The High Low

It’s our favourite time of year: The OED have released their new admissions. Are you feeling bongga? Or are you - whisper it - just a nothingburger? We also discuss the Banksy that shredded itself; Brett Kavanaugh’s ascendancy into The Supreme Court; Taylor Swift’s Instagram politics; and that time Trump walked around with a wad of bog roll stuck to his shoe. It’s the little things. This episode concerns two men accused of domestic abuse - comedian Seann Walsh, and Johnny Depp who currently covers British GQ. Were Strictly Come Dancing wrong not to drop Walsh? Were GQ wrong to profile Depp? We deep-dive into both and wonder: what’s the protocol, when it comes to the accused? E-mail: thehighlowshow@gmail.comTweet us: @thehighlowshow Stacey Dooley Investigates: Fashion’s Dirty Secrets, on the BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bn6034Can I re-think my love affair with clothes? by Jess Cartner-Morley for The Guardian magazine  https://www.theguardian.com/fashi

Hello October! It’s Dolly’s favourite month of the year. If she were reincarnated, says Pandora, it would be as a knee-high boot. This week we discuss MeToo’s infighting - as Asia Argento unveils a new bloody dagger tattoo aimed at Rose McGowan; Pret’s tragic error and the 14 allergens that all foodstuffs should be labelled with; and why the Nobel peace prize should be taken away from Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi despite the organisation’s novel explanation as to why it hasn’t. Masses of recommendations from us both, including Lily Allen’s memoir, the film Tully, a beautiful piece on grief by Alice Edwards, and a series of accounts on what it was really like to work for Harvey Weinstein, in The Guardian magazine. Are NDAs protecting the wrong people? We couldn’t *not* talk about Brett Kavanaugh - the Republican judge who looks set to enter the Supreme Court, the highest law-making body in the USA, despite the accusation of sexual assault lodged against him by Dr Christine Ford. Do men (and w

New Zealand PM Jacinda Arden made history when she took baby Neve to the UN Assembly in NYC this week; meanwhile, Trump made world leaders laugh out loud with his address (“that’s not what I was expecting” he replied, surprised at the lols.) In the domestic landscape, Dolly discovers a great new podcast and Pandora reads a unnerving but thought-provoking book. Also this week, we host comedian and podcast supremo, Deborah Frances-White, creator and host of The Guilty Feminist. The podcast has had 50 million download since inception and is one of our favourites to listen to: it's funny, provoking, smart and political. The USP of The Guilty Feminist is: let humour do the heavy-lifting — something The High Low heartily admires. We talk inclusivity, intersectional feminism and why we are all guilty feminists.LinksPutney, by Sofka Zinovieff https://www.amazon.co.uk/Putney-Sofka-Zinovieff/dp/1408895757Killing Eve and Press on BBC iPlayerFortunately with Fi and Jane, a BBC podcast on iTunesBook a ticket to

The High Low inbox was full of people asking us to cover the media coverage of Carrie Symonds, the former Tory comms director accused of having an affair with Boris Johnson. We discuss the ‘scarlet woman’ trope, historically embodied by Monica Lewinsky, the then intern who was globally shamed for her affair with Bill Clinton (if you haven’t watched her 2015 TED talk yet - DO IT.) Let’s stop with the ‘tabloidese’ whereby women accused of having affairs with famous, married men are party-loving sluts designed to attack the patriarchy. Here’s a thought: let’s cover women in the same way we do men?Also today, we celebrate the 18 year tenure - yes, 18 years - of Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother. Whether 'civilian or celebrity' (our new favourite phrase), Big Brother was once a pop-culture phenomenon, at the vanguard of the zeitgeist. Rather than examine where it all went wrong (nothing lasts forever) we dive into the nostalgia and share our favourite bits plus YOUR favourite bits, as garnered from Twitter. Pl

Roxanne Pallett has been cast (and since left) Celebrity Island since our last record (exploitative, much?) and Hurricane Florence is heading towards the USA. Meanwhile, 2 more people have attempted to make bookings at The High Low hotel. Our towels must be reeeeeally soft, or something.Today, we discuss Serena Williams’s epic tantrum at the US Open final - and how it overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s first Grand Slam win. The most interesting part of the narrative isn’t the tantrum, itself: but how it’s culturally metabolised. And another woman in trouble getting angry is Kirstie Allsopp who recently admitted to smashing her kids iPad in fury, after they wouldn’t stop playing computer games. She’s quit Twitter, amidst the furore and her parenting - and privilege - is now under scrutiny. We chew over the makings of a modern-day Twitter storm and wonder if parenting and social media are destined for trouble.Please go to https://www.gofundme.com/emergency-support-for-rwc to donate to the Refugee Women’s

We’re back! We wish we were still on the sun lounger, but here we are, at your disposal - with a giant book chat of what we have enjoyed in the last month.Also today, we discuss the social media trolling of the late Sinéad McNamara and Instagram influencer Scarlett Dixon; and Celebrity Big Brother’s biggest controversy yet - after soap actor Roxanne Pallet accused fellow contestant and actor Ryan Thomas of assault, which footage revealed to have never happened. The fall-out has been swift; Roxanne has described herself as “the most hated person in Britain.” But when does criticism morph into crucifixion? When will we stop trying to ‘cancel’ or ‘delete’ people - particularly women - from public consciousness? And how do Roxanne’s allegations damage the #MeToo movement? You can e-mail The High Low thehighlowshow@gmail.com or tweet us @thehighlowshowBOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:Normal People, by Sally RooneyHow Do You Like Me Now, by Holly BourneLittle Fires Everywhere, by Celeste NgBitter Orange, by

Jeremy Hunt forgot his wife's nationality; someone tried to book 6 hotel rooms at The High Low (us neither); & Dolly smashed a glass of wine all over CJ's recording equipment. Hola August: the summer madness has officially begun! We discuss Jane Garvey's comment on Radio 4's Woman's Hour this week: that "hey guys" should not be used when a gathering includes women. Is "guys" an anti-feminist collective term; or has it evolved into unisex slang? And are there any non-gross alternatives?Also today, we talk about comedian and talk show host Trevor Noah and his distasteful 2013 joke about aboriginal women, which has recently re-surfaced and has seen Australians boycotting his upcoming tour in Australia. Should we be allowed to evolve beyond our past (worst) jokes? And what is the role of comedy, in a post-MeToo, Trumpian world?The High Low will be taking a summer break, so Pandora can play with her baby and Dolly can take a post-book tour breather. We'll be back on September 6th. Byeeeeeee!EMAIL:&nb

We might be a little delayed - much like a Ryanair flight - but we got there in the end. Yup, that’s a pun; we’re talking about Plane Bae. Unfolding like a modern meet-cute, the tweet story of a ‘romance’ observed by another passenger over the course of over 50 tweets-gone viral, Plane Bae soon morphed into a cautionary tale of consent, privacy and doxxing. What does this incident reveal to us, except, yet again, that the internet is misogynistic?Also today, we discuss two news stories surrounding mental health: firstly, that mental health may be taught to children as young as 4, and secondly, that 70,000 young people including 2,000 young children, are on anti-depressants. Are we right to be cautious of becoming a pill-addicted nation; or do we need to overcome this stigma? And will children as young as 4, really absorb the nuances of mental health? Ultimately, education starts at a grassroots level and needs to be woven throughout the curriculum, focusing on positive preventative measures like exercise

The POTUS hit the UK for his week of ridicule: the balloon; the march; the press conference and *that* video gone viral of Trump barging in front of the Queen. Meanwhile, Dolly discovers a new music hero (David Keenan) and Pandora reads her first ‘work-help’ book (The Discomfort Zone by Farrah Storr.) Oh, and Love Island fans: Undercover Lover is your new favourite podcast. You’re welcome. Today we are honoured to host Yomi Adegoke & Elizabeth Uviebinené, the writers of Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible. A meticulously researched and brilliantly written deep-dive into what it is to be a young black woman in the UK, the book prompted a 9-way publishing war and is stuffed full of interviews with famous black women including Olympic athlete Denise Lewis, barrister and author Afua Hirsch and former pop star Jamelia. We discuss microaggressions and microinvalidations; the ‘white co-sign’; being racially palatable; why representation and sponsorship is so important (just 0.49% of university

There’s a ton of cabinet reshuffles this week and baby Trump - all 6-foot helium-filled malevolence - is flying over London. Is the balloon a meaningful protest; or is it a childish blimp that could ruin a trade agreement with the US? And aren’t there leaders (Erdogan, for example) whose visit to the UK we should protest more? Also this week, Justin Bieber’s engaged! Kylie Jenner’s almost a billionaire! Cardi(gan) B has had a baby called Kulture! In (more important) news, we discuss Amanda Knox’s comments on sexuality (she says she taught herself how to masturbate in prison), Terri White’s piece on poverty (30% of children live below the poverty line), Giles Coren’s piece on why ‘liking’ things draws us further away from our authentic self and Richard Godwin’s shocking piece on noise pollution - which is killing 10,000 people a year. And of course, we *had* to mention Love Island. Dolly raises Alex’s comment about liking ‘natural’ women (what damage does the #ijustwokeuplikethis emphasis do to women

