Suggestible - The Meaning of Life

Episode Date: September 3, 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:Expecting AmyRadical Exposure of Amy SchumerSearch PartyJack Hartmann Kids MusicStoryline OnlinePamela Allen's BooksJulia Donaldson's BooksAxel Scheffler Gruffalo VideoFor Goodness' Sake PodcastSend 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. Hello, welcome to Suggestible Pod. Ha ha, yes.

A podcast where we suggest things and you go, I've already seen that. That's what the peoples at home say. That's what they say to all the things. That's right. I had an email that said that they listen to about 10% of all the things that we recommend. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong at all.

I'm Claire. James is over there. Pretty good. We're married and we recommend you stuff to watch, read and listen to. We do, don't we? For a job. Yeah. Pretty sweet gig we have over here.

Well, this is one of the jobs that we do. Many of the jobs. Yeah, that's what I'm saying to you about it. Totally. Working 24-7, trying to make a living. I just think about like having kids and that. I know I've talked about this before, but like how much time I had that I just wasted.

I don't know what I did. I have no idea. And I know I felt like I was stressed and tired. When I had like a shift, because when I do like shift work at like McDonald's. When we started dating and you'd get up at 5 o'clock in the morning, change the oils. Change the oils in the McDonald's.

And then I worked at a service station for a little bit during uni. And that like end of the day shift would like ruin your day. I'm like, oh, I've got to go to work at four or whatever. And it would kind of ruin. And it was still, for me, it still would. Like if that was my situation now, like if I had something to do at night that I had to go to, it would ruin my day because I'd just be thinking about it the whole time.

Yeah. But now I'm like, oh, my God, I'd kill for like six hours alone. Are you kidding me? I know. I know. It's that feeling I used kill for like six hours alone. Are you kidding me? I know. I know. It's that feeling I used to get the Sunday dreads. You know, it's like as the day progressed, you were like, well, that's the weekend done.

Yeah, exactly. And the Monday morning is looming. Yeah. Yeah. I found that towards the end of school, as I was leaving, like I got used to it. Like just for primary school and high school, I'm like, okay, I'm used to this.

Like my sleep pattern seems to have finally kicked in after six years. Got a good group of friends. Ah, that's finished. Well, this is like school, your entire school career. This is like primary school. Is that why you went back to being a teacher, so that you could relive your glory days? No, not at all.

That's not – if you're doing that – look, I know some sport teachers that certainly have done that, but no, that's not why I became a teacher. Yeah. We had the biggest bunch of fuckwit sport teachers at my high school. Oh, my God. That's for another day though, isn't it? Hey, boys, what are you up to? You know, that kind of shit.

They all have whistles. Yeah, they all have whistles. They all wear shorts and have whistles and often polo shirts. Yeah, and just like such a bunch of fucking clowns you know what i mean like yeah do you know like like you know how much i can bitch person whatever it's like yeah you're a grown man what do you like what do you mean hey mate get in here i was gonna like all the different names they call all the boys by their surnames yeah you do a bit of that i remember one of them i was about to like all the different names. Do they call all the boys by their surnames? Yeah, you do a bit of that.

I remember one of them. I was about to say his name. I won't say it. I did see him out once when I was like nine, ten. He had like a bald head. I like rubbed his head because I was like out of school. That was half cut. Then I was like, are you like 44?

What are you doing here? But I remember once he was like, because I didn't do any extracurricular stuff at school. Like I did zero things. Which, you know, I kind of encouraged that you should. Like find a thing that you like. But I did nothing. I'm like bare minimum.

They don't even remember you there. No one would remember me. No, you just grey-manned it all through school. Your best mate was school captain or whatever and you just grey-manned it. I just grey-manned it, mate. Just lay low. But we will suggest things. Sorry, I'm kind of off track, but I remember once he kind of gave me like he tried to give me

like a talking to because it was because I'd skipped so much school that I had to come back and do extra school. And he wasn't my teacher, but he was like, you know, you should do like why don't you like sign up and do extra stuff? You know, you could be here and you could be doing extra stuff. And I'm like, but I'm just not. Like, I'm just not going to. He's like, what do you mean?

I'm like, I'm just not. Like, I don't want to be here. I'm not going to do extra stuff. I can't. Like, I'm not being rude. I'm just no. Like, no, I'm not. Anyway, fuck that guy.

