Posts tagged #rebecca

15/2 - Our Conviction

“People don’t understand the financial loss, the emotional loss… the children have lost friends.”

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Sue Beere’s husband, John, was jailed for his role in a £53 million drug-smuggling plot. 

He’s spent time in a maximum-security prison. He’s lost two appeals.

But Sue has never doubted his innocence.

Alongside charity Appeal, Sue continues to campaign for his conviction to be quashed - and for all the ‘Freshwater Five’ implicated in the alleged cocaine conspiracy to be exonerated

In this compelling conversation with Olly, Sue recounts how - from John’s unexpected arrest to the shocking outcome of his trial - she has battled stigma, financial struggles, and the British legal system… from her family home on the Isle of Wight.

This episode is sponsored by Readly, who are offering Mann-fans an exclusive, three month trial of unlimited newspapers and magazines. Get yours at readly.com/mann

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart is hunting for a cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder…

Might a simple vitamin tablet do the trick, or is it worth investing in a 10,000 lux therapy lamp?  

Or, could the trend for Nordic bathing - plunging from a piping hot sauna into freezing cold water - be a mood-boosting salve for S.A.D?

Ollie drags Olly along to the Saltwater Sauna in Sandbanks to find out…

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by our friends at Beer52. Claim your FREE case of 8 new and exclusive beers from across the world at https://www.beer52.com/MANN

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox fresh from a mind-blowing movie preview - investigates the booming market in A.I. girlfriends, and uncovers some tasty neologisms for part-time asexuals.

Could an over-reliance on ‘fap GPT’ be a bedroom boner-killer?

And do straight men get emotional support from their interactions with sex-bots? 

With the help of psychotherapist Silva Neves, specialist in sexual compulsive behaviour, and sex robot researcher Dr Chloé Locatelli from King’s College London, Alix has the answers… probably. 

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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Finally, for our record of the month we turn to Vince Freeman, whose new single, ‘Blame Myself’ - taken from his forthcoming album ‘Scars, Ghosts & Glory’ - is out now 👇

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

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This episode includes paid advertisements for Who Gives A Crap? and BetterHelp.

• Get 20% off toilet paper that does a world of good at https://uk.whogivesacrap.org/ when you use the code ‘MANN’.

• Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/mann and get on your way to being your best self.

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Posted on February 10, 2024 and filed under Season Fifteen.

13/2 - Taking The Credit

“This film played in my head for all these years. And, suddenly, I'm not a part of it.”

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Getting a screenplay in to production is notoriously tough.

Writer Jack Barth came closer than most - scripting an episode of The Simpsons, and attracting the attention of Lord Puttnam at Columbia Pictures.

He achieved his dream after 40 years in the business, when his script ‘Cover Version’ was optioned by Working Title.

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But, as Jack explains in this interview with Olly, the journey from page to screen did not go entirely as he’d hoped…

His script was adapted into Yesterday, written by Richard Curtis and directed by Danny Boyle. The movie made over $150m, but Jack never received another penny, and watched from the sidelines as Curtis’ publicity interviews for the film implied he’d never read Jack’s script. At a screening, Jack’s ‘Story By’ credit was “buried” in the closing titles.

[We’ve asked Richard Curtis’ agent to comment, but have yet to receive a reply. In 2020, he told The 237: Film School Podcast: “We are well aware of Mr Barth’s claims and they are of course refuted, in general and in detail - as he knows. He was well paid for his work under the terms of the perfectly reasonable contract with Working Title and did receive a proper credit for his contribution - a contribution that I would say Richard has acknowledged often and enthusiastically”.]

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the world of non-fungible tokens by minting - and offering up for auction - the very first Modern Mann NFTs.

And - as is his wont - he’s taken to virtual reality to do it. Can he persaude a hardcore Mann-Fan snap up his digital wares? What is the environmental cost of trading with Ethereum? And are NFTs a fad - or here to stay?

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

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

You can visit the virtual space Ollie set up at Spatial here.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox investigates dating after divorce. At 40+, is it possible (or desirable) to leave the ‘baggage’ from your previous relationships at the door? Plus, she dishes out some advice for a listener considering dipping his toes in polyamory.

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.

Got a sex question for Alix? Reach out via the Feedback form.

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Finally, our record of the month is this soulful number from jazz powerhouse Poppy Ajudha, Holiday From Reality 👇

Her new album, The Power In Us, is out on 22nd April.

This episode is sponsored by:

Pact, the speciality subscription coffee company. New customers get a free V60 filter kit (worth £11) when they sign up to a Pact plan at pactcoffee.com and enter the code MANN at checkout.

• Betterhelp, the world’s largest online therapy platform. Get 10% off your first month of affordable, private therapy at betterhelp.com/modernmann

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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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And we’ll see you with something new on March 10th.

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Posted on February 10, 2022 and filed under Season Thirteen.

7/6 - Inside Amazon's Warehouse

‘There were rules that you couldn’t not break, if you wanted to keep your job’

Demeaning, poorly paid and tedious: life as an Order Picker in Amazon’s ‘fulfilment centre’ in Rugeley, Staffordshire was a draining, revelatory ordeal for writer James Bloodworth, who worked there undercover in 2016.

amazon centre.jpeg

In this enlightening interview with Olly, he reveals how being an ‘associate’ in Amazon’s warehouse meant enduring ten-hour shifts, tethered to an electronic device, walking up to fifteen miles per day; treated with suspicion, and effectively paid under the minimum wage.

LISTEN NOW:

James’s book, Hired: Six Months Undercover In Low-Wage Britain is out now.

In this week’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart has news of the return of the mullet, is concerned with how smartphone photography is corrupting our memories - and triumphantly answers his challenge to spend £100 on displaying his face somewhere impressive… in Slough.

Meanwhile, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox explains why the law needs to change regarding ‘upskirting’, how your beard could carry an STI, and advises a listener seeking stealthy, quiet ‘battery-operated boyfriends’.

The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com - visit their website now for an astonishing range of toys and products, and get 15% Off when you use our code, ‘Foxhole’.

If you have a question of sex for next week’s show, or a challenge for Ollie Peart to try, don’t hesitate to reach out via our Feedback form.

Elsewhere, in this week’s Lifehack, Jessica Cerasi, curator of the Government Art Collection, offers up her Top 3 tips on how to get the most out of a visit to an art exhibition: read up, bring a friend, and spend longer than you think you want to actually looking at the art! Jessica’s book, Who's Afraid of Contemporary Art?, is out now.

Finally, our record of the week is Beware The Beast by Carpenter Brut,  available to stream now:

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See You Next Tuesday!

Posted on April 3, 2018 and filed under Season Seven.