It’s the week that England broke their penalty curse; Cheryl Cole and Liam Payne broke up; Roman Polanski (yup, he who is wanted for statutory rape) sat FROW at Miu Miu; and let’s not forget! There’s a bumper session of Ask The High Low. We resisted doing it in Joan and Jericha’s voices - but it was hard. We’ve never had something recommended so much to The High Low - via email; Twitter; Instagram DM - as much as we had ‘Nanette’ a stand-up show performed by Australian comic, Hannah Gadsby. A surprise Netflix hit, loved by everyone from Roxane Gay to Monica Lewinsky, Hannah Gadsby has produced a piece of comedy so hilarious, so original, so shocking and so devastating - it’ll have you thinking about it, like we are, for weeks to come. We talk about why this show has everyone talking and discuss why self-deprecation is so dangerous for women; why punchlines don’t tell true stories; and why artists (even Van Gogh) are not mad geniuses - but just humans, who need connections. Hannah says that ‘Nanette’

In today's episode, we discuss that jacket worn by Melania Trump whilst visiting an immigrant children's camp in Texas; Lionel Shriver's follow-up to her anti-diversity rant; Johnny Depp's bonkers Rolling Stone interview; Dolly's new favourite podcast Dear Joan and Jericha; and why mindfulness should be less about emptying your mind - than filling it.Also today, we host the Oscar-nominated actor, producer and now memoirist, Gabourey Sidibe. Her book, This Is Just My Face, Try Not To Stare is a hilarious and brutally honest account of her life, from working as a phone-sex operator, to her breakout role in Precious, via fat-shaming in Hollywood.You can e-mail The High Low thehighlowshow@gmail.com and tweet us, @thehighlowshow.LinksThis Is Just My Face, Try Not To Stare, by Gabourey Sidibehttps://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Just-My-Face-Stare/dp/1784708445/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530130400&sr=1-1&keywords=gabourey+sidibeThe Economist Radioh

We speak to Clemmie Hooper - aka the midwife and influencer Mother of Daughters, who recently suspended her Instagram account after the trolling got too much - about why men and women are not equal in the eyes of social media. Why doesn’t her husband, Simon (aka Father of Daughters), who exists in exactly the same family and has twice the amount of followers, get nearly so much abuse? We talk misogyny and mothering; why women aren’t allowed to be financially successful in the same way men are; and why the best thing to do is to just rise above. Also today, we make Producer Charlie’s week, and discuss The World Cup - High Low style.For anyone experiencing domestic abuse or if you know of someone who is and want to help them, please call The National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247. LinksMothers, an Essay on Love and Cruelty by Jacqueline Rose https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mothers-Essay-Cruelty-Jacqueline-Rose/dp/0571331432/ref=nodl_Marc Maron interview by Hadley Freeman for The Guardian&n

It’s a live podcast brought to you from the Möet & Chandon Summer House, in London! This week we are discussing the story gone viral, of party-girl-fraud, Anna Delvey. Are we living through the golden age of scamming? Also today, Love Island and it’s golden homogenised beauty types. Do producers of structured reality shows owe us a more realistic body type; or should we expect nothing less from a show which is a platform for Instagram influencers-in-waiting? BooHooMan awaits. LinksDietland, on Amazon Prime https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B07DDHFPWGHow Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People, by Jessica Presser for New York Magazine https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/how-anna-delvey-tricked-new-york.htmlThe Fiends and the Folk Heroes in Grifter Season, by Jia Tolentino for The New Yorkerhttps://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-fiends-and-the-folk-heroes-of-grifter-season/ampScammers: They’re Just Like Us, by Tom Gara for Buzzfeedhttps://www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/to

What does a trailblazer owe us? That’s a question we’re pondering this week, as we discuss actor Issa Rae’s spicy monologue on Kanye West - who many believe is betraying his black identity, in support of Trumpian conservatism - and Germaine Greer’s controversial views on rape. Once a radical second-wave feminist, is she in danger of becoming a parody? Also this week, we discuss the misogyny in social media; the concept of ‘moral triumphalism’; why processed food feels like a cuddle; and the glory of being single. And of course, we also discuss the 20 year anniversary of Sex And The City. Join us on this joyous romp down memory lane!LinksSuccessful black men have targets on their backs, by Maurice Mcleod for The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/30/raheem-sterling-media-young-black-men-footballer-tattooBarbara Ellen on Germaine Greer, for The Observer https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/03/germaine-greer-rape-wrong-feministsJanice Turner on fallen trailblazers