Oh, God. Well, this is a really great start to what is ostensibly a show about us talking about things. We're supposed to be positive. Our spin was going to be positive. But like if you like band or music or sport or like drama or like any of that shit. But this is stuff like you should do tours for new parents. I'm like, no, I shouldn't.

Why the fuck would I do that? You don't want me doing that either. I really do. You can't do any of those other things like, no, I shouldn't. Why the fuck would I do that? You don't want me doing that either. I really do. You can't do any of those other things anyway. No, I don't. No. So what are you talking about? He was probably trying to inspire you to get into drama.

This is the indoor basketball court that like only six people in the school are allowed to use because if you don't play on the team, you can't use it. It's probably worth like $60,000, but nobody use it. This is the four computers that we have from like 1988. Anyway, whatever. Go on. Okay. All right.

My turn first. Excellent. Cool. Okay. Well, my first recommendation is a documentary. I love documentaries. The wonderful comedian Amy Schumer. Oh, yeah.

I did see a bit of this. Yeah. So, so, so good. So good. And surprising yeah, I did see a bit of this. Yeah, so, so, so good. So good? And surprising because I'm not always a fan of her comedy. Some of her comedy specials I haven't been as much of a fan of. I really enjoyed I Feel Pretty, her film that she made. I liked I Feel Pretty.

I watched that. Yeah, it got some backlash, but I really enjoyed it. It's exactly what it's supposed to be. Yeah, exactly. And I enjoyed it for It's exactly what it's supposed to be. Yeah, exactly. And I enjoyed it for what it was. But she recently, well, not recently, maybe last, you know, 2018 maybe? No, maybe last year. I don't know.

A while ago. A period of time. A period of time ago. She released a comedy special called Growing when she was pregnant. And I think it was 2018. And I really enjoyed it just watching it as a comedy special and then you know moved on hadn't really thought much else about it and then this came out Expecting Amy and I was blown away because it's it's really the lead up to her creating that comedy special on Netflix

while also being pregnant and it's very very candid and really raw So it starts off with her filming just a small portion of herself when she's a little bit nauseous and has just found out that she's pregnant. And then it goes basically for the whole nine months, there's three episodes. And it also documents her marriage to her husband, who actually is autistic. And they also explore that. Yeah, and he's an amazing chef in Hollywood. Yeah, right. In New York, sorry, and, you know, really, really famous, had this amazing restaurant in Martha's Vineyard and had never really recognised in himself that he was autistic

and his family had never really explored it. Why is that though? He had a really difficult kind of home life. His mum was really sick. He lives kind of routed in the woods. And so I think he had quite an unusual childhood. Right. And nobody kind of noticed? Well, I think they just thought that was him. Like all these sort of quirks were just him. And I think that's probably quite a common story, particularly maybe a generation ago.

Anyway, so once they get together, she starts looking at his sort of mannerisms, the things that she loves about him turn out to be things that she considers possibly might mean he's on the autistic spectrum. And so he then goes to see a psychologist and then is diagnosed. And he said, it's so empowering. It really helps him understand himself. What kind of things does he do to, I know this isn't about him. I'm just curious. Like what are the things that he does to adjust? Yeah, this is a bit of a side. Well, no, the doco does address this too. Like what are the things that he does to adjust? Yeah, this is a bit of a side. Well, no, the doco does address this too.

It's not even really that he does things to adjust. It's just that who he. Having that awareness? Yeah, I think it's understanding that he needs to express his emotions and he has real difficulty doing that. Sure. Also that he has zero filter. So he'll just do things and have absolutely no kind of qualms about telling someone exactly what he thinks.

Yeah, that's not uncommon. Yeah, exactly. So if Amy comes out in an outfit, he's just like, no, that looks bad. You know, and so she really believes it when he says you look beautiful, you know, that kind of stuff. You know, what's really fascinating too is his love of food and cooking and I think is that sometimes autistic people do have a tendency to have one particular area of interest that just, they just go down the rabbit hole and

that drives them. And it clearly for him is cooking and food and produce. And so she's always, she's really pregnant. And she actually, part of what I loved about this documentary was that she, not that I love that she suffered from this condition. I loved it. No, but I think it's really important. She kind of opened up a whole window into what it's like for women who have hyperemesis, which is a condition marked by severe prolonged nausea that lasts well beyond the first trimester of pregnancy. And in Amy's case led to several hospitalizations for dehydration. How many IVs did you say she had? She had over a hundred IVs did you say she had? She had over 100 IVs.

