No, it’s not a mirage. Oli and Arthur are back in your ears and less able to follow their own trails of thought than ever!

In this episode, we discuss environmental issues, political turmoil, inter-generational conflict, mental health, and eggs. Obviously.

Want to hear more? Then listen. It’s a podcast, duh.

We live in a world where consumerism is everywhere, and there’s always something new and better to buy.

But we also live in a world where a lot (like, a really gross amount) of people can barely afford to get by. And plenty can’t even afford that.

Weirdly – except not weirdly at all, but more on that later – there is also a great big taboo around talking about money. If you’re having money troubles, you keep quiet about your shameful secret.

Here’s the thing: DON’T DO THAT.

Money is difficult to handle.

Not everyone is good with budgeting. You should be able to ask for help creating or managing a budget without feeling ashamed.

You should also be able to talk about your budget openly, and say “I can’t afford it” without shame.

Keeping up appearances is a bunch of bollocks. Living beyond your means to make people think you’re more financially successful is stupid.

If you have a different reason for doing it, or it’s for safety or security somehow, I get that. The problem here isn’t you, it’s the situation or society that makes you think you have to appear financially secure or successful.

Don’t live beyond your means to keep up appearances.

It’s okay to get your bread one slice at a time

Talk about money at work because you know your worth and you need to be able to ask for it.

People who don’t know the average wage for their job don’t know if they’re on it. It’s in the interests of the people who have all the money to keep what they’re paying people a secret.

They don’t want you to talk about money. They don’t want you to stop yourself from buying things you can’t afford.

I’m trying not to sound like too much of a conspiracy theory hippy, but fuck it. The Man wants to pay you nothing and encourage you to spend more and more.

“I can’t afford it” is not a shameful statement. Not to you, it’s shameful to capitalism and consumerism. Anyone who shamed you for not having money doesn’t understand the value of money

Be the change

Don’t shame other people for not having money. Even something as simple as “don’t be so boring” is disrespectful. It just is, sorry to be the one to tell you but if you’re calling me boring because I have no money, you’re the problem.

Understand that your friends can’t afford to go to dinner. Cook at home, together.

They can’t afford the gym? Go do yoga or boxercise in their bedroom.

No cinema trip? Netflix and don’t make it weird. You can make your own popcorn.

Or go do it by yourself, and leave them in peace.

Think about this clearly for a minute.

Obviously, we’re all busy. Some of us have incredibly successful blog/podcast brands to run. Some of us have to set aside time to lie to people about the success of their blog/podcast brand.

Others are, apparently, grown-ups who have proper jobs and responsibilities. HMU I have questions for you.

Everyone has a lot going on, and more stuff popping up every day. But at the same time, we’re all just one person. We’ve got one brain, one body, and no magical powers (sorry, Potterheads)

I’m not saying you can only do one thing at a time. But the culture of being constantly productive, spinning multiple plates and having countless projects on the go is not only pointless, it’s dangerous.

The emphasis shouldn’t be on getting the most done. Put your own emphasis on getting the best done.

Whole-ass one thing.

If you’re spreading yourself too thin, you’ll overstretch sooner than you think. You’ll wear yourself out, get over stressed, and start resenting what you’re doing in the first place.

Not to mention, your work will suffer. Whoever you are, balls will be dropped and details will be missed.

The most important thing – and I know what you people are like, so don’t even try me here – is to not feel guilty about being focussed.

We are constantly bombarded by events, activities, and things people need from us.

All that on top of what we need to be doing for ourselves.

One of the hardest things we have to teach ourselves is how to prioritise correctly. What is most urgent, who needs my help more, how long will this take me? It’s difficult to do, but it will be so much better for everyone than a fragmented, delayed approach.

And if anybody complains, ask them how many other things they need to be doing with their time.

Then just ignore them and keep on doing you. You are a rock, you are an island, you are the picture of focus.

You’re probably also hungry, go have some lunch.

These people are wrong. Perhaps they are well-meaning (oh dear), or perhaps they have not really dealt with significant hardship (double dear), but the fact remains that they are wrong.

You aren’t strong because you suffer, you are strong and you suffer.

