The High Low

Vlogger Jim Chapman is YouTube royalty. But what happened when “the guy from the internet" turned his hand to a book? We chat animal facts (did you know that a group of baboons is called a flange?), whether or not the intent is misogynistic and why millennials have it good, with Jim Chapman.LINK:147 Things: My User’s Guide to The Universe, by Jim Chapman, published by Pan Macmillan, is out now:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Jim-Chapman/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3AJim%20Chapman  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s another live episode! (Normal recording will resume soon.) We’re at The Curiosity Rooms, in collaboration with Google and Selfridges, talking about the #MeToo hashtag and - because it’s called The High Low - the Kardashians.The #MeToo hashtag has swept across society in the wake of Weinstein, as hundreds of thousands of women come out to share their stories of harassment and abuse. Pandora has collated over 85 on her Instagram, some of which she reads out - while we both discuss the nuances of this campaign: are men excluded? Does it dwell on collective victim-hood? Does it place the onus on the women, to come out - rather than the men, to ‘fess up? You’ll have to listen to find out, but one conclusion you can be sure of, to paraphrase Emma Watson speaking at the UN in 2014: women’s rights are not about man-hating. We need to break this thought pattern ASAP.On to the Kardashians - whom Blac Chyna is suing. Yup, the lot of them. Rob Kardashian’s ex fiancee is suing the entire family for “torpedoing” her r

It’s our first ever live podcast! This week The High Low is brought to you live from tibits, a vegetarian restaurant in Mayfair, where we recorded the episode on Monday 16th October. Thanks to everyone who came and latterly stuffed their faces with the food boat.This week we discuss Hollywood in the aftermath of Harvey Weinstein’s downfall - and, specifically, James Corden’s controversial jokes about Weinstein at the AmFar Gala. Was Corden speaking out of turn; or have we begun to censor the role of the comic too much?Also on this week’s agenda is culture overload, after we read a brilliant piece in November’s issue of British Esquire by the Culture Editor, Miranda Collinge, who returned from holiday to find 81 books on her desk. Yes, 81. Are you mired in podcasts, not knowing which way to turn; being buried alive by the pile of books by your bedside table, unsure which to start fast; feeling the impending doom of a boxset binge, knowing that as soon as you finish this series, there’s another that just HAS to

It’s been a great week for sexism. Swedish model and artist Arvida Bystrom was threatened with rape, after she appeared in an Adidas advert with hairy legs; a senior writer at Vice’s women’s channel, Broadly, was fired after leaked e-mails revealed that he had been lobbying alt-right ‘media personality’ Milo Yiannapoulos to bully ‘fat feminists’; and then, well, there’s Harvey Weinstein. The 65-year-old American producer, considered to be one of, if not the most powerful man in Hollywood, has been fired from his own company, dumped by his wife and dispatched to ‘sex addiction rehab’ (obviously) after it was sensationally revealed by The New York Times and a dizzying further array of publications, that he had sexually harassed dozens of women in Hollywood, from A-Listers such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, to journalists, assistants and models. You’ll never look at a pot plant in the same way again…. How was Weinstein’s behaviour tolerated, as an open secret, for so long? Why are women expected to c

In the wake of pyjama-clad Hugh Hefner’s demise, we discuss the legacy of Playboy and its nuances - and why viewing an empire created 64 years ago solely through the lense of modern feminism can be problematic. A must-read, incidentally, is Gloria Steinem’s The Bunny’s Tale. Also in today’s episode, we discuss the demise of the celebrity interview. Are authentic journalistic profiles destined to become mere relics, in place of publicist-approved puff pieces? We can but wonder. ***** BIG NEWS: You can now book a ticket to the first ever* live* episode of The High Low! We’ll be doing a live show 6.30-8.30pm at tibits in Mayfair, on Monday 16th October and 20% of all proceeds go to Women for Women International. Click the link below to book a ticket to the live record: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-high-low-live-recording-at-tibits-heddon-street-tickets-38531176787 Find out about more Women for Women International https://www.womenforwomen.org.uk/ ***** What we’ve been listening to/ watching The L