Over the course of the... Yeah. And you just, a lot of the documentary, and it sounds brutal and real it is, is just watching her throwing up in all different situations. Or finishing throwing up. Yeah, or finishing throwing up or about to be throwing up. And she's doing this at the same time as doing 60 live shows to prepare for her Netflix comedy special.

And so you watch her catching the tube in New York City to go to a stand-up comedy night. I believe it's called the something else. I can't think of the name. Oh, not the... The New York Underground, I believe. The Underground, is it? Yeah, it must be.

Sorry. Anyway, you know, the same thing, the train. And you watch her throwing up side stage before she gets on and there's some magic she talks about that happens as she gets on stage where it all vanishes. Oh, the stage health. Yeah, yeah, stage health. And then immediately as she gets off stage she just, you know,

will throw up again. Princess. You've heard of stage health. I have, yeah, totally. Like an adrenaline thing maybe? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. You see it actually in that documentary about who played played princess who played who framed roger rabbit brain doesn't work anymore it was

judge doom princess leia princess leia who who played princess leia please don't be annoying just tell me because i can't remember and it's driving me crazy i should know this my brain has missing a few. The actor? Yes. Oh, God. It's so freaking annoying. Anyway. They've recast her for a lot of animated stuff.

Debbie Reynolds is her mother. Traditionally, it's Carrie Fisher. Oh, God. Okay. Anyway. Carrie Fisher. In the documentary about Carrie Fisher's life, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, features in it. God knows why I remember Debbie Reynolds over Carrie Fisher.

She's a famous person. And she is. And she's great in Singing in the Rain. By the by, she has that same thing where in her latter years she's obviously suffering from a lot of conditions, I think even arthritis and a few issues with her feet. That's tough in your latter years. Anyway, but when she gets on stage it all vanishes.

Yes. Okay, anyway, back to the Amy Schumer documentary. Yes, yes, yes, yes. It's just so brutal, this condition, and what she kind of explores in the show is just how brutal pregnancy can be. And what I really loved about it was that it made me feel seen, not that I experienced anywhere near as a terrible pregnancy as that. I didn't suffer from that kind of illness.

But you had three months probably of – Yeah, I mean I didn't throw up all the time. And we know people who've had the whole thing or close to as well. Hospitalisation and – yeah, I mean Princess Kate had it too. Yeah. Kate Middleton. What's kind of strange about it too is just how little has really been explored about the disease

and there's really not a lot of research to show what actually can fix it or cure it. And in the past, this is just typical of the medical profession, it was seen as something that women did to try and get attention and so women were just ignored because they thought, well, if we ignore you, you're more likely to then, you know, realise this kind of behaviour is not going to get you any attention so, you know, you'll be right.

And, you know, one in three pregnancies of women who have this particular condition may not make it. So it's really. One in what? One in three. That's quite a lot. It's a lot. Yeah, it's a lot.

Well, it's severe. I didn't realise it was like, I guess if, I mean, dehydration is like. Yeah, and it's particularly violent on your body. So anyway, there's a really great review of this documentary called The Radical Exposure of Amy Schumer by Sophie Gilbert in The Atlantic and she says a few things in there that made me stop and pause. At the beginning, Amy Schumer says, I don't resent being pregnant.

This is in her first episode. But I resent everyone who hasn't been honest. Yeah. And that, I think, in a nutshell, is how I felt about pregnancy and also childbirth. We just don't talk enough about how brutal it is for women. And there's this kind of veil of romanticism, I think, which can be true for some women. They just go through it and it's wonderful. But for a lot of us, we're great big lumbering oafs

stumbling around vomiting in buckets for nine months. And then, you know, it's brutal. From what I saw of it, it was, yeah, it was. And she talks about how, again, from the limited bit, I saw it. I should watch the whole thing, but I kind of caught it in the middle. And that's tricky, isn't it? Yeah. But what did she say? I completely lost my train of thought. I was talking about how she resents everyone.

