Quillette Cetera

Drew Pavlou is an Australian student and activist. He made international news after he led protests at the University of Queensland in Australia, supporting Hong Kong and criticizing the university's ties to China. His actions led to a high-profile disciplinary case against him by the university, and a $3.5 million lawsuit which was recently settled. While his methods of protest have softened over the years, he remains a vocal advocate for liberal democratic values, attracting the ire of the far-Left and far-Right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Graham Linehan has experienced cancel culture firsthand. After building a huge following for his work on the popular TV shows "Father Ted," "Black Books," and "The IT Crowd", Graham became concerned about unscientific gender ideology, including self-identification, males competing against females in women's sports leagues, and experimental gender medicine, including puberty blockers. Since speaking publicly about his concerns, he as faced severe personal and career repercussions. Graham is in Australia as part of his book tour with the Free Speech Union of Australia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, Zoe Booth and Freya India discuss the trend of opening up about mental health online, particularly among women. They explore the influence of mental health companies and the glamorization of mental health struggles on social media. They also discuss the risks of sharing personal information online and the pressure to document and share every aspect of life. The conversation touches on the fear of missing out (FOMO), the impact of social media on relationships, and the shift in perspective on social justice ideology. They conclude by highlighting the importance of personal responsibility and critiquing the patronizing marketing of mental health products. The conversation explores the idea of constant reassurance and intervention for women's mental health, the importance of resilience and risk-taking, the need to think less about oneself, and the value of getting out of one's own head. It also discusses the shift from victim mentality to victor mentality, the concept of Amazonian feminism, the double standard of strength and vulnerability, the power of discipline and responsibility, and the emptiness of empty cliches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Claire and I discuss the concept of confected radicalism, which refers to young activists who seek out radical causes despite the success of past movements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are Ashkenazi Jews indigenous to the Middle East? Is Palestinian a distinct ethnicity, different to other Arabs? Why do some races have bigger noses or eyes or butts or boobs? Are some ethnicities more homogenous than others? Is inbreeding actually terrible for your genetics or can it make them stronger? All that and more in this episode of the Quillette Cetera podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dara Macdonald, a lawyer and director of the Free Speech Union in Australia, discusses the need for a free speech union in the country and shares examples of free speech issues. She explains the support provided by the union and the Australian flavour it brings to the cause. Dara also talks about her background and interest in free speech, the Andrew Bolt Section 18C case, the importance of drawing the line between actions and speech, and the challenges of immigration and cultural values. She concludes by discussing the Great Misinformation Panic and the opposition to the draft law. This was recorded 13 October 2023 in Sydney, Australia. Read Dara's work in Quillette here: https://quillette.com/author/daramacdonald/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAzoeuBhDqARIsAMdH14EVdHI5KK7AOI3kJSn6VRDbnKPmmsXZnWvc2EWJ7zcCkVvwEdQHssAaAihbEALw_wcB Visit the FSU Australia website here: https://freespeechunion.au/quillette Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zoe speaks with the British-Palestinian writer, data scientist and peace-activist John Aziz about his viral Atlantic piece, how he came to support Zionism, and how Palestinians have a responsibility in achieving peace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oliver Traldi is a John and Daria Barry Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions in the Department of Politics at Princeton University. In this episode we discuss Oliver's latest piece for Quillette, a review of the latest book by Costin Alamariu, a polarising author and influencer who enjoys a cult-like following under the pseudonym Bronze Age Pervert. Tune in for commentary on Nietzsche, Strauss, bodybuilding, feminism and the "New Right". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Limbrick is a Libertarian Member of Parliament in Victoria's upper house. He has been a Quillette reader since its inception in 2015 and came along to our Quillette Social in Melbourne in September 2023. Zoe asks David about the work he's done in pushing for a "watchful waiting" approach to treating children with gender-dysphoria in Victoria, his attendance at the Let Women Speak rally, the decriminalisation of marijuana, nuclear power, and the recent election of Javier Milei. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quillette contributor and author of Woke Antisemitism: How a Progressive Ideology Harms Jews, David Bernstein, joins Zoe to discuss the ways antisemitism manifests on the Left and Right, and to explore how universities should promote free speech on campus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social scientist, Quillette contributor and Heterodox Academy member, Andrew Glover, joined me in September to talk about the current issues facing Australian universities when it comes to viewpoint diversity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julian McBride is a former US Marine who served in Afghanistan and then saw active warfare in Yemen while working for the United Nations. Now trained as a forensic anthropologist, he has taught Middle Eastern History at NYU and works as a military consultant and independent journalist. After suffering PTSD, Julian found solace in art-therapy, which lead him to found a not-for-profit called the Reflections of War Initiative (ROW). Julian joins me on the podcast to debunk some of the myths that Israel's detractors level at it, and tells me about his experiences seeing true genocides and war-crimes up close. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just how much cronyism exists in Australia? Is it true that younger generations are worse off economically than baby boomers? Is home-ownership good metric for economic success? Is there a perfect number of immigrants that Australia should allow in? Why is Sydney's property market so expensive? All these questions and more are answered in this episode with Dr. Cameron Murray, an economist specialising in property and urban development, environmental economics, rent-seeking and corruption. His latest book is "Rigged: How networks of powerful mates rip off everyday Australians" and is available for purchase on Amazon. His website: http://www.fresheconomicthinking.com His Twitter: @drcameronmurray Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Brooks is an evolutionary biologist who focuses on the evolutionary consequences of sexual reproduction. His areas of interest include the evolution of mate choice, the costs of being attractive, sexual conflict, the reasons animals age, and the interconnectedness of sex, diet, obesity, and mortality. Leading a dynamic research group known as the SEX LAB, Rob collaborates with other researchers to explore the evolutionary and ecological implications of sexual reproduction. His work is primarily curiosity-driven and often funded by fundamental research programs like the ARC's Discovery program. Rob is motivated to study evolution because of its power to illuminate both nature and the human condition. Currently, he is especially interested in the interplay between evolution and economics, human life histories, sex differences in aging and longevity, the escalating obesity crisis, the relationship between evolution and equity feminism, the evolution of human physiques, the cultural role of Rock 'n' Roll, and the limitations of drawing moral conclusions from the natural world. Rob's first book, "Sex, Genes & Rock 'n' Roll: How Evolution has Shaped the Modern World," received the 2012 Queensland Literary Award for Science Writing. He also writes a regular column for The Conversation called "Natural History of the Present," which explores how an evolutionary view can enrich our understanding of the modern world and the human experience. In recognition of his contributions to science communication, Rob was awarded the 2013 Eureka Prize for Communicating Science & Research. His research primarily involves model organisms like guppies, field crickets, and mice, although he also has ongoing projects involving human subjects. Rob currently holds the position of Professor of Evolution and Director of the Evolution & Ecology Research Centre at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. The public is invited to participate in various studies led by his team. Check out Rob Brooks' writing for Quillette here: https://quillette.com/author/rob/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zoe interviews Virginia Tapscott, a freelance journalist and mother of four from rural New South Wales, Australia. They discuss the concept of care feminism, which emphasizes the value and importance of women's care work, whether it is paid or unpaid. Care feminism is contrasted with dominant feminist rhetoric that sometimes aims to minimize or avoid care work altogether. Additionally, they discuss Virginia's podcast, My Sister's Secrets, which explores the stories of Virginia and her late sister, Alex. Both were sexually abused by a family member during their infancy. They examine whether this abuse influenced Virginia's perception of men and her desire to have a family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Quillette Cetera, Zoe sits down with Christopher HF Mitchell and Jayan Nandagopan, two Australia-based artists whose show, The Marvellous Elephant Man Musical, is now showing at the Sydney Fringe Festival. The absurdist dark comedy is a crowd favourite and the winner of the Adelaide Fringe 2023 Critics' Circle Award. However, its carefree gags have ruffled many feathers in politically correct circles, so much so that one activist asked that the public boycott the show or demand refunds for tickets already purchased. We discuss cancel culture in the arts, the story of Joseph Merrick (the Elephant Man), the ethics of casting people with different abilities, identity politics, and much more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Claire and Zoe discuss how overblown the Luis Rubiales and Jenni Hermoso scandal was, and how much they enjoyed Heather Mac Donald's piece about it in Quillette. Then they go on to discuss the Australian referendum on the Voice to Parliament and how impressed they were by Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's address to the National Press Club, where she made the controversial claim that colonisation had a "positive impact" on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a Christian lesbian and non-woke artist, Melody Rachel has always felt isolated from the communities she gets grouped into. But as Melody shows, perhaps happiness comes from accepting your own identity as an individual, not from demanding acceptance as a member of an identity group. Melody Rachel is a multifaceted artist from New Zealand who currently resides in Sydney. Melody hosts the enlightening "You Know I" podcast, where she delves into a myriad of thought-provoking topics—ranging from gender and religion to challenging ideological orthodoxy in the arts. Melody is gearing up for her one-woman show "Demo" at the Sydney Fringe Festival. The show explores her complex feelings of alienation and polarization as she navigates through various communities—being a lesbian, a Christian, and an artist who thrives on challenging norms. Melody's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Melodyrachelk Melody's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@melodyrachel Info about Melody's show at Sydney Fringe: https://sydneyfringe.com/events/demo/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do we live under a patriarchy? Should women boycott sex with men? What's the Nordic approach to prostitution? Is masculinity celebrated more than feminity? We cover all that + more in this conversation with Holly Lawford-Smith, a philosopher and academic whose work primarily focuses on topics in political philosophy. Holly has been the subject of much public discussion and debate due to her views on various topics, most notably her advocacy for the protection of women’s sex-based rights and her criticism of self-identification laws for people who identify as trans. She's also a Visiting Academic in the School of Law at the University of Reading, and a Network Member of the Open University #GenderCritical Research Network. Check out her monthly contributions to Quillette: https://quillette.com/author/holly-lawford-smith/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Claire and I discuss a complaint lodged with the Australian Press Council concerning one of Claire's articles in The Australian. In her piece, Claire compares Australia's method of treating children with gender dysphoria to Finland's more nuanced approach, which neither affirms nor denies gender identities. This raises the question: Has the Australian Press Council been influenced by trans advocacy groups like GLAAD? Towards the end of the episode, we examine the widespread tendency among both the Left and Right to romanticize the past. We argue that this inclination is not only irrational but can be countered by a thoughtful reading of history, which can provide valuable perspective on contemporary struggles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices