Episodes
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It's crunch time for the Australian government's Orwellian-sounding "Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation" legislation.
The bill was passed last Thursday by Australia's House of Representatives and is currently stalled in the Senate. Right-wing populists are spreading hysteria that it would let the government throw you in jail for speaking your mind on social media.
The bill would not, in fact, punish you for posting on social media. But it could give government officials the power to make social media companies suppress opinions the Australian government deems "harmful".
Josh opposes giving such power to the state. By contrast, Professor Daniel Angus is broadly supportive of the bill. He's one of Australia's leading researchers into technology, social media, fake news and misinformation, and he advised the government on the legislation.
At this crucial moment, with only two weeks remaining before parliament shuts down for the year -- and as the Senate deliberates on this hugely important law -- please listen to this conversation and get informed. Wherever you are, enjoy this friendly clash of perspectives about algorithms and free speech on the web.To subscribe to Joshâs premium podcast feed. Hit the Substack page at https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe
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Few Britons are as iconic as Stephen Fry.
On TV, he's an Emmy-winning comedy legend immortalised in shows like A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Jeeves & Wooster, and Blackadder. He has hosted the British Academy Film Awards twelve times and won six BAFTAs as the host of the smash-hit BBC television quiz show Q.I.
On stage, Stephen's adaptation of Me and My Girl won two Olivier Awards. He was nominated for a Tony for his performance in The Globe's production of Twelfth Night on Broadway.
On the big screen, he's starred in Wilde (as Oscar Wilde, a performance nominated for a Golden Globe), Gosford Park, Chariots of Fire, A Fish Called Wanda, V for Vendetta and The Hobbit.
Stephen is the voice of all the Harry Potter audiobooks. His eloquence infuses his countless essays, comedy sketches, articles, novels, and books about Greek mythology.His autobiography, Moab is My Washpot, with its raw honesty about his screwed-up teenage years, was transformational for a young Josh Szeps.
On a recent trip to Sydney, Stephen swung by the Uncomfortable Conversations studios to visit with Josh. Enjoy this sparkling conversation about the cycle of life, the richness of being human, finding creative authenticity, and ignoring Donald Trump.
And if you haven't jumped over to Substack to get free updates on what we're up to, you're a duffer. There's more great stuff coming. Go to uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe. It's not hard -- we promise.http://youtube.com/@JoshSzeps_
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Missing episodes?
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Well, it's Trump. The morning after the election, Josh live-streamed his post-election analysis and his predictions for a second Trump term from Cambridge, England, and took live questions. Watch the video on Substack, or listen in right here.
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You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code UNCOMFORTABLE20 at checkout
You can claim it at: https://magicmind.com/UNCOMFORTABLE20
The full premium version of this episode is available as a free gift to you. This version here is just a teaser, but ALL ELECTION-RELATED CONTENT WILL NOT BE PAYWALLED if you access it on Substack. To hear this episode in its entirety, as well as all upcoming election episodes in full, you need to leave this app â you will NOT need to pay anything â and listen on Substack here:
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Here we go. Kamala Harris was on Saturday Night Live. At Madison Square Garden, Puerto Rico was garbage. Trump is appropriating Charlamagne tha God. Kamala is deploying Will Ferrell. And now, you vote.
The host of ABC TV's "Planet America", Chas Licciardello, joins Josh to break down the campaigns, the media's coverage, and the hysterical online nonsense you should avoid. Happy Election Day.
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The full premium version of this episode is available as a free gift to you. This version here is just a teaser, but ALL ELECTION-RELATED CONTENT WILL NOT BE PAYWALLED if you access it on Substack. To hear this episode in its entirety, as well as all upcoming election episodes in full, you need to leave this app â you will NOT need to pay anything â and listen on Substack here:
https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe
At 11:00 a.m. on November 9th, 2016, the day after Donald Trump's surprise victory over Hillary Clinton, a shell-shocked Josh sat down with Slate's former editor David Plotz, the co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest, to share their analysis of what might happen. This is that conversation.