The wealth, because she's like, I'm doing this as well as a person can do, you know, because she's got money, obviously. But even then it was like, she's's like I don't even know how someone who doesn't have these resources could do it. Could go through this. Yes, I think the line is she's in her bathroom, she's just thrown up again and she just said, what are these bitches doing who are out there doing it

without the resources that I have? And you absolutely feel that and I think that's part of the realisation of pregnancy when you go through it, particularly if you have a difficult pregnancy or even if you have difficulty conceiving. Well, that's the other thing, isn't it? It's like stepping through this window. Did she talk about, maybe I'm thinking of something else, how she shouldn't, like I shouldn't really complain because a lot

of people can't get pregnant at all. It would be like, oh, I'm pregnant, oh, this is terrible. Yeah, totally, exactly. But everyone's problems are relative. They totally are. But I do think it really does shed a light on the difficulties that women experience, particularly through the process of having babies and how it's not as straightforward as we might think it is, or as easy. And then it also kind of gives you a real insight into what it's like for women or what

it has been like for women historically who've been giving birth in all kinds of different situations. So yeah, it does give you a lot of empathy for womanhood in general, but I would really recommend it. I don't know if we've sold it, but it's, it is a really great. I think it is too. Yeah. And pregnancy is not always like what, how, you know, she, that illness is not that common really. I mean, nausea and pregnancy is not always like what how, you know, that illness is not that common really. I mean, nausea and pregnancy is obviously very common. So it's not like if you're pregnant you're going to experience what she's experiencing in the documentary. A lot of people are fine also, yeah.

Yeah, but it's really important I think to shed a light on what it's like and also to shed a light on someone who is at the peak, the pinnacle of their career creatively and artistically and is doing all of that in spite of what she's going through personally. Yeah. And I think that's really inspiring for women to see that despite everything that she's going through, she is still a performer and her Netflix special I think

is her best work, the one that I watched. Okay, cool. Yeah. Were you just watching that before we came in here? Yeah, I was. I do think it's the best one. Yeah, come on. There's a really funny scene where when she's in hospital

for like the 50th time or something, her husband and her sister go to do like a pottery workshop in the hospital while they're like, while she's having a procedure done or something. And he paints her portrait on a porcelain, like, plate and brings it to her in the hospital and she shows you on the screen this picture in the special and it's just, oh, God, it's so unflattering. It's just so horrible and you could just, no, it's not even that horrible.

She just looks, she kind of looks like a wrestler or something. Like anyway, but he was so unashamedly just like, this is how I see you. Do you like it? And it's just glorious the sort of story she tells around it and that moment in the special. Is she going to have any more kids? Yeah, I think she's going through IVF currently.

Oh, wow. actually at the moment because after it was all said and done, she had a cesarean, which they also show, and then she had a complication with her uterus and had a three-hour surgery. So I don't know, but I'm assuming that the IVF is because of the complication with her uterus or something when, you know, after the Caesar. Yeah, right. Yeah. So anyway, pregnancy.

Go on. Recommend it. Go do it. That's what you're saying. And that's on HBO Max if you can access that. 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. All right. Well, guess what I'm going to say. I don't know. This is a show you've seen. You caught a little bit. This is what's called Search Party. It's currently on Stan in Australia. I don't know. I think all three series, but there's going to be a fourth season. a little bit as well. It's called Search Party. It's currently on Stan in Australia.

I don't know. I think all three series, but there's going to be a fourth season. It was created by Michael Showalter, Sarah Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers. It stars Aaliyah Shawkat, who you might know from Rest of Development, John Paul Reynolds, John Early, Meredith Hagner. They're this group of four friends and they all get embroiled, one of them in particular, about a former college acquaintance who disappears.

And so it's called Search Party because they're trying to untangle the mystery of this event and what happened to her and there's all these different clues and it involves like cults and meeting people and people following them in the street and all these different things that are going on, right? So it's like a mystery, right? It's a mystery, potentially even a murder mystery. And it's got some twists and turns along the way and I'm thinking, how is this going to kind of, how is this going to play out

over three seasons? You know what I mean? They seem to be coming close to finding some kind of resolution. And then there's really kind of interesting twists and turns along the way that it keeps evolving into this kind of different kind of show and it takes the characters into really unexpected places. Like it starts off as this fun kind of like hipster kind of,

like a mocking kind of their culture and, you know, being like a New York kind of artist and all this kind of stuff. And a lot of that stuff stays but then it just kind of broadens out to this huge life or death and very deadly serious consequences for all these things that are happening. Yeah, I watched that episode when it changed and I did that thing where I get mad at you where I'm like, why do you watch it? Yeah, and I'm like, you came in.

I was watching it. There's nothing to do with you. You said it was a comedy five minutes ago. It is a comedy. It's fucking hilarious. That's the other thing. It's nothing to do with you. You said it was a comedy five minutes ago. It is a comedy. It's fucking hilarious. That's the other thing. It's really funny. They're all really funny.