Now, and I’m simplifying drastically here, I’ve found that most hardships fall into 3 categories. To mis-quote an old white man; some are born with hardship, some achieve hardship, and some have hardship thrust upon them.

People are born into difficult circumstances, or with an illness, say. Some fall into difficult circumstance or fall ill. Some are taken advantage of, displaced, abused or face some other thrusting of pain upon them.

The idea that you have to overcome hardship to become a better person is fatally flawed. It’s an excuse for the privileged to be bad people, and a way for them to keep the underprivileged in their place.

“Oh, you’re suffering? You have to overcome that yourself. If you’re given help, you won’t learn. I earned my success.”

Two people can be equally strong, but if one is bogged down by circumstance, and the other is not, which do you think will succeed faster?

Okay, sure, your suffering and your hardships make you who you are. If you grow up in poverty and it inspires you to use your strength to push yourself towards success or devote your life to helping others, fantastic.

But that doesn’t mean you should be grateful that you were born poor.

“Thank goodness I was abused, now I can be a good person.”
“I am a good person, and I have been abused.”
Which one of these makes more sense to you?

Being grateful for your hardship makes you placid. It tells others that you not only accept it, but welcome it.

Anybody who says you should be grateful is undermining the struggle you’ve been through and the things you’ve achieved.

Instead, look at your situation and get angry. Look at what has brought this hardship upon you and make it your mission to get rid of that thing.

Or, just survive. Sometimes that’s all you can manage, and that’s okay. Sometimes that’s more than you can manage, and that’s okay, too.

A young woman was travelling home from work. As she stood on the crowded tube carriage, she realised she would have to move slightly to let other passengers off.

So she did. Everyone by the doors shuffled into what little space they could find to clear a path, and there was a silent understanding that any jostling was unintentional but necessary.

As the doors closed and the passengers settled back into passably-comfortable positions, the woman looked up.

The man in front of her was staring directly into her eyes.

“Sorry for getting in your personal space,” he said. She smiled and assured him it was fine, not to worry, and then she looked back down to her knock-off Candy Crush game.

For the next few stations, a pattern emerged. She would feel someone looking at her, look up, and be faced with the same man, his same expression, and the same apology about personal space. She smiled, more and more uncomfortably, and tried to laugh it off each time. He continued to stare.

Sometimes, she would move to a new spot in the carriage, as space opened around her. He followed every time. He stared. He apologised for being in her personal space.

Eventually, she started ignoring her instinct to look up even though she could still feel him watching her. She played her game more intently. She looked out the window and waited for her stop, speeding off the platform as soon as the doors were half-open.

She didn’t look back. She barely looked up as she walked.

Not scary enough to give you nightmares? Fine: there was also a haunted doll, or something that creaked.

But what about if something like that happens to you practically every few days? It may not be a horror movie in the making, but it’s enough to send chills down your spine. Sometimes it’s worse than this story, sometimes it’s not as intrusive, but it always affects you.

Especially if it’s something you’re constantly “haunted” by.

If you haven’t read this thread on Twitter, you really should.

A quick reminder for men: Common events for you can turn into really scary situations for women in a snap.

Case in point: This week I listed a clothes dryer on the Letgo app. Because it was a dryer, a neutral meeting location was impractical. I needed it taken out of my house.

— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) 7 October 2018

The tweet that resonated the most with me was this one:

So I do what women do, lower my eyes, pretend to laugh a little, start lifting faster. The comments and staring hey worse but I try to block them out. As soon as I am free of the basement I walk straight past him to my phone, wait 5 seconds, and say, “honey, the buyer is here!”

— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) 7 October, 2018

Lower your eyes, pretend to laugh a little, try and hurry the situation along. We do it without even thinking, just instinctively.

We do this because we’re afraid, but we don’t want the person (or people) to know. We don’t want them to see our fear, because that’s vulnerability and that’s what gets us in trouble.

It’s just like @tragedythyme says, common events and everyday situations can get real scary, real fast. And whatever the scale of the situation or fear, it still sucks.

So here’s what I’m asking for (ugh, women, always asking for stuff, right?):

Just be aware.

You could be the sweetest, most innocent person on the planet. But if you’re walking down a dark, empty street behind a lone woman, know that she might not realise you are that innocent. And if someone near you is being made uncomfortable or taken advantage of, and you do absolutely nothing, you aren’t as innocent as you thought.

