Posts tagged #church

12/9 - An Abortion

“There’s a huge amount of guilt about the decision that I didn’t feel that I had an option but to make.”

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Pippa spent eight months struggling to conceive her second child. Then, on the brink of beginning IVF, she discovered she was pregnant.

But, at ten weeks, she discovered there was a more than 99% chance that her foetus had Down's Syndrome. She and her husband Joe had already decided that, in this situation, they would have an abortion.

In this brutally honest conversation with Olly, Pippa explains how the experience left her feeling guilty, compromised, and unsupported; and how she still struggles to reconcile the fact that she chose to terminate the baby she had wanted so much…

The NHS has a page offering support for those considering termination for foetal anomaly here.


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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart, fresh from accruing sixty (60!) followers on Spotify with his musical pseudonym Captain Spronk - has spent the past month learning to knit.

Is this trend for young men taking up knitting limited to influencers like Tom Daley and Ryan Gosling? Where do hipsters go to discover the latest patterns? And can Ollie make an actual full-length SCARF on his first attempt?

With the help of Mann-fan Tom Adkins, Wool and the Gang, and some ancient episodes of The X Files, Ollie will reveal all…

If YOU would like to challenge Ollie to test out a trend on a future edition of the show, submit it via our feedback form.

Ollie catches up with The X Files

Ollie catches up with The X Files

Ollie with his baby beanie AND snood!

Ollie with his baby beanie AND snood!

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by Manscaped, the only men’s brand dedicated to below the waist grooming. Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code ‘Mann’ at Manscaped.com

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox  is intrigued by the release of a male contraceptive device, the ‘Andro-Switch’ ring - and tackles a listener query from a lady who wants to know how she and her partner should refer to her vagina in bed.

Is there a catch-all term that’s fit for purpose? How should a couple begin an erotic conversation? And is ‘willy’ an acceptable designation for men?

If YOU would like to ask Alix a question of sex - you can remain anonymous if you wish - submit it via our feedback form.

The Foxhole is sponsored by Handy - a WiFi-enabled sex toy for men, designed and developed in Norway. For free express shipping, use our code ‘Foxhole' at TheHandy.com.

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Finally, our record of the month is the surprise new drop from Biffy Clyro - an epic six minuter! It’s called ‘Unknown Male 01’ 👇

This show is free to download, but it isn’t free to produce.

If you can afford to, please buy us a beer once per month - or as often as you like - using our secure, customisable form here. Thanks!

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We’ll see you again on October 10th.

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Posted on September 11, 2021 and filed under Season Twelve.

9/9 - Christmas in the Vicarage

Olly heads to St Andrew’s Church, Islington, to meet Reverend Jessica Swift, an inner-city vicar managing a diverse congregation; some reliant on food banks, others living in million-pound homes.

As she explains, for the modern-day parish clergy, the Christmas season is as much about meetings and bookkeeping as it is mistletoe and wine.

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Meanwhile, it’s Christmasssss!... well, nearly: so time is running out for our charity single, ‘The Sounds of Christmas’, to crack the UK festive Top 40. In this week’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart reveals the surprise celebrity friends who’ve added their weight to the campaign, whilst a generous Mann-fan blows our fundraising target out of the water.

Elsewhere, in our very festive Foxhole, Alix Fox welcomes Ollie and Olly to sample some Lovehoney crackers, play a round of ‘Bango’, and a memorable game of ‘What’s That Smell?’ You’ll never look at a bag of popcorn in the same way again.

Finally, our Record of the Week is a certain song by Podcast All-Stars called ‘The Sounds of Christmas’. You can and should support Samuel’s Charity by buying it now.

And HERE’s the video - lip-synched by Mannfans from around the world:

We’ll be back in the first week of January (with our annual How To Be A Dad episode) - but, until then, Happy Holidays to all Mann-fans, everywhere!

Posted on December 18, 2018 and filed under Season Nine.

7/5 - Closure and Disclosure: Surviving Abuse

Manny Waks was 11 years old when he was first sexually abused.

Raised in the ultra-Orthdaox sect of Judaism known as Chabad, he lacked the education or vocabulary to understand what was going on.

By the time he was studying for his bar mitzvah, he was molested by a second perpetrator.

Both men were members of staff at his school - the Yeshiva Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

In this searingly honest, compelling and sometimes angry conversation with Olly, he recalls how he was groomed, abused, disbelieved, and shunned - and recounts the moment he decided, aged 18, to turn his back on Hasidic Judaism for ever - and join the Israeli Defense Force...

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Last year, Manny confronted his first abuser, Velvel Serebryanski, in New York. In 2013, Manny's second abuser, David Cyprys, was sentenced to eight years for sexually abusing Manny and eight other boys.

Manny is now CEO of Kol v'Oz, established in Israel in 2016 to prevent child sexual abuse in Jewish communities globally. His book, ‘Who Gave You Permission?’, is out now.

Elsewhere this week, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart explains why ‘battle royale’ is the gaming format du jour, why China are investing in ‘fecal recognition’, and why Drake would rather be on Twitch than The Graham Norton Show. Plus, he reveals how he fared in his challenge to take up Para Ice Hockey (Clue: he didn’t make Team GB...)

If you’ve got a challenge to set Ollie for next week’s show, submit it via our Feedback page.

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from checking out the ‘vac-cube’ at Eroticon - advises a listener who wants to spend longer, much longer, going down on his girlfriend. Along the way, Alix recommends some vocal exercises, a ‘queening stool’, and a surprising application of Prince’s ‘Alphabet Street’.

The Foxhole is delighted to be sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com. They stock a mahooosive range of condoms, lube and toys. Remember to use the code ‘Foxhole’ to get a buzzin’ 15% OFF!

If you’ve got a question of sex for Alix to answer on next week’s show, reach out via our Feedback page - you can remain completely anonymous if you so desire.

This week’s Lifehack comes courtesy of Sky Sports presenter Tony Wrighton, host of the Zestology podcast, who offers up his top three tips on how to be motivated with NLP (neuro-linguistic programming).

Finally, our record of the week is the ethereal and spooky Dans Ma Main, by Jean-Michel Blais, out now:

If you enjoy the show - please support the show. Buy us a beer, send us a donation via PayPal, review us on iTunes or tell your friends about us on social media - we really appreciate it! And, if you have a story you think we should feature on a future episode, or would like to sponsor the show - just let us know.

See You Next Tuesday!

Additional resourcesStop it Now! UK and Ireland is a useful website for anyone with concerns about child sexual abuse. Survivors UK provides information, support and counselling for men who have been raped or sexually abused. The Samaritans offer confidential, emotional telephone support 24 hours a day. This is a useful list for international listeners.

Posted on March 27, 2018 and filed under Season Seven.