76 – James Mathison

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Tom

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He used to co-host Australian Idol but this year James Mathison ran against former prime minister Tony Abbott for the federal seat of Waringah as an independent.

In this chat James explains why he decided to run, his frustrations with the current political deadlock in Australia, the limitations of election campaigns and his predictions of a new progressive movement on the horizon.

Plus he shamelessly advertises Coke.

Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017

Comedy 4 Karma in Daylesford, Saturday October 15th

I’ll be appearing in season 2 of SBS’s First Contact in November

Walk Together 2016 is happening on Saturday October 22nd

#OurBrothersOurSisters on raisely.com

Me on Guardian’s Token podcast

Me on Brendon Burns’ Dumb White Guy podcast, Part 1 // Part 2

@jamesmathison

jamesmathison.com.au

This week’s episode of Q&A

Article: CEOs bank on bonuses as average Australian worker left to flounder

Article: We’re two-faced about ‘wasting’ money on welfare

Article: James Mathison wants to create a new progressive political movement to target the far right

Article: Thoughts on Junket 2016

Article: Leaked UNHCR report – Manus Island’s world’s worst

Cause of the Week: Barnados (barnados.org.au)

Direct download iTunes libsyn

First Contact Season 2

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Tom

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So I’ll be joining Ray Martin, David Oldfield, Natalie Imbruglia, Nicki Wendt, Dicko and Renae Ayris in season 2 of Blackfella Films’ First Contact. The three-part series will screen on SBS in late November.

This show was one of the most rewarding and challenging things I’ve ever been a part of. I laughed and cried and at one point I threw up.

I really hope you can tune in and check it out.

Watch Me Interview A Freaky Clown (If You DARE)

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Tom

“It’s not a game anymore, people actually want to kill you.” Snuggles speaks about US clown sightings. #TheProjectTV https://t.co/s2ojHGJBMx

— #TheProjectTV (@theprojecttv) October 6, 2016

75 – Brendan Busch

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Tom

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22-year-old student Brendan Busch is angry and frustrated about Australian racism and denial, particularly in relation to First Nations peoples.

He’s spoken out against Andrew Bolt receiving a platform at the 2016 Festival of Dangerous Ideas and garnered some media attention last month when he offered to give away his Falls Festival ticket to anyone who could prove they had convinced radio station triple j to change the date of their massive annual song countdown, the Hottest 100, from “Australia Day” on January 26th.

Here Brendan (eloquently) explains his thinking and the ideas behind the #changethedate movement, reacts to the subsequent response from triple j and the public and discusses the murky distinctions between the expression of “challenging views” and hate speech, holding our public institutions to account and how we balance the importance of calling out racism with the goal of actually changing people’s minds.

Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017

Comedy 4 Karma in Daylesford, Saturday October 15th

Brendan’s letter in Independent Australia: An Open Letter to Creators of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas

Footage of Andrew Bolt’s session at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas

Article: triple j Hottest 100 Man Starts Competition to Change The Date

Article: Briggs Reckons triple j Should Change The Hottest 100 Date

triple j statement: triple j’s Hottest 100 is staying on January 26…for now. And here’s why.

January 26th by A.B. Original on YouTube

Hack Live: Aussie Patriots

change.org petition: triple j, change the date of the Hottest 100

Article: White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard To Talk To White People About Racism

@JusticeForDhu

Cause of the Week: Clinton’s Walk For Justice (clintonswalkforjustice.org), on StartSomeGood, on FB

Direct download iTunes libsyn

Comedy 4 Karma

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Tom

If you’re in Daylesford and like laughing a lot whilst simultaneously raising money for Australia’s only primary school centred around Buddhist principles (the good ones, not the dodgy ones), come along to this!

More info and tickets here.

Walk Together 2016

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Tom

This massive celebration of welcoming goodness is on again in 2016!

I’ll be MCing the Melbourne event and will be bursting with pride to do so, particularly in this time when it seems many Australians want to further harden their hearts and foster hatred and fear rather than love and inclusiveness.