That little bit of extra consideration makes all the difference sometimes. Cross the street, check on someone, even exchange a glance and a look of concern or a smile across a crowded carriage.

Oh, and never belittle a situation that has made someone uncomfortable. That’s rule 1 (which is why I put it right at the end).

It really is the little things that have the biggest impact.

I’m not going to analyse it, I just want you to think about what a ridiculous thing it is that this phrase even exists, let alone how legitimised it’s become.

Have you ever seen what happens when you tell a woman to calm down? Regardless of how agitated she may or may not have been in the first place, “calm down” is a surefire method to absolutely infuriate almost any woman with almost impressive efficiency.

“Calm your tits”, said to the wrong woman (not saying me, but me) might just end up on a form as your official Cause of Death. Side note: so happy we can moderate our blog comments at Anxious & Insecure.

So what we end up with is a whole society telling women they need to be calm at all times, and punishing them for being anything but.

These punishments can be small scale, like being labelled “hysterical” by a Man you’ve dared to offend (although beware the large-scale repercussions). Or they can be larger scale.

See: Serena Williams.

Here is someone who has risen to the top of her field and stayed there. Someone who has fought off prejudice, discrimination and life-threatening health problems, and shined as a role model, key figure in representation and hero to so many people the whole time. She is the epitome of a strong black woman, and faces (and overcomes) all the predictable ignorance and barriers to success that come with being a black woman in our society.

But the competition officials don’t like her outfit.

Never mind its importance to her health, or that literally nobody minded her wearing it. The compression catsuit is gone.

At least she wore the tutu calmly, so nobody could make too much of a fuss.

Then comes the final.

Here’s a question for you all: what’s the angriest you’ve ever seen a male tennis player? Actually here’s a better question: who’s the angriest male tennis player you’ve ever seen?

I’m not going to lie to you guys, this little gallery took me about an hour to collate. But mostly because I couldn’t decide which angry players, and which of their angry moments, to choose. I had a lot of options, a lot.

But god forbid a woman show frustration. It’s not her place to be upset, she must be gentle, humble and accepting. And she definitely mustn’t question the judgement of a Man when he takes away something she has earned.

This is not a problem restricted to sports players, although it flares up with them more than many people because they usually have a lot more adrenaline pumping when these problems occur.

As much as our society claims that women are no longer confined to the home, and now able to be big and strong and accomplish anything a man can do (I know, right?? People really think that’s true!), there are still things that just aren’t “acceptable behaviour” for a woman.

Because while we’re busy still fighting for our legally equal rights, they are making sure our social status and behavioural expectations remain the same. It’s a smokescreen.

Big change starts with small victories. When we as a society give up on the concepts of Ladylike, Girly, Gentlemanly and Manly, we will all actually be able to achieve equality that bit more quickly.

Let’s start simply: let women be angry.

Goodness knows, we have plenty to be angry about.

A lot has been going on for us the last few months, and our tiny team has got even tinier as we’ve had to say goodbye to Producer Extraordinaire Ollie Samuels.

Unfortunately, he was the only one of us with any talent or restraint, so bad luck to you guys who are stuck listening to unfiltered Oli and Arthur!

Don’t worry, though, we’re working on a lot of new and exciting things to show you all! Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the big reveal in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, tell us how much you miss us and give us the attention we crave on our social channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Welcome to Pride Month, except we have already warned you that we are taking 2 months and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

This year’s pride celebrations are particularly significant to me, because it’s the first year that I’ll be participating.

I never really considered myself “in the closet”, but I was never really Out either. When I was younger, I only really dated boys because that’s who was asking.

It was only a few years ago that I really started leaning into my sexuality and embracing it as a part of myself.

But that hasn’t been easy all the time. It’s easy to think of bisexuality as the Best of Both Worlds (is it too early for a Hannah Montana reference? Just kidding, it never is), but a lot of the time it feels like neither side really accepts you.

Are you a straight person trying to be more interesting or co-opt the LGBTQ+ movement? Are you a gay person trying to be more societally acceptable or too afraid to be out?

Will people ever stop assuming that you’re either of those things, or just lying in general? Shocking news: nope.

Even now I am uncomfortable writing this article, because part of me stills feels like a fraud in my own sexuality. How dare I date so many boys? How dare I not share my experiences with women to prove myself?

So Pride can be a bit of a minefield. I have nothing against everything being rainbow themed (I’ve suggested it as the new decor for the office but, weirdly, they haven’t got round to it yet) and I love the sense of community that comes with this season.

But a lot of experiences I’ve had in queer spaces, even in the short time I’ve been really visiting them, have been tinged with biphobia and borderline hostility.

When people don’t take your sexuality seriously, how are you supposed to feel comfortable inserting yourself into a celebration of that sexuality?

No, really, I’m seriously asking.

So this Pride, hug a bisexual. I’m joking. Don’t hug me, strangers.

But honestly, maybe you should make your Pride mission one of discovery. Talk a little bit more to people with sexualities different to yours, and find out their experiences. Find out if they’re concerned they don’t have a real place in Pride, and change their mind.

Then we can all parade together, towards the beautiful horizon of overthrowing heteronormativity.

However, we’re pleasantly surprised that Roseanne’s racist tweets had such a major negative impact on her career.

Meanwhile, in the UK, there appears to be some sort of Islamophobia in the Conservative party? That can’t be true! Right??

But more importantly, the trains have been totally messed up and it’s given the Brits enough office chat to last months. Bring on the nationalisation.

Plus Trump, Brexit, coming out drama and our take on the Azaelia Banks controversy.

Listen now and then tell us you did it so we feel good about ourselves!

Of course you wouldn’t, but here they are anyway!

The 45th President of the United States of America is an unapologetic bigot, the picture of prejudice, and has no respect or regard for law, democracy or even other people.

This is not a man deserving of any award.

Look, we aren’t denying that the North Korea situation is a huge deal. It represents an unbelievable opportunity to help bring peace to the Korean Peninsula. It could mean that untold numbers of North Korean citizens are able to avoid starvation and oppression.

Of course, this is all assuming it goes well. Call us cynical, but we can’t shake the fear that something will bring this process down and fuck things up worse than they were before.

We don’t want to name any names here (Trump), but while Kim is a tyrannical dictator if ever we did see one – in our opinion – there’s someone else (Trump) who seems like the more unpredictable element here (it’s Trump).

Furthermore, let us be reminded of a few things.

Sure, Trump is doing this whole North Korea thing and it’s unprecedented. But what about how deeply he is being investigated for corruption?

What about his blatant disregard for the human rights of anyone who isn’t rich, male, white and American by birth?

What about his uncontrollable mood swings and the fuel of petulance and stubbornness that fuels them?

What about his apparent inability to consider the consequences of his actions or words, even though he is the ‘Leader of the Free World’?

What about his changeability, lack of focus, inability to acknowledge facts that aren’t in his favour, constant clashes with the media, terrible attitude, obvious disinterest in the truth, and megalomania?

We have other points. We haven’t even got started.

This is not a man deserving of any award.

This is a man who is hated by the majority of the citizens in his own country, because they (and we) think he is not only a bad President, but a bad person to boot.

And so we appeal to the committee who may or may not be considering him for the prize this year, and will apparently be sure to consider him next year.

Because obviously they read our blog. Hi guys!

This is not a man deserving of any award.

Do not give him one. We are begging you.

If you’ve listened to our latest episode, you’ll have heard how excited we were for it. Because if we at Anxious and Insecure are aware of anything, it’s our mental health (because it’s terrible).

With corporations and brands getting on board with the Week, and campaigns for changes and destigmatisation popping up all over the place, it looked like a real turning point moment.

But, as usually happens with big events like that, it’s all died down pretty rapidly.

Take my office, for example. Some real conversations about mental health were had, sparked by the occasional news item from the radio.

Do you want to know how many mental health conversations we’ve had since that week?

Bloody ZERO.

But I bet you saw that coming.

Meanwhile, my own mental health has taken a recent downturn (ugh, she’s going to talk about depression now, look away while you still can). Luckily for me, I have a support network in my friends and family, so I’m handling this particular spiral pretty well.

