Author Archives: Tom

The Bugle

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‘Twas an honour to co-host The Bugle alongside David O’Doherty. Listen to us laugh about the apocalypse here:

100 – Paul Oosting (Live)

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100 episodes, everyone! We bloody made it. Gosh.

Thanks so much for getting onboard with this little show. I love doing it and hope you get something out of each episode. I’ve learnt so much talking to all the guests on the show over the past two years and hope to keep doing it for as along as I can.

I can think of no better way to celebrate the century than with a live show at The Wheeler Centre with the national director of GetUp!, Paul Oosting.

In this chat, recorded in front of a “sold-out crowd” (it was free, but still – pretty cool) as part of the Centre’s Invasion of the Pod People series on Monday March 27th, Paul and I discuss what GetUp! is all about and how things are looking for progressives in this country at the moment. From the far-right’s influence on the government to 18C to campaign finance reform to the crucial difference between viewing the electorate as “disenfranchised” as opposed to “disengaged”, this is a really interesting and relevant discussion for now.

PLUS we brainstorm about how to stop Dutton getting elected.

A big thanks to Paul for flying down from Sydney just for the show and Helen and everyone at The Wheeler Centre for their help in making this happen.

Here’s to 100 more!

There are just 7 shows left of Problematic at MICF 2017, including an extra show on Saturday April 22nd

Problematic is coming to Sydney for 4 shows only at the Sydney Comedy Festival

I’m doing one show only of Boundless Plains To Share this Saturday April 22nd at 5pm

I was in the 2017 MICF Great Debate: watch it on iView here

Here’s my spot at the MICF Allstars Gala

My special The World Keeps Happening is streaming on Stan Australia now

@PaulOosting

Article: Here’s the race hate scare campaign to Liberal marginal electorates

Article: The Left’s foreign donors by Eric Abetz

Article: GetUp! army spurs for conservative foil

Cause of the Week: GetUp! (getup.org.au)

Direct download           iTunes         libsyn

MICF Great Debate

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Had a ball taking on the MICF Great Debate again! I lead the affirmative team alongside the tremendous DeAnne Smith and Andy Zaltzman against the evil and depraved Sammy J, Janelle James and Rhys Nicholson on the topic: “YOU’VE GOT TO FAKE NEWS TO MAKE NEWS.”

It was all hosted by Stephen K. Amos and it was jolly good fun.

You can watch the whole thing on ABC iView here. 

99 – Senator James Paterson

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James Paterson has been a Victorian senator for the Liberal Party for just over a year now. He’s been making a name for himself as a passionate advocate for freedom of speech in regards to the reforming of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act and by proposing that Australia help deal with its debt problem by selling off Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles. 

Here the Senator and I talk about our first meeting years ago, his position as something of a political anomaly within his own family, why he’s so strident on 18C, racism, offshore detention and corporate tax cuts.

Stand Up For Mehdi at MICF 2017 – only a handful of tickets left! 

Problematic begins at MICF 2017 this week

Boundless Plains To Share is at MICF for one show only on Saturday April 22nd

My piece for The Guardian: Politically incorrect comedy can work – if the audience gets it 

My piece for The Saturday Paper: Satire, free speech and Mehdi Savari

@SenPaterson

senatorpaterson.com.au

Article: The Senate blocks the government’s changes to Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 

Article: Even among Australians worried about political correctness 18C is not a big issue 

Article: A history of Section 18C and the Racial Discrimination Act 

Article: 18C Debate is not over say both Liberal Senator and Labor MP

Senator Paterson’s first speech

Senator Paterson’s speech on 18C

Article: What is Section 18C and why do some politicians want it changed 

Article: An inconvenient truth gets in the way of the company tax cut chants

Joint Human Rights Committee report into Freedom of Speech in Australia

Article: Doctors freed to speak about Australia’s detention regime after U-Turn

Article: ‘Voodoo economics’ lie at the heart of Scott Morrison’s budget

Article: There is no such thing as trickle-down economics 

Article: 10 reasons why the company tax cut is a really bad idea

Article: Australia doesn’t need to chase Donald Trump on corporate tax cuts

Article: Company profits surge as wages fall

Cause of the Week: Soldier On (soldieron.org.au)

Direct download        iTunes       libsyn

My piece for the Guardian on PC & Comedy

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“Tom Ballard looks like an enormous baby: we should use him to ween paedophiles off children.”

When Jimmy Carr delivered that line at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal in July 2015, the drunken crowd erupted in gasping laughter. Jimmy and I were facing off in the Roast Battle, a one-on-one competition in which two comics go head-to-head, inflicting brutal jibes upon one another for entertainment. The line made me double over. It’s horrific, yes – but it’s also a bit true. I do look like a giant baby. That’s why it was funny.

I tried to give as good as I got: “Jimmy Carr’s mother died in 2001. She died of pancreatic cancer and yet Jimmy’s still not considered ‘side-splitting’.”

The crowd groaned and looked at me like I was a reprehensible human being. But they also laughed. Hard.

Read the full thing here.

Problematic 2017

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My 2017 stand up show is called Problematic.

It’s a funny show about whether anything can be funny anymore.

I’d bloody love you to come along to it. Please? Thanks.

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PERTH (WORK IN PROGRESS): TUESDAY JAN 31st – SUNDAY FEB 5th @ LAKSA LOUNGE, NOODLE PALACE

All tickets $26, available here. Please note this is a WORK IN PROGRESS; there will be notes, pauses and mistakes. But also the thrill of seeing something piping hot and fresh and emerge from a cocoon as a beautiful butterfly.

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ADELAIDE: FRIDAY FEB 17th – SUNDAY 26th (9 SHOWS) @ THE CORONA THEATRE, THE GARDEN OF UNEARTHLY DELIGHTS

8:15pm. Tickets from $27 – $35, available here.

AUSLAN interpreted Wednesday 22nd.

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HOBART: WEDNESDAY MARCH 15th @ THE SPIEGELTENT (ONE SHOW ONLY) 

For Hobart’s Ten Days On The Island. 7pm.

Full $38, Concession $30. Tickets available here.

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BRISBANE: TUESDAY MARCH 21st – SUNDAY 26th (6 SHOWS) @ THE VISY THEATRE 

8:15pm (7pm Sunday). Tickets from $25 – $35, available here.

AUSLAN interpreted Wednesday 22nd.

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MELBOURNE: THURSDAY MARCH 30th – SUNDAY APRIL 23rd @ THE SUPPER ROOM, MELBOURNE TOWN HALL 

7pm (6pm Sundays). Tickets from $24 – $34, available here.

AUSLAN interpreted Wednesday 12th April.

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SYDNEY: THURSDAY MAY 4th – SUNDAY MAY 7th @ GIANT DWARF THEATRE 

9:30pm (8:30pm Sunday). Tickets $27, available here.

AUSLAN interpreted Sunday May 7th.