There's two characters in particular played by John Early and Meredith Hagner. One of them is kind of this socialite and he's got this boyfriend that he keeps kind of stringing along and he's super vain and like a massive liar and like his world kind of crumbles and he's trying to rebuild it he's sort of got this this kind of media career that he's trying to kick off and all these other things and she's an actor who's in and out of work and she's a bit of an airhead whatever but they're also quite they're they're they're quite dim everybody in

this but weirdly astute it's like a it's like a really interesting blend it's like you know they're good at some things and not another thing i guess it's like anybody but's like a really interesting blend. It's like, you know, they're good at some things and not at other things. I guess it's like anybody, but they're just really interesting and fleshed out characters. They're kind of the dumbest and worst people in the world, but also not. It's very, it's like a heightened reality, but it feels very grounded and very, very real at the same time in terms of the, like the characters, they feel real, which are, and even though they're mostly awful, I'm like, I'd hang out with these people. They're kind of fun. There's a little lunacy going on here.

But I love it. It's great. It's three seasons. There's going to be one more. I'm glad I got to see them all at once, like all three seasons. It was really great. It was just one of those things where I'm like, what am I going to watch? I'll give this a go or whatever.

No, it was great. It's like an unexpected gift when that happens. Oh, totally, yeah. You know you hear about shows as well, like, oh, you'd love this like an unexpected gift when that happens. Oh, totally, yeah. Yeah. You know you hear about shows as well like, oh, you'd love this or whatever and you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I know. There's this weird phenomenon where when someone recommends me something,

which I'm sure happens on this show, I immediately am like, oh. Blah, blah. Yeah, don't want to listen to that. I've still never watched The Wire. Everyone's like, you've got to watch The Wire. I know, I have to watch The Wire. Or The Sopranos. I've never watched The Sopranos. I've seen bits of, but I'd say I might need to. to watch The Wire. Or The Sopranos. I've never watched The Sopranos.

I've seen bits of but same, I need to. But I know the ending of The Sopranos so like there's actually going to be a Sopranos prequel. Well, we should get onto The Sopranos. I should. I really should. Yeah. It's also a massive commitment to embark on a show like that

when there's so many seasons. Yeah. Because I am like this with everything in life including chocolate and television shows and books. I'm like this with everything in life, including chocolate and television shows and books. I'm like this with books as well. If I start it and I love it, I just voraciously rush through it. Yes. And I'm really bad at pacing myself.

I can't just put two bits of chocolate on my plate and be like, hmm, my nightly dark chocolate of two squares. I'm going to eat the whole bloody block. Yeah, or I just put it away and I don't have it. That's like what I'm doing at the moment. I've got a few extra pregnancy pounds and I want to premise this by saying I no way. I actually made this clay model of what you, I believe, you look like. Oh, God.

I am all for embracing our bodies at all different sizes, whoever you are, wherever you are. And embracing others' bodies. Yes, everyone's bodies. Mm-mm, whoever you are, wherever you are. And embracing others' bodies. Yes, everyone's bodies. Mm-mm, chef's kiss. However, for me, as someone who likes to run and be really active, I do still look quite pregnant and it's really bothering me and so I am embarking on this like high protein, lots of vegetables,

low carb thing. I've done one day of it and I'm so angry. Yeah, it's no good. I'm real angry about it. And look, I'm full. I kind of didn't want to finish that weird protein shake I had. You're full but you're not happy. No, I'm so bloody miserable. Turns out my happiness really spins mostly around carbohydrates.

As we talked about, I think you're going to get to a certain point and then you'll be fine. You'll be like, this is good, and then you don't have to like – Yeah, because I'm actually – You can kind of balance out. Yeah, eating a balanced diet and kind of maintaining my weight. But the problem with this sort of little bit of pregnancy weight happening is that it's – I don't think – I'm not at the stage

where it's just going to shift on its own. Yeah, but also it's, I don't think, I'm not at the stage where it's just going to shift on its own. I think. But also it's been like three months. So it's kind of like, you know, maybe cut yourself some slack. I know, but it's like carrying around an extra bag of oranges. So it's more like a, I want to be able to feel better, like move better. I mean, I couldn't care what you think of me.

No, I'm joking. What? No, I do. But it's really good though because you're already so much stronger and you're running again, which is really great. Yeah, and I love running. And that's actually one of the biggest things. You want to feel fit and strong in your body.