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You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code UNCOMFORTABLE20 at checkout
You can claim it at: https://magicmind.com/UNCOMFORTABLE20
The full premium version of this episode is available as a free gift to you. This version here is just a teaser, but ALL ELECTION-RELATED CONTENT WILL NOT BE PAYWALLED if you access it on Substack. To hear this episode in its entirety, as well as all upcoming election episodes in full, you need to leave this app â you will NOT need to pay anything â and listen on Substack here:
https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe
What would it look like if we could escape the phony choice between strident positions and find a third way? Not a "compromise". Not a squishy midpoint betweren any two extremes. But a genuinely new way of looking at an issue, informed by the best of all sides? Instead of hunting for the worst in our opponents' positions, what if we could harness the best?
That's the mission of the journalist Stephanie Lepp, a producer whose new series of short videos, Faces of X, demonstrates what she's up to. She and Josh wrestle with partisanship, social media, both-sidesism, ideological capture, and how we all might think more freely in this toxic election cycle.Check out Faces of X here
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The full premium version of this episode is available as a free gift to you. This version here is just a teaser, but ALL ELECTION-RELATED CONTENT WILL NOT BE PAYWALLED if you access it on Substack. To hear this episode in its entirety, as well as all upcoming election episodes in full, you need to leave this app â you will NOT need to pay anything â and listen on Substack here:
https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe
Join Michael Moynihan of The Fifth Column and Josh Szeps of Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps as they tackle Americaâs role in global affairs and discuss whether the U.S. should remain the worldâs cop or if its superpower days are over. Josh brings insights from Australia, a nation with tough illegal immigration policies but high legal immigration, while Michael draws from his time in Sweden, where immigration and NATO are key concerns.
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Arm yourself with facts now, to stay sane on election night. This episode is your toolkit against the schemes to sow confusion, foment chaos and challenge the vote. The ABC journalist Matt Bevan reveals to Josh the extraordinary Trump strategy that'll kick in if Harris wins a narrow victory, and the weird ways it relates to the Jan 6th riots and the denial of that election. For everything you need to know to understand election night -- and the days and weeks beyond -- don't miss this one. Matt's short-form podcast series is "America's Last Election".
To get more content like this and to join in the fun of the Uncomfy Convos multiverse, hit the Substack page at https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe
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Get ready, humans. Josh is about to start pumping out extra shows all week long to keep you informed, inspired and resilient during the U.S. election. But to receive your sweet nuggets of sanity, if you're not a Substacker then YOU HAVE TO DO ONE SIMPLE, FREE THING. You'll kick yourself if you don't. Listen RIGHT NOW to find out what.
Head to the substack link below to get all the information you need for tomorrow's live show and to all the free content over the next week https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe
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John Safran is a legendary provocateur and comedy documentarian. He is iconic Down Under for his outrageous explorations of taboo subjects (think: Sacha Baron Cohen or Louis Theroux). In his latest escapade, he tried to investigate modern anti-Semitism by flying to Los Angeles and illegally camping out at Kanye West's mansion.
He and Josh discuss online trolls, taboos, social media, satire, anti-Jewish conspiracies and living as a prominent Jew during the Gaza War. His new book is "Squat: A week squatting at Kanyeâs mansion."
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Are we too focused on race? Have recent anti-racist movements like Black Lives Matter abandoned the âcolourblindâ spirit of the original civil rights movement?
Coleman Hughes is an American writer, podcaster and public intellectual known for his criticism of modern social-justice ideas about racism and racial inequality. In this live Festival Of Dangerous Ideas edition of Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps, Hughes articulates his vision for a future where individuals are judged by âthe content of their characterâ, not the colour of their skin.
Drawing from research and personal insights, he argues for a society that embraces a colourblind ethos, aiming to dismantle divisive narratives and foster a more inclusive culture.
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Ding, dong, the psychopathic tyrant of Gaza is dead. Who was Yahya Sinwar? What does his death mean? Should Netanyahu declare victory and end the war? And why is Josh getting in trouble on Twitter over all this... again?
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Is political violence âunAmericanâ? Or is it as American as Thomas Jefferson, who wrote that "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants"?
Nick Bryant is one of the BBCâs greatest foreign correspondents. He has a doctorate in American politics from Oxford University and lived for years in Washington D.C. and New York City covering American politics for a global audience. One of his books sits on Joe Bidenâs bookshelf in the Oval Office.