It’s National Biscuit Day! One of (but not the only) favourite days in Dolly’s calendar. We discuss the huge response to our segment on Ireland’s abortion referendum (they repealed!) and issue some vital corrections; natter about why we’re in the golden age of telly; and debate whether a role model - specifically, footballer Raheem Sterling and his gun tattoo - has to reflect societal concerns.Also today, we host one of our favourite authors Meg Wolitzer, whose novel, The Female Persuasion, makes a timely landing in a post-MeToo age. We discuss inter-generational feminism, female friendship and idolatry and why the ‘domestic novel’ is as important as a grand polemic.LinksAtlanta, on BBC iPlayer https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b3q4bkHard Knock Wife, by Ali Wong on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/title/80186940A Very English Scandal on BBC iPlayer https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0b5b3z4/a-very-english-scandal-series-1-episode-2Hadley Freeman on Hugh Grant for The Guardian https://w

This week, we discuss why Ireland’s proposed repeal of the 8th amendment on 25th May, is so important. We learn about Ireland’s history (from the brutal 'symphysiotomy’ procedure, to the abuse of unmarried mothers in mother and baby homes like Bon Secours) and talk to Irish writer, Caroline O’Donoghue about what pro-choice campaigners learned from Brexit’s liberal echo chamber.And of COURSE, we discuss the royal wedding. From the funny bits (he-llo Bishop Michael Curry) to the starry bits (Oprah, hashtag kween); the cringe bits (hi Suits cast on Instagram) to the emo bits (Harry thanking his “pa”); and, of course, the socio-political bits (is this the first time the media has used the term ‘bi-racial’? And why is that so meaningful?) we cover it all.We’ll be doing a *live* episode of The High Low at the Möet & Chandon summer house in London on the 8th June, and you can sign up here > www.moetsummerhouse.comLinks for this week’s showJustice for Noura Change.Org petition&nbs

It’s another live episode, recorded at The Old Selfridges Hotel in collaboration with Google Pixel 2. Dolly’s hungover, Pandora’s no longer pregnant - so some things have changed since our last live episode; but some things have stayed the same.We discuss Georgina Chapman’s first ever interview about her ex-husband Harvey Weinstein in US Vogue, 5 months after allegations broke, triggering MeToo. Was this the right outlet for fashion designer Georgina, to give this interview? Is it a PR move? Did she know? And most importantly: why are innocent women seen as the accomplice of guilty men?In lighter news, we also discuss the Cannes Film Festival’s selfie ban and why you cannot stall a content creator.E-mail us thehighlowshow@gmail.com or tweet us @thehighlowshowLinksGeorgina Chapman on Life After Harvey Weinstein, by Jonathan Van Meter for US Vogue https://www.vogue.com/article/georgina-chapman-life-after-harvey-weinsteinWho Is Anna Winter Asking Us to Forgive, In Her Editor’s Letter? By Stella Bu

It’s a week of controversy: Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who says she’s black, is back in the public eye thanks to a Netflix documentary, The Rachel Divide. What trauma led to her fraudulent ‘transracial’ identity? And why does Rachel refuse to back down? We called up gal-dem deputy editor and Guardian writer Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff to discuss the documentary - and whether or not Netflix were right to air it. Also on today’s agenda: the glitzy annual Met Gala and it’s ‘Catholic’ theme, courtesy of Andrew Bolton’s ‘Heavenly Bodies’ exhibition. From Rihanna’s papal mitre to Lena Waithe’s politically charged rainbow cape, via Jared Leto dressed as Jesus (God complex, much?) the dress code might have been crassly interpreted and as camp as Christmas, but does that make it offensive? We run the full gamut of opinions.Last thing - the Chuckle Brothers have not fallen out. We repeat: rumours of a feud are false. thehighlowshow@gmail.com@thehighlowshowLinksThe Rachel Divide review by Doreen St Felix

Amber Rudd’s resignation; Mary Beard’s sparkly sneaks; Kanye’s ‘basic Plato’ tweets - oh and the news that beer goggles really DO exist. Yup, it’s just another week at The High Low.This week sees the return of the author special, with trans activist and YA author, Juno Dawson, whose 14th book about a teenage heroin addict, Clean, had us both hooked. We discuss addiction, privilege, teenhood and trans issues with Juno, whilst her miniature chihuahua Prince, looked on.LinksMilk & Honey, by Rupi Kaur https://www.amazon.co.uk/Milk-Honey-Rupi-Kaur/dp/144947425XClean, by Juno Dawson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clean-Juno-Dawson/dp/1786540363/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525277433&sr=1-1&keywords=clean+juno+dawsonThe Comments on my Selfies Are Different Now I’m a Mom, by Leandra Medine for ManRepeller https://www.manrepeller.com/2018/04/why-i-take-selfies.htmlI Am The One Woman Who Has it All, by Kimberley Harrington for The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-sho