Standard Issue Podcast

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Alex Light knows the price of pretty Jun 01, 2026

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Over on Instagram, Alex Light is a rare voice of sanity amid the relentless madness that is beauty standards for women and girls. Her new book, The Price of Pretty, examines the crushing beauty standards women are subjected to – and how we can learn to fight back.

Mick chats to Alex about finding compassion for ourselves and other women in how we navigate these toxic waters, whether we choose to opt in, try to opt out, or just want to see change for the young girls growing up in a system that’s rigged against us.

The Price of Pretty: How toxic beauty standards are bringing women down and how we can fight back is published by HQ and out now. And you can follow Alex on Instagram at @alexlight_ldn.

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Lalala Let Me Explain on why ‘unwise’ should also be illegal May 29, 2026

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Much older men have dated much younger women since time immemorial, but should it feel inappropriate when the younger women in question are over the age of consent, but not yet 18? Dating educator, social worker, and podcaster Lalala Let Me Explain wants to end the “unwise but not illegal” defence used by grown adults entering relationships with young people who are above the age of consent but not yet eligible to vote.

Having joined forces with campaigner Poppy Mason to launch Close the Consent Gap, a campaign aimed at making such relationships illegal, she chats to Jen about it, and the harm that such power imbalances can cause.

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The Bush Telegraph: Piss poor judgment all round May 28, 2026

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Join us for a little tour of the devolved Governments (where Wales comes out a lot better than Scotland, if we're honest), and for a look at one of the worst rulings in an English court in a long time. Bring a Chris or a talking animal, or indeed anything but a woman over 60.

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Rated or Dated: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001) May 27, 2026

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Who do we forgive in times of war? Louis de Bernières’ 1994 novel, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, has some suggestions, but are they the same as John Madden’s 2001 imagining of it? Still, never mind the morals, what about the accents? And can Nicolas Cage ever laugh like a normal person?

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The haunting of New York, with Natalie Adler May 26, 2026

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Waiting On A Friend, the debut novel of journalist Natalie Adler, is set in the crucible of the early years of the AIDS crisis in New York. Natalie chats to Hannah about what inspired her to write it, a lost generation, and Old "affordable" New York.

* Waiting on a Friend is available to buy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/waiting-on-a-friend/natalie-adler/9781529439052

To find out more about supporting Standard Issue click here: Standard Issue Podcast | creating a magazine for ears, by women for women | Patreon

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Outside The Box May 2026 May 22, 2026

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Want some TV recommendations? Yeah, you do. This month we're chatting about Legends, Ponies, Widow's Bay and Believe Me, as well as some good and bad news about what's still to come this year, plus what should probably never have been on the telly in the first place.

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Rated or Dated: Short Circuit (1986) May 20, 2026

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Number 5 is alive! Or is he? This week, Hannah and Jen talk about the family-friendly sci-fi comedy, its inappropriate casting and why the love interests have the same haircut.

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Virginia Mendoza's search for water May 19, 2026

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The Search for Water: A Human History of Thirst is an expansive and important new book from journalist and anthropologist Virginia Mendoza. Part-memoir and part-history, Virginia weaves personal reflection and her memories of growing up in La Mancha – the driest region in Europe – with a meticulously researched anthropological exploration of how water – both too little and too much – has shaped our species.

Mick chats with Virginia about water and how it connects us to our oldest ancestors, from where we were all born in Africa to migration, from myth-making and religion to what our relationship with water means today.

English isn’t Virginia’s first language so a heads up that she pronounces drought “druth” the first couple of times she says it.

The Search for Water: A Human History of Thirstis translated into English by Thomas Bunstead, published by Pushkin and out now.

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Gillian Best knows pain May 18, 2026

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Inspired by her own experiences of autoimmune diseases, writer Gillian Best decided to delve deeper into the topic of pain. Her book, Chronic: Understanding Pain, explores what pain is, how to treat it, and the research being done to improve the lives of the 1.5billion people across the world living with chronic pain.

Jen chats to Gillian about chronic pain, how to navigate it, its impact on women, and why it’s more than a medical issue.

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Flicking #73: Sinners May 15, 2026

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Ryan Coogler’s much glazed box-office smash is Yosra’s pick this month. It’s a vampire horror about life and times in the Jim Crow South with a banging Blues soundtrack and a lot to say about cultural appropriation, colonialism and the Black experience. Does its midway handbrake turn work or is it too reminiscent of a film Mick and Hannah would rather forget? Do the not one but two Michael B Jordans bring out the actor’s best? Is Jack O’Connell under control? And could we love Wunmi Mosaku any more? Find out.

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