You know – all that good hippy shit.

The walk is happening on Saturday October 22nd all around on the country. Find out where it’s happening near you.

Guardian Australia Recommends “Boundless Plains”

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Tom

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Sydney-based Belvoir has a strong season, but this critic’s pick is Boundless Plains to Share, in which comedian Tom Ballard presents something like stand-up comedy crossed with a slide night as he desperately tries to understand, explain and activate an audience against Australia’s punitive refugee policy.

Politicised on the issue since the age of 14, Ballard’s involvement with the Welcome to Australia movement brought him into contact with refugees in and out of detention. He encountered stories he found both uplifting and heartbreaking, and these stories permeate a show that is laugh-out-loud funny and enraging at the same time.

Ballard developed Boundless Plains to Share under the guidance and direction of Scott Edgar – more commonly known as Scod from Tripod – who had been helping the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre for many years. It’s a good theatrical match, avoiding both mawkishness and over-earnestness in its presentation of the kinds of stories often emotively retold by the well meaning – and sometimes compromised as a result.

Ballard’s show was made possible by a Moosehead award – it allowed him to pursue something close to his heart without anxiety about commercial returns. Belvoir’s selection of Boundless Plains to Share vindicates the professional support Ballard received to make it.

You can read the whole article here and you can book tickets to the Belvoir run here.

74 – Josie Long

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Tom

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Comedian Josie Long makes me feel better about the world. She is a ball of delightful, charming and passionate energy whose comedy is hilarious and socially conscious and life-affirming.

In this chat, recorded backstage at the lovely Soho Theatre, Josie and I chat about how she became more politically active, the trickiness of “helping” in the right way, the UK Labour leadership, austerity, art, privilege and voting for what you believe in.

Plus a few Kurt Vonnegut quotes for good measure.

Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017

The Little Dum Dum Club LIVE in Adelaide

@josielong

josielong.com

Hope In The Dark by Rebecca Solnit

Hack Live: Aussie Patriots

Cause of the Week: Arts Emergency (arts-emergency.org)

Direct download iTunes libsyn

73 – Johann Hari

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Tom

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Backstage at the Soho Theatre I got to sit down with journalist Johann Hari to discuss how the media corrupts our public debate, Australian television and his powerful book, Chasing the Scream: The First & Last Days of the Drug War.

What is addiction? Why is the drug war still continuing? What is it costing us? Is there a better way?

Article: Half of all Australians want to ban Muslim immigration, says poll

Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017

Andrew Denton’s podcast series for the Wheeler Centre, Better Off Dead

bethebill.com

@johannhari101

chasingthescream.com

Johann’s TED Talk: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong

In A Nutshell: Addiction

A Small Book About Drugs by Lisa Pryor

Cause of the Week: Unharm (unharm.org)

Direct download iTunes libsyn

72 – Nish Kumar

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Tom

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Finally! An actual new ep!

And what an ep it is. Comedian, writer and broadcaster Nish Kumar hosts topical comedy show Newsjack on the BBC and has been twice nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award. He writes very smart, politically charged comedy and his laugh is glorious to behold.

Here Nish and I discuss the current “spicy meatball” of a political period the UK is experiencing. From the concept of “right-wing comedy” to post-Brexit xenophobia to Jeremy Corbyn to Jo Cox to Trump to Hanson, this has got everything you’ve been craving.

The World Keeps Happening at the Soho Theatre

Campaign for Australian Aid’s Comedy Gala Who The Bloody Hell Are We?

Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017

Article: Why triple j moving the Hottest 100 could reset the convo around Australia Day by Chloe Sargeant

@MrNishKumar

nishkumar.co.uk

Nish’s 2016 tour dates

Newsjack on BBC Radio 4 Extra

Article: Brexit: a disaster decades in the making by Gary Younge

Fences: A Brexit Diary by Zadie Smith

Article: No one told me to go home for 16 years then we voted for Brexit by Nish Kumar

Video: What can a satirist do with our post-truth politics? by Nish Kumar