goes to talk to who gives her this very kind of cutting speech about how as a woman you can't cut corners. You have to go be better than the best and then you still have to prove yourself and you can't put a foot wrong. Yeah. And in a way that comes to pass in spectacular fashion

because she absolutely doesn't, she does try and cut all the corners and there's no safety net there. Yeah. Or, you know. But if she had made a bunch of people money, I bet it would have been fine. Yeah, interesting, isn't it? Yeah. Now, on that, I wanted to talk about one more thing but we're out of time.

Are you sure? We're going to. Yeah. Oh, we can save it. I don't mind. I'd like to talk about one more thing, but we're out of time. Are you sure? We can say it. I don't mind. I'd like to talk about it actually. It kind of dovetails into just what I was talking about then. So there's a podcast by Jamila Rizvi called There's No Place Like Home and Jamila runs Future Women, which is an incredible organisation supporting.

Isn't her sister the one in the beanies, the other thing that we were talking about earlier? Yes, it's a rispy kind of day. It certainly is. Future Women is an organisation that is working towards equality for women in all different situations. And this podcast particularly is putting survivors of family violence at the centre of the story. Now, it's a really difficult listen, not because it's not beautifully edited and hosted by Tarang Chawla, who I interviewed actually for Taunts in Season 1.

It's just that the stories are heartbreaking. Each episode tells the story of an extraordinary person who has shared their most intimate thoughts, feelings, and experiences of domestic and family violence. And so the stories are anonymous and the interviews from the victims themselves, I mean, each interview is really vulnerable and open and brave and they interview friends and colleagues as well around that person.

So it really paints a picture of a lot of different facets of this kind of violence against women. Sounds like really like methodical and like really. It's very harrowing and heartbreaking, but also very educational. So I don't think it's really appropriate for young people. However, maybe for all the older teenagers who are studying this kind of stuff, but I think it's really good in breaking down terms that we've heard like coercive control or emotional abuse versus physical abuse and what those things like what does gaslighting actually mean and what that looks like.

So it's like recognising, helping people recognise. Helping people recognise patterns and behaviours and also sort of they will like plot out the trajectory of a relationship at how it starts and often how there's no warning signs or very few warning signs. And then as it goes on, you can start to see where that person slowly loses footholds on their life. Yeah. And their partner becomes, you know, in charge of their every move,

in charge of their finances, separates them from their loved ones. And I know of people in my own life who this has happened to. And it does, they just slowly erode that person's sense of self until they have nowhere to turn. And Made, I think, was a show on Netflix that did this really well. It painted this kind of story of what it really is like to be in a relationship like this. So I think it's so valuable. They're working towards a vision for Australia where domestic and family violence no longer exists.

And that's a big lofty goal. But I think this kind of exploration and deep dive almost plays out like, I guess, a warning to women but also like a call out to men too who want to listen to it to be able to see what kind of behaviours lead to this kind of relationship breakdown and pattern of behaviour and try and understand why other friends or family members or even they themselves might end up in that kind of relationship. I think if you have never heard of these kind of terms before, you just think that a domestic violence against women or a violent relationship is the only form of abuse. If it's physical, that makes sense, right?

Yeah. But there are so many other layers to it. And also trying to understand why women stay in relationships like that I think is really helpful too. And anyway, it's called There's No Place Like Home and they're dropping episodes every week. So there's a few episodes up there. Are they doing like a 10-episode season or something like that?

Yes, 10 episodes. Cool. Yeah, yeah. So hosted by Trang Chola, There's No Place Like Home. It's on Apple Podcasts. Awesome. Correct. We've been everywhere this week, haven't we?

We have. We've gone high and we've gone low. We certainly have, yeah. Yeah, to and fro, absolutely. But, yeah, I think all very worthy things to talk about. I completely agree, Claire. And you know what is worthy or makes us feel worthy, I should say? It's people who leave a review for this podcast.

This actually, this award-worthy podcast, which is the title of this particular review. Oh, I've really liked this review already. By Billy Boy, who says, I love this podcast, but if it doesn't win the Australian Podcast Award, I will take this review down. We didn't win. We came third. So I guess for Billy Boy, that was enough to leave the podcast up,

the review up. So I really appreciate it. Thank you so much. What have you got in terms of letters this week, though, Claire? All right. So you can email suggestive have you got in terms of letters this week though, Claire? Ooh, all right. So you can email suggestivepod at gmail.com with your recommendations and suggestions and just like John Scripp has. Oh, I know John Scripp.

Enjoying nature and ignoring the madness. That is what we're doing. Hey, guys, I live in Duluth, Minnesota, and the weather has been pretty shit lately. Very cold with constant blizzards. Oh, no. I've never been in a blizzard. Me neither.

Oh, God. It seems more intense than a regular rainstorm. Yeah, I think it is. I think it is. I don't know a lot about blizzards or blood storms or blood testing. Blood storms. I don't know anything about blood storms. Never been in a blood storm either.

Not yet. The other day I was stressing over all the homework I had when the sun came out for the first time in days and I knew I had to take advantage while it lasted. Nice. So I hiked up the big hill by my apartment. I'd never been up there before and the view was incredible and really helped ease my stress. I'll include pictures below, but you can pretty much see all of downtown Duluth all the way out to Lake Superior.

Let me tell you, the pictures are beautiful. May I have a look at these pictures, please? You certainly can after I finish reading. Oh, okay. You can look at them now. I'll just imagine them and I hope they live up to my imagination. Oh, no, my imagination was better. Don't worry about it.

No, look at that. They're really good. They're amazing. Just like beautiful. It's really clear, yeah. So filled scenes. I wanted to thank Claire for always reminding me how important it is to savour moments like this.