Then again, I work in that office for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week. That’s a huge chunk of my life away from support and comfort, under pressure to turn up even when leaving my house seems like the worst and most dangerous thing in the world.

And before you get all #NotAllOffices on me, I have taken a very scientific survey (asked some mates) that tells me this is not the only workplace that half-arsedly acknowledged Mental Health Awareness Week and then never spoke of it again.

So what? What do you want from us?

Buggered if I know. Breaking down a stigma like mental health takes constant, unending, round-the-clock, always-on work.

And for all this work, tiny victories will be won only occasionally.

So pretty much all I can ask is that everybody keeps doing that work. Oh my gosh it’s so much work.

Look, I’m trying to be positive here. How am I doing? Badly? It feels like I’m doing badly.

I’m going to promise you all something right now, but, because promises are the only thing I hold legitimately sacred, it’s going to be super vague and hopeful.

I promise that, if we all try as much as we can to break down the stigma, push for change and share our mental health journeys, we can help to create a culture where mental health is not only taken seriously, but cared for to an unprecedented extent.

See? Not asking too much, is it? Gosh, I’m exhausted from all this forced optimism.

We’re back with another special guest!

This week, we’re talking about the policing crisis in the UK, featuring some iffy gun opinions and American Logic. We’ve also just had Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, so we stopped in for an update on everyone’s health (spoiler alert: it’s bad).

Over in the US of A, Hawaii is exploding. But more importantly, is it Yanny or Laurel??

Tune in to hear a super vague Brexit explanation, and some very bad Christmas decorating tips, inspired by Trump’s Korean dealings.

Plus, we’re weighing on on Girls, the controversial “bisexual anthem” by Rita Ora. We have mixed feelings.

All this, plus Josh doing a better British accent than Arthur has ever managed, LISTEN NOW!!

Yes, I’ve seen royal weddings on television before – S/O to Will and Kate – but never while being in London, surrounded by British people, and at a gay bar.

The experience was wonderful. I could not help but feel the pride and happiness emanating off of the Brits. If you didn’t know, the royals are a BIG cultural deal.

However, this wedding was different from others. Harry was to be marrying a POC (person of color, or colour if you’re a Brit), American, Divorcee! Previously this type of union would not be permitted in the royal family for various political reasons (what example would that leave for the children?).

But in 2018, the addition and acceptance of Meghan Markle into the royal sphere speaks upon the history of everything that her identity stands for. Meaning that the ideas of this ceremonial and traditional family are now allowing for change and acceptance.

I could not help but admire her beauty and demeanor on her wedding day, and it was wonderful seeing the reactions on people’s faces as the event progressed. I was touched by the sermon led by Bishop Michael Curry, though, I did hear a few “How American” comments out of the mouth of some Brits (the idea is that Americans are a really passionate bunch.)

Karen Gibson and the Kingdom Choir’s version of ‘Stand By Me’ was beautiful along with the performance by cellist Sheku-Kanneh Mason and let me tell you, I was so HAPPY to see so many talented people of color having such a great moment and that they were able to share their talents with the world.

This particular royal wedding not only showcased the love shared between the bride and groom, but also honored their cultural pasts. After it finished, I was nearly at tears. I didn’t cry, but I did grasp my pearls.

A different kind of reception

Afterwards, my friends and I headed to Clapham Common. The mood was blissful and carefree. Though, these feelings did not last for long.

Upon choosing a patch of grass to plant ourselves in, I overheard this young, caucasian, female claim:

“It’s good to have color in the royal family. It’s good because she’s black, but not that black.”

Shocked that none of her other white friends laughed, her smile straightened and she asked them, “Was that racist?” (I said yes, but I don’t think she heard me).

I was keen to know how they would react. Thankfully, one of her friends – the most sober one – replied, “Yeah, that is. You really shouldn’t say that.” They all went straight faced for half a second; then, as if nothing happened, they stood up and decided to play a game of ’rounders’ – which is basically a more simplified version of baseball.

I turned to my friends, looked at their faces – because I knew that they overheard as well – and they just shook their heads.

What a life it must be to be able to dehumanize someone and feel okay with it. I couldn’t help but think of what the meaning of the wedding was and how important the performances and speeches broadcasted to millions are.

Representation matters.