As we head into the final weeks before the U.S. election, Nick and Josh discuss Trumpism, polarisation and Nick's latest book âThe Forever Warâ.
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Australia's response to the pandemic was among the most aggressive -- and controversial -- in the world. What went right? What went wrong?
At last, we have a much-needed accounting of the lessons of Covid, from the Aussie academic who became an unlikely pandemic authority in the U.S. thanks to his position as an outspoken economics professor at George Washington University in Washington D.C.
Steven Hamilton's new book is a frank, factual, fierce recap of the Covid years. Written with his fellow economist Richard Holden, "Australiaâs Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race" will be an important tool for the next pandemic.
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One year on from the Hamas attack, Josh is sick of biased bickering about why Israel is in the right or in the wrong. Here, he brings you an informed, impartial, big-picture account of where Israelis and Palestinians find themselves.
Marcus Walker is a senior reporter at the Wall Street Journal, and the friend to whom Josh turns when he needs to understand the Middle East. A Brit based in Rome, Marcus has been deployed to Israel as a journalist seven times since October 7th, interviewing the most influential players and embedding himself in the conflict. No one knows the country's mood better.
Enjoy this bracing, eye-opening assessment of the fate of the Jewish state and its Palestinian subjects.To get the whole shebang, get your own personalised premium podcast feed at https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe
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Damien Cave is the Vietnam bureau chief and global affairs correspondent for The New York Times, covering shifts in power across Asia and the wider world.
He has spent most of the past 20 years as a correspondent for The Times. Heâs been based in Baghdad and Miami, Mexico City and Sydney, and spent lengthy stints reporting from many other places, including Lebanon, India, Taiwan, Turkey and Cuba.
In 2017, He led a team opening The Timesâs new Australia bureau, covering a region where both his grandfathers served in World War II, and inspiring him to write a book titled âInto the Ripâ in Australia and, in the United States, âParenting Like an Australian: One Familyâs Quest to Fight Fear and Dive into a Better, Braver Life.â
Before that, from 2014 to 2017, Damien was a deputy editor on the National desk, advancing the digital development of The Times.
In 2007, He was part of a team of finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in international reporting for our coverage of the war in Iraq. The team also won an Overseas Press Club award that year, his second â the first one was for a humor essay about Paraguay.
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Candace Owens is one of the most popular commentators in the world.
Initially critical of President Trump, she was a famous critic of Black Lives Matter and became the communications director for the conservative group Turning Point USA. Her talk show on the conservative website The Daily Wire, "Candace", was cancelled earlier this year after she made antisemitic remarks. She now runs her platform independently.
Ahead of her Australian tour, Josh wanted to understand what she's up to and what makes her tick. To keep abreast of conversations like this, be sure to join the Uncomfortable Conversations Substack, and check out the YouTube page to watch this conversation in the flesh.
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Do you drink too much? If there was a magic pill that made you not want a second drink, would you take it? Youâd at least expect to have heard of it.
Thatâs what the journalist Katie Herzog thought as she sat through AA meetings, feeling like a failure for boozing. Then, she found naltrexone. Josh hasnât had a drink in four years after having a different epiphany. Here, the two of them wrestle with myths, blind spots and revelations about drinking, addiction, introspection, and being a grown-up.
Katie hosts one of the most successful podcasts on the web with Jesse Singal, Blocked & Reported, where they dissect internet craziness.
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Imagine being an innocent YouTuber, tricked into receiving millions of dollars from Russia just because you're a Putin hack. That's what the U.S. Department of Justice alleges has been happening, and worse. How are the enemies of liberal democracy shaping the information you see online?
Ross Anderson is an expert on right-wing YouTubers, the Life Editor at the world edition of The Spectator, and a regular contributor at The New York Sun. He explains the whole extraordinary shebang.
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Keith Urban is one of the worldâs most popular musicians. He started out in Australia, moved to Nashville, worked his arse off, won a stack of Grammys and sold over 20 million albums.
Heâs about to start a residency in Las Vegas and he'll tour Australia in 2025. His new album is âHIGHâ.
Donât miss the YouTube page to see Keith and Josh bantering in the flesh. And get more amazing conversations by popping your email address into our Substack supercomputer.
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