Let me tell you, it gets annoying now you live with it every day. I'll tell you that much. And I want to thank James for tricking everybody and watching all of the Twilight movies even though they're all terrible and he admitted he should have just re-watched the Nolan trilogy instead. It's true. Your dedication to all the weird jokes you make is both inspiring and concerning.

I'd also like to recommend the TV show Severance on Apple+. It's a thrilling drama about office workers. I am going to talk about Severance. Not this week, but no, I have been watching Severance and I've been really enjoying it. Oh, yeah. He says the cast is great and the story is incredibly fun to watch unfold. Kind of like Dev's, which I think James liked.

I did like Dev's. There you go. Anyway, thank you both for everything you do. Oh, and Mason is cool too. Well, he's not here, so that doesn't count and I will not be telling him. But thank you, John. Thank you so much, John Scripp, whose name I recognise from other things that he's written in with.

Yes, he seems like a very cool dude. I agree. And excellent pictures. I'll put them up on my Instagrams. Claim them as your own. I will. I'll just share them over there because they're beautiful. I took these pictures.

All right. You can email the show at sysreportageemail.com. And as always, thank you to Raw Callings for editing this week's episode. How does he do it? How do you suspect he does it? Wizardry. Blizzardry. Blizzardry.

In a bloodstorm. He gets in a bloodstorm and he just can't help himself. Can't help himself. No. Good stuff. All right. Yeah, we'll be back for next week for something, won't we? We will.

We should do more like themed episodes. Do you know what I mean? We say this all the time. No, no, because like we missed Valentine's Day. So I've been trying to inject a little bit of love into every episode. Oh, so nice. No, it's just that thing that I watched. But also.

And International Women's Day. I did have a couple thing that I watched. And International Women's Day. I did have a couple of recos for the old International Women's Day. Oh, yes, that is true. Yeah, so I should have prepared something. I mean, to be fair, Love is Blind has half women in it and I made fun of a dude, like a guy who sucks, and I talked about the dropout, which is about a woman, albeit doing terrible things. So in a way.

But that's the quality when women are allowed to be terrible too. Exactly. That's all they want. We want many things like equal pay. It's true. Respect in the workplace. Yep. What else do we want?

Oh, can I have more things? Paid maternity leave. Yep, done. Correct, exactly. Equal share of the domestic load. Love it. Equal superannuation. No, I don't like that one actually.

That one I'm going to veto. No. Better pay for childcare workers and slash cheaper childcare. Yep. Cool. Should be free. More women in positions of leadership. Yep.

Across the board. I'll tell you, there's been people in a bit of a tiz this week, not anybody like serious, but there's a line in the Batman where Selina Kyle, who plays Catwoman, played by Zoe Kravitz, is like, man, these white men like always ruining shit or whatever, like running things and ruining things or whatever. And there's been a few people that are like, well, that's just politics. That's work politics in my Batman movie.

When's Batman going to start killing people or whatever? And, look, sure, it's a bit like on the nose to be like these white men that run everything, you know what I mean? But it's like. It's a bit obvious. Yeah, but also like. But it's true. It's true.

Like you just look up a boardroom, not like a fake like photo, like, you know, like stock photo boardroom. Just look at a boardroom. Yeah. And have a look who's mostly in there. Correct. Anyways. Exactly.

That's my review of the Batman. I also would like more diverse and real representation of women in film and TV shows. All right, done. Which is actually more now. It's becoming better. I agree. Things are changing and that's what gives me a lot of hope about International Women's Day this year.

Even though there's a long way to go, I still feel like we have made change. And it has been progress. For the people who have been participating in the Planet Broadcasting Great Mates group, where every year it's only women are allowed to make posts. Anyone can comment, but it's just like, yeah. And then we always hear from more people that we don't necessarily see, which I love, yeah. I love that too.

I think it's awesome. So continue. When's there going to be an International Men's Day? There is an International Men's Day. Don't even worry about it. It's just never very good. It's a little bit like the difference between when women come on a camping trip versus men.

What's the difference between those two things? Well, because like when you and your mates went camping, everyone bought beer and no one remembered to bring food except for you which was some dried mangi noodles. That is so true because like I think. You're just bad at organising. They're like, why is there no better things on International Men's Day? Spoiler alert because you don't organise good lunches.

Also. That's very sexist of me to say that actually. Who wants it? Who really wants International Men's Day? Every fucking day is International Men's Day. Wow. I would never say that. You're getting too political and I don't like that.

Well, I am political. I mean it's not women bloody invading a country, is it? I couldn't tell you, Claire. I don't know anything about politics. It's not women dropping bombs on other people. Maybe bloody fart bombs. It's not women who are the head of like giant fossil fuel companies that have fucked over the world for like 50 years that we had the science

to prevent 50 years ago and we didn't do anything about it because of fossil fuel monies going to terribly corrupt people. Anyway, don't get me started. Well, at least we're not reaping any of the things that have been sown. So thank God that there are no consequences for anything. Thanks, everybody. All right. Sorry.

A recap. Banana bread recipe. Oh, yes. That other thing that you said. The beanies. The beanies. Oh, yeah. Good fun time.

That felt like a million hours ago. Podcasting. We love podcasting, don't we? In particular, the one you mentioned, which is called? There's No Place Like Home. There's No Place Like Home, The Dropout, and, of course, Love is Blind Season 2, specifically a reunion special. That's it from us.

Till next time. And they're all linked below. Happy International Women's Day. Happy International Day. Bye. This podcast is part of the Planet Broadcasting Network. Visit planetbroadcasting.com for more podcasts from our great mates.

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