The High Low is on holiday this week, so we have recorded an author special for you - because we're nice like that. Is Monogamy Dead? by British comedian Rosie Wilby came out in August 2017 and from learning about romantic footprints to the difference between polyamory and non-monogamy (and did you know what 'compersian' is?) it's a funny, gentle, explorative and educational look into the Western concept of monogamy - and whether it still works. The audiobook is available on Audible here: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Health-Personal-Development/Is-Monogamy-Dead-Audiobook/B06ZYJ4ZCV/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_srTtl?qid=1506615053&sr=1-2 You can follow Rosie on Twitter and Facebook @rosiewilby. You can get in touch with The High Low @thehighlowshow on Twitter or email us thehighlowshow@gmail.com. Thank you to Wardour Studios for the recording session. See you next week!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Twas the week that Margaret Atwood took her handbag to the Emmys - sorry, Margaret Atwood’s handbag took Margaret Atwood to the Emmys - and whilst some people are focusing on Issa Rae’s commentary, Dolly’s focusing on Margie and her shoulder holdall. In MIN (more important news) a number of protests this week have got us thinking: are points best made with spitting and shouting? In specific reference to the 60-year-old woman punched at the discussion of gender, at speaker’s corner last week; and the fur protest at London Fashion Week. Top Line highlights this week includes an update on the case of PETA vs the photographer who ‘nicked’ a monkey’s selfie; and the lunacy that is a 12-year old girl, groomed via Instagram by a paeophile into sending a topless picture of herself, facing charges for sharing pictures of an underage girl. Even though she, aged 12, is the girl in question. Legal loophole, anyone? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes. You can e-mail us thehighlowshow@gmail.com or twee

The High Low is a quarter of a century old (sort of) and to celebrate we have a ton of great reading recommendations for you - scroll down to see our favourite pieces of the week, including a piece on the rise and full of a Muslim cop at the NYPD in The New Yorker, everything you need to know about therapy by Hannah Ewans for Vice and the story of the 48-year-old intern, as seen at The Spectator. This week, we discuss Kate Winslet’s controversial comments (or lack thereof) when asked about working with Woody Allen. Should Hollywood actors seek to distance themselves from known paedophiles like Allen and Polanski; or does great art stand alone? We discuss ethics and responsibility... when your boss is a creep. Also work-related, the tech CEO who dyed her blonde hair brown, to be taken more seriously in the workplace. Have you ever toned down your looks, in an effort to get ahead? We discuss misogyny at work and why it’s important to hold your own. You can e-mail The High Low thehighlowshow@gmail.com, or tweet

Dennis Rodman's strange new friendship with North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un; a deep-dive into the archive via Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg's interview with Ali G; and a most unfortunate story about a girl, a Tinder date, and a poo. It's our usual mixed bag on this week's episode of The High Low. Plus, did you know that purple was NOT Prince's favourite colour? On a not so light note, we discuss the thorny concept of 'safe spaces' in light of Oxford University's Vice Chancellor Louise Richardson's comments about homophobia at university (Dolly recommends this episode of Guys We Fucked for some interesting conversation on safe spaces https://m.soundcloud.com/guyswefucked/0155-09012017-nadine-strossen) and the sacking of Munroe Bergdorf, L'Oreal's first ever trans ambassador - after her comments on white privilege, post-Charlottesville. Plenty of recommendations from Pandora and a very hoarse Dolly this week: - Can I Be Me on iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b094f49s - The Most Dangerous Pl

It’s Dolly’s birthday today! And as if in celebration, The High Low has hit half a million downloads. Listen to Pandora sing happy birthday to Dolly and the two discuss Hilary Mantel’s epic piece on Princess Diana and 'the princess myth' for The Guardian and Alan Yentob’s BBC interview with Margaret Atwood. Also today, some deep-dive discussion into Taylor Swift’s record-breaking new tune (43.2million YouTube downloads in 24 hours) and whether it’s self-aware and brave, or gauche and obvious. One thing’s for sure: Taylor ain't pretending to play nice anymore. Playing nice, at least with make-up, is French President Emmanuel Macron, whose make-up regime have been revealed as costing €8,000 and then a further €10,000. Is he wearing bespoke presidential foundation? Or lasering his ball sack with the finest lasers in the land? The High Low discusses if this is a gendered issue (yes) and whether Theresa May would get away with spending £18,000 of public funding on her fizzy. Fun facts from today’s Top Line:

It's a new episode of The High Low and we've got a bunch of things to recommend watching, listening to and reading covering everything from Indian Partition to an online black drugs market to male privilege to Vanessa Feltz. In The Top Line, we discover the bizarre tale of the British dad-of-five on holiday who became an accidental Turkish treasure smuggler. Oh and did you know that 1 in 5 UK pets has its own Instagram profile? Jesus weeps. In the wake of Zadie Smith's comments on the time-wasting practice of contouring, we talk about the role of makeup in a young woman's life and how time-consuming beauty regimes might negate productivity, but never morality. As the McCanns continue to search for their missing daughter as well as put an end to the horrific abuse they receive online - we talk trolling, public campaigning for missing children and our collective attention span in the wake of a disaster. Plus, a heart-breaking listener question on deportation and a few words from your hosts on the acciden

The High Low is BACK after a week's hiatus in which Dolly went to Majorca, boggled at its lack of scene and read a bunch of books. Meanwhile Pandora's got summer flu and wants Dolly to update the Good Reads profile. There's Bond, vegan feminist cafes and Taylor Swift in The Top Line. And we look at the surprise shouty renaissance of Trinny and "put a waist belt on it" Susannah's Trinny Woodall. In the wake of the horrifying white supremacist rally in Charlottesville and murder of an innocent young woman, we discuss what the various public reactions say about white privilege; particularly one divisive tweet from Lorde. We also discuss the presence of rape culture in the reporting and reaction to model Chloe Ayling's account of her kidnap and imprisonment. Plus, we answer a reader question on toxic friendships in the workplace. COME TO OUR EVENT NEXT WEEK We'll be having a live 'in conversation' at the NARS store in Covent Garden next Wednesday 23rd August. You can book your ticket (£30 and redeemable

It's Episode 20, a milestone of sorts - and Tesco are now paying your tampon tax. Hurrah! Go buy your 'pax from there -- and other supermarkets, we hope you follow their example. This week Dolly and Pandora discuss the invasion of royal privacy with the revelation of Princess Diana's private tapes (handed over by her speech coach from 1992) that will be aired in Diana: Her Own Words on Channel 4 on Sunday 6th August. Is it really in the public interest, to air tapes Diana never thought would leave the room - or is it an unethical attempt by a powerful broadcaster to feed modern culture's salacious appetite for celebrity gossip? You can guess which side we fall down on. Also today, we discuss the return of Celebrity Big Brother - series approx 487 - and whether the format is getting tired. Has reality TV entered a new chapter? We also discuss past highlights, including Ivana Trump accepting a fake businesswoman of the year award (yes, the president of the USA's ex-wife went on British CBB) and Vanessa Feltz

After a break last week, it's a (bumper) episode 19 of The High Low. Of course, we're talking about the incendiary gender pay gap revealed at the BBC and the wider question of the value of each and every job. We discuss the news of R Kelly's alleged disturbing sex cult and how the reporting reflects rape culture and systemic racism. We also unpick the divisive nature of Netflix's new film To The Bone and ask whether it explores the issue of eating disorders with refreshing honesty or whether it simply glamorizes the traumatic reality of anorexia. Plus, we discuss all the books Pandora's been reading, all the mind-losing that Dolly's been doing and there's our first ever High Low dream sequence back to a particularly memorable gaffe in an early episode (nice work Producer Charlie). Follow us on Good Reads > thehighlowshow Tweet @thehighlowshow E-mail thehighlowshow@gmail.com Don't forget to rate/subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-high-low/id1211338187?mt=2 READING Hunger by

It's our second author special this week, with journalist and author, Elizabeth Day. Elizabeth's brilliant 4th book, The Party, comes out on 13th July and has whiffs of the Patrick Melrose novels, by Edward St Aubyn. Pandora and Dolly talk privilege and poshness and quiz Elizabeth, who is an esteemed interviewer, on her favourite ever celebrity interview (Clint Eastwood) and her worst (Rob Lowe.) Also in this week's episode: Rob Kardashian's misogynistic social media meltdown and his restraining order from ex-fiancée Blac Chyna (and why shaming women with their bodies is a far from defunct trope) plus Harper Beckham's birthday party, hosted by one of Dolly's favourite royals. Watching Gypsy on Netflix Baby Driver Reading Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris The Golden Age of Bailing, via The New York Times > https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/07/07/opinion/the-golden-age-of-bailing.html?referer=https://t.co/dzI1aZedF7 Why coconut oil is bullshit, via The Guardian > https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl

In Episode 17 of The High Low, we discuss celebrities quitting Twitter (and why Pandora wants to set up a foundation called The RSPS - the Royal Society for the Protection of Stars) specifically Ed Sheeran who says he can't cope with the trolling. Plus Serena Williams vs. John McEnroe. Pandora and Dolly discuss why a naked Vanity Fair cover doesn't mean she doesn't deserve privacy and respect. And BTW, its bloody beaut. Don’t forget to follow The High Low @thehighowshow on Twitter and to rate/ subscribe on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-high-low/id1211338187?mt=2 You can e-mail The High Low thehighlowshow@gmail.com. READING This Sunday Times piece on Haredi Jews > https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/the-sunday-times-magazine/how-they-live-britains-haredi-jews-07zknxvdb And Roxanne Gay for The Guardian, on being obese > https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jul/03/roxane-gay-lindy-west-if-i-was-conventionally-hot-i-would-be-president  See acast.c

JezCo took to the stage at Glasto, 7% of Americans think that chocolate milk comes from brown cows, Louis Tomlinson admitted he was the most ‘average’ of 1D, and 95 tower blocks in the UK have failed safety measures. It’s your usual mix of the trivial and the political, the high and the low, on this week’s The High Low. Don’t forget to follow The High Low @thehighowshow on Twitter and to rate/ subscribe on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-high-low/id1211338187?mt=2 You can e-mail The High Low thehighlowshow@gmail.com. If you want a mini Dolce Vita lip pencil and a mascara FOR FREE from Nars - our awesome sponsor - go to narscosmetics.co.uk and enter HILOW at the checkout, redeemable against one purchase. See below for a list of reading and listening in today’s episode: - It’s OK for women not to be ambitious, by India Knight https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/india-knight-it-s-ok-for-women-not-to-be-ambitious-mmg3mjczv - When did we all become so scared of being average? by Marisa... &#

Grenfell Tower is an unthinkable national tragedy; with many questions still unanswered, victims missing and families displaced. We discuss the aftermath of the most tragic residential fire since World War Two, Sadiq Khan’s piece for The Guardian, and what we hope will lead to change. You can donate to the Grenfell victims here: www.pennyappeal.org and https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/grenfell amongst others. At the low-brow, trivial end of the spectrum, we discuss the rise of the ‘silver splitter’ - sixty-something divorcees forced to find flatmates - and why divorce in the elder members of society (up 5%) isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Also today, we talk about Bum Bum cream, a new £44 product to ’tighten’ your ass (but not your hole.) Did you know that women with bigger bums are smarter and, apparently, live longer? This and many more bum facts - including how much Dolly loves Rear of the Year - on today’s episode of The High Low. Don’t forget to subscribe and rate us on iTunes. You can tweet...

It's our first ever author special with Reni Eddo-Lodge, whose phenomenal book Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race was published earlier this month. We talk to Reni about race relations in the U.K. and why 'reverse racism' is not a thing. You can buy her book,published by Bloomsbury - http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race-9781408870570/ Also today: the return of the Nokia 3310 (you know Pandora once beat SNAKE?) And why peeing on the streets is controversial for a woman - featuring Lottie Moss. Long live Booze Britain. And why is peeing in public a gendered issue? The High Low discusses. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review for The High Low on iTunes! Every review helps. You can e-mail us thehighlowshow@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @thehighlowshow - we post all links to articles, films, products there. If you like the sound of the books we mention, you can follow us on Good Reads @ http://goodreads.com/thehighlowshow where we... &#

It’s General Election week, but there’ll be no talk of #GE2017 here (firstly, it’s already over.) Instead, we discuss Prince William’s revelatory interview with GQ - and Princess Diana’s relationship with the media. Also in today’s episode, we discuss Miss Eaves’ music video ‘Thunder Thighs’ and the new spate of ‘body posi’ bloggers; and whether purely inhabiting your body could be more progressive than ‘owning' it. Also noteworthy: Dolly is addicted to Wagamama and Pandora went to see the Baywatch movie. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review for The High Low on iTunes! Every review helps. You can e-mail us thehighlowshow@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @thehighlowshow - we post all links to articles, films, products there. If you like the sound of the books we mention, you can follow us on Good Reads @ http://goodreads.com/thehighlowshow where we update our book shelf with what we love, what we have read, and what we intend to read.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out inf