Well, I do. And at the moment carrying this extra weight is like I feel like I'm sort of awkwardly carrying around two bags of oranges that I can't quite carry properly and trying to run at the same time. It was a Jenny Craig ad. I'm sure they did it overseas as well. But like in Australia with Dipper, you know, the former footballer, he's like, it was like carrying this many oranges.

And he held like two big bags of oranges. I'm like, that's quite a lot of oranges. Yeah, well, you really do notice it. I pour little legs because I always have little legs. I know when I'm putting on weight because when I run, my thighs like shave together. Well, your little chicken legs. Yeah, I know and I'm like, what the fuck is this?

I'm like, must be just working out too much. My legs must be. It's never that though. It never is. So when my legs aren't touching, they're just whoosh, whoosh. I'm good. You know you've really done the proteins well. All right.

Okay. Well, so that's what I'm doing at the moment. I don't know why we got onto that. Hey, man, you should keep us updated. See how you're going. Yeah, check on in. Yeah, why not? But I don't want to do it in a way that's like I'm losing five kilos.

No, just be like – you don't have to do specifics or put photos up or anything like that, but just like this was a good week or I'm used to it or I hated this week or I slipped up or whatever. We'll do a check-in every week. Yeah, why not? You can check in every week. I'll make this a check-in. That would be a really good way of being accountable.

That's right. You have to do it then. I know. Yeah. All right, day one is down. Day one. There's so many days left. How many days are you doing this for?

I don't know until I'm happy. Wow. So the day you die then. Your turn. What's next? No one's ever happy. Why would you be happy on the day I die? Because it's over.

That's you in a nutshell. Happy that it's all over. You're like, thank God that's done. It's like jumping onto that flag at the end of a Mario level. Oh, thank fuck. Though what I think is really hilarious about that is that it's quite possible that you're just going to land on like a lovely, positive, sunshiny plane of existence.

I don't think so. Where you'll be there forever. What do you think happens when we die? Do we really want to do this now? Sure, why not? It's 26 minutes. This episode is really rambled. Okay, okay.

I can't answer the meaning of life in 26 minutes. You don't need 26 minutes. You know what I think happens? What? I think we become one with the universe. Fuck that. I don't need any of that shit. That's what I believe.

I don't want to get absorbed into some dumb consciousness and then I'm part of like some bigger understanding of the universe. I want that to exist and I can sit next to it and just be like, boo, boo. It's just like me in high school again. You know, you should really join the consciousness. Fuck off. I don't want to join the consciousness. What are you going to do for eternity then, just sit and make fun of people?

The consciousness. The consciousness. The consciousness of going to do for eternity then? Just sit and make fun of people? The consciousness. The consciousness. The consciousness of humanity. Oh, God. You know, Einstein's in here. I don't give a fuck. Turn the fuck off. I was going to say fuck off and die, but he's already dead.

He's already in the consciousness. Maybe we get reincarnated. Yeah, you know, I'm okay with that. That'd be rad. Yeah. I hope you get reincarnated as a frog. Yeah, you know what? I'm okay with that. That'd be rad. Yeah. I hope you get reincarnated as a frog. Yeah, cool. That just like red-ups around making fun of people in your head.

All right. I don't know why I said that. It's kind of my life now anyway. Yeah, well, yeah, exactly. You look like a frog in pants. It's making fun of my skinny little legs and buttocks. Yeah, except when you put weight on, your poor little froggy legs are swooshing together. Anyway, okay, my next recommendation, we're really running out of time.

We're running over time. I hope you guys are doing all right out there. We're going mad. We've got two weeks to go before they're going to announce more lockdown. More lockdown. So we're really losing it. I just want to see Tannen. Just let me say it.

Not your mates, not your friends. I don't have any friends anymore. You know that. Yeah, that's accurate. Just you've made fun of them all too much. I've got our son. I've got you. Baby doesn't do much at the moment.

She will smile at you occasionally. Yeah, she's great. All right, what's next? She's the best. All right, so I have a couple of little sneaky things. Someone emailed in to say thank you very much for the recommendation last week of Jack Hartman for their kids. Oh, cool, yeah.

Yeah, and because I really do think that if you've got kids under five at the moment and you're in a lockdown situation, mate, I feel you. You poor thing. It's full on. It's a lot. They should let them have one, mate. I feel you, you poor thing. It's full on. It's a lot. It's a lot. They should let them have one mate. I know.