It is important to realize that not everyone is treated equally, so as we can make a move towards improvements. It is important to recognize the histories and the pasts that help shape your identity. It is important to stand for what you believe in.

Regardless of what people say, I am sure that Meghan will represent herself with honor and grace and that ANYONE can do the same. Even if you are not a royal!

If you watched the wedding, let me know your thoughts!

Love you, be safe, make wise choices!

Every generation is entitled. Everybody thinks they should have things as easy as their parents did – easier, even, thanks to technology – or at least how easy it seems their parents did.

This phenomenon of blaming everything on Millennials, calling them entitled, or spoiled, or snowflakes [insert rolling eyes emoji x100], is not new. Our grandparents thought their kids were too liberal, too sensitive, had everything handed to them on a plate.

Those kids, believe it or not, turned into our parents; grown-ups who now accuse us of the same thing their parents accused them.

The difference with each generation is that technology makes them more vocal, and therefore makes the ‘grumpy old people’ more vocal at the same time. It happened with TV, it’s happening with Social Media, and it happened with the printing press before any of that.

Today’s lesson: don’t lecture, teach

Oh god, it’s such a cliché, isn’t it?

Look, some clichés are there for a reason. Let’s unpack this particular one for a second and see where we can fit the pieces. Ooh, we love a metaphor…

How about, instead of getting grumpy with the younger generations, you take a minute to talk about what you went through to make your way, and ask them what they’re going through to find theirs?

How about, rather than dismissing and resenting the older generations, you try to open up a conversation about how certain aspects of modern life make your journey different to theirs?

How about everybody has a go at being a bit more understanding, dropping the stubborn resentment, and bringing in some cooperation?

This whole thing sounded really preachy, didn’t it?

“Ooh, just be nice. Aww, just try to get on. Gosh, it’s not that difficult.”

Yeah, well, I’m a bit preachy. But mostly, I’m just sick of seeing the same conversations over and over again; I’m sick of watching people be hateful, simply because they can’t be bothered to think objectively and have some understanding.

So just, like, don’t do that. Make some effort, don’t be stubborn. I’ll work on it if you do.

This week, we’re talking about the Royal Baby (because who isn’t?) and the Windrush Scandal (because more people should).

Meanwhile, maybe Kanye should stop talking so much, and Facebook is taking on dating. Good thing they have all our data already, right?

All this, and more! Including things you didn’t want to know about us, but we’re telling you anyway.

Contact us:
Instagram: instagram.com/anxiousandinsecure
Twitter: twitter.com/anxandins
Facebook: facebook.com/anxiousandinsecure
Email: anxiousandinsecure@gmail.com
Website: anxiousandinsecure.com

We know you love listening to our voices, despite all the mean things some people keep saying about them.

The thing is, we just have so much to say! If we tried to fit everything into our episodes, Oli and Arthur would go hoarse, and Ollie would go into hiding so he didn’t have to edit all our rants.

So we’ve introduced a brand spanking new blog to your lives, where you can find our thoughts on news, politics and culture without the risk of someone tongue popping without warning.

But what will we ever talk about??

We know, it’s difficult to get any talking out of us. We’re very shy and don’t like to weigh in on the big issues.

Oh gosh, can you imagine??

Basically, we’ll be giving our opinions on what’s going in the world (most of them will be along the lines of “what a shit show”), just like we do in our hit podcast, but in writing.

Obviously, we have a lot of thoughts about everything that happens, but we want to hear from you!

Drop us a line to ask us about issues you want to discuss, we’ll do all the Wikipedia-ing for you so you don’t have to!

See how easy we’ve made it?

You don’t even have to go and write a full email to anxiousandinsecure@gmail.com (but you could, if you wanted to).

Alternatively, you can hit us up on Twitter at @anxandins, Facebook at Anxious and Insecure, or Instagram at @anxiousandinsecure, because social media is pretty much in control of the world now.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

In the UK, there will be no politicians at the royal wedding, but that’s probably because they’re all busy being antisemitic all the time. These two stories may not actually be linked.

Across the pond, Paul Ryan is bowing out of Congress at the midterms (please vote in the midterms, everyone!), and you’ll never guess who’s stirring up military tension with Russia! Okay, you probably will.

