14/4 - Mike, Inc.

“I decided that the shareholders should help keep me accountable. And so I put up a vote asking the shareholders if they wanted control over my romantic life.”

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Imagine delegating your decisions to a group of people online, some of whom are total strangers.

Imagine sharing the most intimate parts of your life in order to get their approval. Imagine answering your personal problems in the same way a bank asks its shareholders to vote on corporate outcomes.

This is the life chosen by Mike Merrill.

Since 2008 - when he created 100,000 shares of himself and sold them at $1 each through his website, KMikeyM - he has asked his ‘investors’ for advice on his choice of romantic partner, diet and body art. This is not for a TV show. It’s not for a book deal. It’s for real.

In this conversation with Olly, Mike traces back his unconventional lifestyle to the DIY art scene in Portland,Oregon; his brush with corporate share-prices whilst seated at the front desk of a trucking company; and the anti-corporate activism with which he spices up his dates…

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Olly and Ollie posing with the deconstructed version of The Modern Mann cover-art.

Meanwhile, Ollie Peart has decamped to Camberwell for this month’s Zeitgeist, in an attempt to approximate the trend for ‘immersive’ exhibitions.

With a budget totalling £50.

Armed with an Oculus headset, a projector and a hacksaw, can Ollie convince Olly of the merits of experiential art?

And are interactive super-exhibits the future for museums and galleries?

Warning: includes the return of Captain Spronk.

If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in a future epsiode, fill in the Feedback form.

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Elsewhere, we revisit a classic edition of the Foxhole, in which Alix Fox advises a horny student on his three-times-per-night escapades. From the comfort of a Vauxhall Corsa. 

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.
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Our record of the month comes from ethereal groovster Eliza Rose, and her ace new track, ‘Better Love’ 👇

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Support for this episode comes from:

• Listeners like YOU.

  Buy us a beer 🍻 once per month, or make a one-off pledge - fill in our secure BEER MONEY FORM 👇

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… And we’ll see you again on May 10th!

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14/3 - Why I Make Porn

“There's only so many ways of saying, ‘I'm going to destroy you with my beautiful bare feet’”.

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Rosie Hodsdon was struggling to make ends meet on a pHD stipend.

Then she hit Record and began to make sex videos from her student flat, indulging her fetish for kink.

As she explains to Olly in this intimate conversation, her sexy side-hustle introduced her to a range of peccadillos, including ‘Giantess’ porn and ‘sploshing’ - and even led her to be invited to join the cast of a professional adult video.

But it also left her exposed to assault.

Now an advocate for charity National Ugly Mugs, Rosie campaigns for increased rights for sex workers, and nurtures support networks for performers who fall prey to violence.

CONTENT WARNING: explicit sexual content; sexual assault.

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Ollie with his Sports Journalism award. He’s going to be unbearable now.

Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - fresh from scooping up a Sports Journalism Award for producing the podcast ‘Brown Gal Can’t Swim’ - investigates the trend for breakdancing. (Or, as he discovers, ‘break’, as it is correctly called…)

How will it fare as an Olympic sport in 2024? How does one go about gaining the highest score in a battle dance? And will he permanently damage his knees by just giving it a go? 

With help from break expert DJ Renegage and sports commentator Tim Warwood, Ollie BREAKS UP THE DANCE FLOOR. 

If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in a future epsiode, fill in the Feedback form.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox has a memorable encounter with Susie Dent, assists a listener in an open relationship, and proves she knows the difference between a low cervix and a short vagina. As if we ever doubted it.

She also showcases muslim-centred sex ed resources and support services The Village Auntie, Amaliah podcast ‘Lights On’, sexologist Shaakira Abdullah, sex educator Amirah Zaky, self-care group Deeper Feminine, and writer Habeeb Akande.

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Music this month comes from podcaster Rory Powers, known for his hugely entertaining show ‘This Paranormal Life’.

Our record of the month is ‘Down Bad’, from his forthcoming EP👇

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Support for this episode comes from:

• Listeners like YOU.

  Buy us a beer 🍻 once per month, or make a one-off pledge - fill in our secure BEER MONEY FORM 👇

  https://www.modernmann.co.uk/beer

• Blinkist, the app that helps you understand the most important things from over 5,500 non-fiction books and podcasts in just 15 minutes.

  Start your 7-day free trial and get 25% off a Blinkist Premium membership HERE 👇

  https://www.blinkist.com/modernmann

… And we’ll see you again on April 12th!

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14/2 - Challenge Ian

“It’s may not be much, but, to these people, it’s everything".

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Ian Mudge was a teenage punk, whose exploits included chucking chairs out of a train window.

He became a teacher, whose unconventional methods and connection with kids saw him rise through the ranks, becoming Headteacher of a Pupil Referral Unit - responsible for educating some of Britain’s most challenging children, many with histories of violence and abuse.

As he explains to Olly in this lively conversation, it was a career that required lateral thinking and exhaustive energy - but ultimately left him burned out.

When Putin’s army invaded Ukraine in 2022, Ian’s wife suggested he should collect aid to support Ukrainian refugees…

It was all the prompt he needed to organise five trips personally delivering aid to Poland.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - who owns a book about wood-chopping, don’t you know - explores the phenomenal potential of A.I. chatbot Chat GPT.

How will ‘large language models’ change the way we search, write and study? How will Microsoft’s investment into Open AI affect the usability of the program? And will all journalists soon be out of a job?

With the help of The Economist’s science correspondent, Alok Jha, Ollie has the answers. (And also thinks up some unspeakable things in the name of A.I-generated erotic literature.)

If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in a future epsiode, fill in the Feedback form.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox prepares for Valentine’s with some up-to-date figures on the amount of nerve endings in the clitoris.

Then, she assists listener Delores who wants to support ‘ethical porn’ sites.

Is it worth seeking out studios who offer safer working environments for their stars? Are free Tube sites necessarily ‘unethical’? And what about the ‘farm-to-table’ models like OnlyFans?

Alix has a long list of suggestions for listener Delores - and any wanker who wants to do the right thing… [list to follow shortly!]

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

Images: Stroud News and Journal

Olly Mann & Ian Mudge, Feb 2023

“Olly Mann enjoying eating a donut”, according to A.I. chatbots

“Olly Mann as Manga animation”, according to A.I. chatbots

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Finally, our record of the month is this laid-back charmer from Billie Marten, This Is How We Move 👇

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This episode is sponsored by Stitch Fix, the personal styling site that sends you great clothes to try on at home.

Try their service FREE at StitchFix.co.uk/mann

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… And we’ll see you again on March 10th.

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14/1 - Adventures In Microdosing

“It never felt like a risky behaviour. It never felt dangerous.”

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Ketamine and magic mushrooms are notorious for their damaging side-effects, including paranoia, depression and other ‘bad trips’.

But the process of carefully administering small amounts of these drugs - so-called ‘microdosing’ - is now gaining traction both recreationally and in medical settings.

In this episode, Olly meets NHS worker Nathan*, who credits his psilocybin experiments with improving his interpersonal skills at work; and Irish artist Tamzin Merrivale, who suffered poor mental health for decades until a pioneering Austrian doctor suggested she should try a course of ketamine as an antidepressant…

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Meanwhile, Ollie Peart - fresh from launching The Zeitgeist Collab - checks out the Chinese medical tradition of ear seeds.

Can placing a series of small stickers on his ears make him feel less anxious, or suppress chronic pain?

And what of his other ‘health trend’ predictions for 2023 - padel tennis, personalised nutrition plans, and weight-loss drug tirzepatide? Are any about to become a permanent fixture in our health routines?

If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in 2023, fill in the Feedback form.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox has exciting news of a little-known fetish… elbow-sucking!

Then, she assists a listener who would like to know how to dig deep into his partner’s G-Area…

Which toys are best suited for G-Area play? Is G-Area enhancement surgery worth considering? And why don’t we call it the G-Spot any more? Alix has all the answers.

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in 2023, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Finally, our record of the month is ‘Long Live The Strange’, a delicious slice of rock-fun from Gaz Coombes’ new album Turn The Car Around 👇

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This episode is sponsored by Stitch Fix, the personal styling site that sends you great clothes to try on at home.

Get £10 off your first purchase at StitchFix.co.uk/mann

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WANT TO SUPPORT THE SHOW? Buy us a beer 🍻…

… And we’ll see you again on February 10th.

CONTENT WARNING: interview includes account of parental suicide and drug abuse. *Name changed to protect anonymity.

In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.

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13/12 🎄 Christmas 🥂 Spectacular - 2022! 🎅

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This month, Olly, Alix and Ollie gather round the podcasting chimney for a festive knees-up, with musical guest Ashley Singh and entrepreneur Jules Parker.

There are yuletide songs, holiday films, a ‘Christmas collab’ - and, of course, the LEGENDARY XXXMas Foxhole Christmas Quiz.

Ho ho ho!

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First up, Ollie Peart has bought his one year-old child a skateboard, so can he be trusted to go into business with fabulous start-ups run by Mann-fans?

(Spoiler: yes he can - and you can buy the result NOW at https://modernmann.co.uk/shop)

With the help of Manchester’s Brick Chocolate, beard specialists Runesilk and craft evangelists Knit Slips, Ollie wraps up 2022 with a collab-tastic way to support British artisan producers.

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Ashley Singh, Alix Fox, Olly Mann and Ollie Peart, Dec 2022

Then, there’s some superb live music - in the form of an exclusive acoustic performance from singer-songwriter Ashley Singh, whose heartbreak anthem Autopilot is our Record of the Month 👇

In our chat, Ashley also reveals his disappointing middle name, explains why he has a burner phone, and reveals his soft-spot for Jim Broadbent!

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Next up, Jules Parker, a metalworker from East Sussex, has come to chat to Olly.

His side-hustle is Moot - a lingerie store for men, offering sensual underwear for people with penises.

Does he see a mainstream future for lacey men’s undies? And what does he wear when he goes to the GP? Jules reveals all… 

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Finally, Alix Fox has outdone herself with a laugh-out-loud edition of our annual XXXmas Foxhole Quiz.

This year, Olly takes on Ollie in a game of ‘Murder She Scrote’; erotic titles are conjured from thin air; and there’s a harrowing round of ‘Two Ollies, One Cup’.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

(For more Foxhole chaos, check out this teaser video, thanks to PlayWivMe.com)

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This episode is sponsored by:

• Stitch Fix, the personal styling site that sends you great clothes to try on at home. Get £10 off your first purchase at StitchFix.co.uk/mann

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Thanks for being a Mann-fan - have a very happy Christmas, and we’ll see you with a brand new season of the show on Jan 10th, 2023!

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