Exactly. Kids that age especially. I mean kids at any age when they can't go to school and they're at home but I think if they're a bit older they're a bit more independent whereas at that point. They can do chats on the internet and stuff. Yeah, they can talk to their friends on the phone. And even that's not ideal because we've got like nephews who are older

who aren't loving it. No, it's hard at any age. But for parents, I think, I'm just saying, if you've got kids under five, mate, solidarity to you. So I thought I'll do a couple. He's doing pretty well, our little guy. But, yeah, I do feel bad. You catch glimpses of like.

Oh, he took a birthday invite from January off the fridge and was like, remember this party? Yeah, it was a good one. Yeah, mate. That's the first person he wants, remember this party? Yeah, it was a good one. And I was like, yeah, mate. That's the first person he wants to see. I know. He's like you. He only has a couple of people he really likes.

He's got a lot of friends. Yeah, he's got a lot of friends. But, like, he will, like, take or leave most of them. Just like you. Well, my parents are like that. I'd be like, hey, this is whoever. And they're like, who the fuck is this? Like, I've known this guy since I was, like, whoever. And they're like, who the fuck is this?

Like I've known this guy since I was like six. And they're like, what? You've never mentioned him ever. I'm like, you don't know Paul? You don't know Paul? I've known him for like 18 years. What are you talking about? Go into James' Instagram and you'll find out all about his friend Paul.

Oh, yeah. That's right. Anyway, so here's my recommendation for some struggling parents out there. Two things. One is a thing called Storyline Online that I may have talked about before on this show. It is excellent. It is just a treasure trove of celebrities reading amazing picture books in videos so that you feel and you don't have to read the book yourself.

Also, you can buy the books online through the website. I know. Amazing. Oprah, you know my lovely pal Oprah that I love, reads Hula Hopin' Queen by Thelma Godden. There's just so many. And they've got a whole series actually inspired by Black Lives Matter too. Oh, cool.

Okay. Which is just really excellent. But there's just all my favourite books are on there. And it's great for parents. It's good if you need just like a few minutes of peace, but you don't want to feel like your kids are just sitting in front of mindless cartoons. Yeah, storyline and line, excellent, chef's kiss.

And the other thing I wanted to recommend is a wonderful author and illustrator called Pamela Allen. Do you remember Pamela Allen? I know Pamela. What has she done? What has she worked on? I know her. Yeah, so she's done Who Sank the Boat?

Classic. Oh, yeah, that one. With the boat and the cow. The duck one and the duck. Kids love it. Her illustrations are gorgeous. Another one, Birdie and the Bear is really good and she does the Mr McGee series.

Oh, yeah, he's always up to date. Yeah, they're just great. She's got so many great books. She's actually from New Zealand and she's an award-winning author and illustrator. She's shortlisted for many awards and including the prestigious Margaret Mahy Medal in 2004. And you would just love her stories.

Kids, young and old, love them. Parents love them. And the illustrations are glorious. Illustrations are dope. Yeah, they are. One last quick thing too. The author Julia Donaldson is incredible and we've talked before about all her short films that are based on her books including Room in a Broom, The Gruffalo,

The Gruffalo's Child, Zog, all excellent. All the animations are brilliant. Stickman, fantastic. If you Google Axel Scheffler who is the illustrator of those books, a really great thing to do with kids is to show them because he has a whole lot of videos on YouTube and also at the Gruffalo World website where you can watch in sort of a sped up time him illustrating a picture.

Yes. And the beauty about watching him do it particularly is that he draws in grey lead, then he goes over it in like a black texture and then he paints. And it's just a really simple sequence but our little guy loves it. He loves watching the video come to life. There's a particular one where you watch him actually paint on the walls of a library which is really cool.

So we actually put paper on the wall and did that. But even just as an adult, watching him create a picture and seeing how he does all the shading and everything, often I think they talk about how kids sort of stagnate with their art at a certain point. And I'm still there where I often just draw like stick figures and things like that because that's where I started at. And so actually watching someone with so much skill do it, even little kids drawings, if they do them in grey lead first, go over them in black texture and colour them in, look so much better.

Yeah, totally. Don't they just pop? Yeah. And yeah, I'd recommend that. Drawing. Drawing. Yeah, no, he is. He's doing a lot more drawing.

I was going to recommend a couple of things but I'll just save them for next week and that's okay. Oh, yeah, it's 33 minutes. We're going to wrap up the show. People love reviewing the show, don't they, Claire? Correct. You can actually do it in an app. What?

This is from Jages84. It says, let Claire sing with SingStar on the PlayStation. Then she'll have to like video games. So a big fan of your singing from last week. I know you're a bit reluctant. It was terrible. At the time I thought I was being funny. You know you're a bit reluctant. You were like. It was terrible. At the time I thought I was being funny. You kept umming and ahhing.

You're like, should I release this? Oh, my God, I'm so embarrassed. Well, it was mainly we had no choice because I didn't want to record another episode. We didn't. We had to do it. I know. Sometimes I get carried away with my own self.

The problem is, Claire, you're too funny. You've got too many good ideas. That's my problem. That is your problem, yeah. My computer, by, Claire, you're too funny. You've got too many good ideas. That's my problem. That is your problem, yeah. My computer, by the way, just died. Again? And I cannot get it to operate. So this is going to be fun.

Oh, no. I don't know. Didn't you take it to the computer on man? I did, but it needs a new battery. Yeah, but why does it have a new battery? Because I need a new power cord and it hasn't come in yet. But then the store's closed and it needs a new battery. Because I need a new power cord and it hasn't come in yet. But then the store's closed and it needs a new battery so I fixed the internal.

It doesn't matter. I'm waiting on some parts. I do. Okay. But where are the parts coming from? From wherever. They would have been here like four weeks ago but the store's closed. Oh, and you can't get onto it.

I can't get it, yeah. Oh. Anyway, it's neither here nor there. It just means I might not have any videos for a long time because all of my videos are on this computer. Anything else? Other than you look like you're about to cry. It'll be all right.

It's okay. You'll be fine. I have an email. I love emails. I know. We get so many emails. I really appreciate it. At suggestiblepod.gmail.com if you want to recommend something,

we would love you to. We always love recommendations. We always do. This is from Freddie Baker. Hello, Freddie. Hello, Fred Wood Baker. Hey, Clary James. Love your podcast.

My recommendation is the British podcast For Goodness Sake. It's a good news podcast that covers news that might brighten your day in a time when everything seems so down. So true. The latest episode is an interview with an Australian pastor in South Africa talking about different gangs coming together to help people during the COVID pandemic. I thought pastor was from Italy.

God. That's where we're at now. Dear God. What kind of world are we living in? Pastor is actually also a great song by Angie McMahon that I recommended a little couple of episodes ago. Actually, they borrowed it from the Chinese. It was like Chinese girls.

Oh, my God. All right. Okay. I'm ignoring you. While the hosts are relatively new to the podcast scene, remembering, after James spoke, this is, for goodness sake, the British podcast, it's uplifting, informative, perfect for the current climate. Your podcasts have meant so much to me over the last few months

as they have helped me cope with lockdown more than anything else. I wish you all the best for both of you and Mason too, I guess. I don't know how to end an email, Freddie. Perfect. You've ended it perfectly, Freddie. That was a great way to end the email, Freddie. Thank you so much for writing in. And a top notch recommendation, if you don't mind me saying so.

Top notch. A notch of tops. That's right. All right. That's it for the week. We've been Suggestible Pod. We've been Suggestible Pod. James' computer's died.

We may not be back next week. Now I've got to play that Marvel game because I've got nothing else to do tonight. Oh, my God. He's like, your life is a series of hard things. Oh, my God. I've got no time for anything except to play a video game. It's the no time for anything frog.

That's right. All right, next week. Frog man. This again, right, Claire? I guess so, Jimmy Jam. Great. All right. This's the only nickname, Frogman. Next week, this again, right, Claire? I guess so, Jimmy Jam. Great. All right. This has been fun, though.

Thank you, everybody, for listening. Goodbye. Hey, just before you go, what do you have to say to listeners out there who are doing it tough in lockdown? Get over it. Get over it. No. Hey, hang in there, man.

Yeah. It's going to be all right eventually. Yeah, everything's going to be all right. And also, peaks and troughs, you know, that's life. Ride. Yeah. It's going to be all right eventually. Yeah, everything's going to be all right. And also peaks and troughs, you know, that's life. Ride the waves. It's up and down. Ride them. I mean, eventually it's down for good and you die

and you're absorbed by a greater consciousness. Yeah, but according to you, it's not down. That's an up moment. That's true. Because it's finally over. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, good point. Dear God.

Dear God. All right. Till next time. Get this fucking computer away. I'm not a tech guy. No, he's not really. Okay. Bye.

Bye. This podcast is part of the Planet Broadcasting Network. Visit planetbroadcasting.com for more podcasts from our great mates. I mean, if you want. It's up to you. You can get anything you need with Uber Eats. I mean, if you want. It's up to you.