Then, in a fantastic display of gender roles, Ollie starts a conversation about sports, which Oli turns into a story about ironing.

All this, plus more. Warn your parents: there is porn talk. We can’t help ourselves!

Then we take a trip back to primary school, or elementary for some, and revisit lessons about sharing and being nice that some people haven’t quite hung onto as grown-ups.

In the UK, we look at the proposed bottle and can deposit scheme, a drop in the ocean of environmentalism, and weigh in on the big debate of the week: Cadbury’s Mini Eggs.

All this, plus our classic positive outlooks on Trump, Brexit, and society as a whole.

Okay, so we had some technical difficulties that rendered half our original episode worthless. But on the plus side, y’all now get to experience a full episode of UK vs USA culture clash debate.

Giving you some insight into how much jabbering Ollie has to listen to each week, before he edits it down to fit our time and make sense, Arthur and Oli talk at length about some cultural pet peeves.

Listen now to hear a UK vs USA culture debate like no other before it!

Well, unless you count 80% of our private conversations off air.

We have some fun news stories for you, like assassination attempts and alligators in public, but we also talk a lot about lady rights. So prepare yourselves for that.

IWD has been big this year (yay!), and a whole bunch of brands have jumped on the bandwagon to celebrate and help women and their causes. From Barbies to beers, lots went on and plenty of it was decent, if not great.

However, some brands did things like using the word “shero” (listen out for some contrasting reactions to that word) or failing to use their global brand and position of power to actually make an impact in any real way.

But don’t worry, women can’t have all the attention! If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between kids’ TV theme songs in the UK and USA – who hasn’t? – you are in the right place. Get ready to hear some squeaky-voiced puppets and cartoons.

And stick around until the end to hear Arthur do something super embarrassing!

The UK has been ravaged by not one but two major storms this week, crippling all infrastructure and causing actual death. But most importantly, there was frozen poop in the street.

Have you ever wanted to hear a couple of 20-somethings talk about tiny dolls for way longer than they should? Boy, do we have great news for you!

Meanwhile, in the USA, someone has actually gone and armed teachers. Sounds like Texas, right? Well, surprise! It’s Texas. But, weirdly, Trump seems to be doing something positive about gun control. Cue the apocalypse.

And for our little bit of cultural education, we’re basically having a competition to see who’s got more stereotypically-named animal children’s characters. It’s more interesting than it sounds.

All this, plus more, plus a lot that you didn’t ask for, this week on Anxious and Insecure. We are definitely a serious news podcast.

Okay, not that messy. At least they’re a more cohesive team than the UK government, who took a special retreat to Chequers so they could discuss how badly they’re messing up Brexit.

There’s also talk of the biggest crisis in the UK – the KFC chicken shortage [pause for shocked gasps].

In the USA, we wonder what kind of Breitbart bullshit has led to the Florida shooting survivors being labelled ‘actors’, and what would possess a woman to give birth live on the radio.

We also get very off track almost constantly, so expect a lot more to be covered that you didn’t really care about. Listen now!

Another sex scandal rocks the UK, this time involving Oxfam, because even charities are full of bad people sometimes. Meanwhile, a campaigner goes full 3 Billboards to remind everyone that Grenfell Tower is still without any sort of justice.

In the USA, the most recent school shooting in Florida has reemphasised the ever-present gun control debate and, shockingly enough, President Trump did not say the right things.

All this and more (it’s not all that miserable), this week on Anxious and Insecure!

Meanwhile, we express a clear and unsurprising preference in the Superbowl (it’s that we prefer the Puppy Bowl), and sing the praises of a high school that raised a Black Lives Matter flag.

In Brexit news, who can tell what’s happening? It’s a shambles all the time and everyone’s angry at each other. Kind of like Trump’s government, who may or may not be conducting a military parade for some reason.

Listen on if you want to hear Oli get far too agitated over pancake preferences, because Pancake Day is clearly more important than Valentine’s Day and should be defended at all costs.

All this, plus a total stab in the dark at a listener’s accent, and more!

By the way, did you know there are still Blockbusters? Well, not in Texas as of now!

Here in the UK, we’re PM-less for a bit while Theresa May visits China to strut down the pink carpet and try and form trade agreements. Priorities up for debate.

While she’s gone, a convicted Islamophobic Terrorist is sentenced for murder and attempted murder outside a mosque last Ramadan.

There’s a pretty big transatlantic “secret publications being leaked” theme, with Trump’s secret memo on Russia and a secret parliamentary memo on how bad Brexit will be both being exposed. Isn’t being lied to by your government cool!?

We round off the episode by talking about so very many conspiracy theories. We’re not paranoid, it’s just that everyone is out to get us. To be fair, remember all that lying by governments we just mentioned?

All this, plus a white woman in trouble and more!

We also do some real news discussions, at some point. In the UK, we talk about the (probably unwise) release of convicted rapist John Worboys, and come to the conclusion that having fewer sex attackers on the streets is probably a good thing.

Luckily, non-violent sexual harassment is still a big thing! Phew. Hear us talk Presidents’ Club dinner and draw an unexpected conclusion. Wait, no, the conclusion is obvious.

Hop across to the good ol’ US of A, and we’re weighing in on the abuse of police power, in support of Bethany Nava and Serena Lechuga. These atrocious women apparently took a metro incorrectly, so simply had to be arrested.

Wondering about the popularity of Taco Bell? Wonder no more with our feature on a restaurant’s funeral and the one location in the UK that certain Americans find way too exciting.

All this, plus more! Including spotted dick, the Wonder Twins (Trump and May country ruining powers, activate!), and what happens when Miriam Margolyes tries to talk to a white man in Arkansas.

In the UK, we’re talking about the most anticlimactic reshuffle in living memory, and the knees that hold up the nation.

Across the pond, youths are eating laundry pods and playing with dangerous zoo animals, so Natural Selection isn’t quite dead yet.

Trump has cancelled his visit to London (tragedy), but made up for it by calling a bunch of countries “shitholes” (allegedly). So maybe Oprah for President wouldn’t be such a bad idea? Or maybe it would.

All this, plus an important discussion on the importance of bedside tissues, and more!

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We address Logan Paul’s, to put it lightly, bad behaviour and the toxic tourism of travelling for likes.

In the UK, it’s essentially just a series of things the government is doing wrong. The NHS Crisis, Toby Young, pretty much everything they do, you get the picture.

Oh, and we make Oli eat a Flaming Hot Cheeto. Just because we can.

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Trump’s still here, everyone’s a sexual predator, Brexit’s a mess, May is hanging on.

With Arthur absent, Producer Extraordinaire Ollie fills in (and brings guests) and Oli struggles to stay even a little bit calm about anything.

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We’re talking Met Police and tourists (spoiler: we hate them), then we try to talk about Damien Green but end up just talking about porn for longer than made the final cut.

In the USA, we chat war (their favourite) and veterans (less favourite), and also the only nice bit of news we could find this week.

All this and more, as we continue to pretend we’re a politics-based podcast!

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This week, we (try to) talk about Harvey Weinstein and Trump’s Jerusalem recognition.

Then, Arthur teaches everyone that murder is – wait for it – bad, and our attempt at discussing Brexit very quickly becomes a conversation about the pill and contraception controversy.

Finally, we talk Christmas ads and Christmas “cheer”, because it’s pretty mandatory at this point in the year.

Let us know your thoughts! Comment, like, rate, subscribe! We are desperate for your love and attention!

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After a short Thanksgiving break, we’re back with our usual looks at Brexit, Trump, and someone shooting people in the USA.

Plus universities, schools, the Royal Engagement (of course) and much much more.

And don’t worry, there is definitely more attempted English accent…

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Also more grown-up things like #Brexit and #Trump, but we all know what really matters.

Listen now! Like! Comment! Subscribe! Love us!

We’re talking Taylor Swift, Puerto Rico, the Cabinet Crisis, and much more.

Just wait until you hear how ‘heated’ our debate over kettles got…

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Listen to us talk about (more) sexual harassment scandals, Brexit, Trump and how to dress so people always know your political beliefs.

Let us know your thoughts!

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We are so excited to share this with you, and we’d love to hear your thoughts.

In this episode, we discuss United Airlines, London pollution, tea controversy, and drinking games. We also learn that some presenters haven’t exactly got a knack for accents.

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