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G’day Fearmongers,

So much fun this week to have Jenny Yang joins Lewis and I on A Rational Fear.

Jenny is a Los Angeles based comedian, writer, director, podcaster and community organiser. She’s spent a huge amount of time in local politics. She painted us a picture of what it was like this week when Zohran Mamdani won City Hall in New York City.

We discuss what it means for grassroots politics in the US moving forward.

Even thought it’s only a mayoral seat, it felt like a seismic shift in American politics.

AND if you’re an AACTA Member — our web series “Long Head” is up for an AACTA nomination, please consider making us your #1 choice.

Cheers,

Dan Ilic

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G’day Fearmongers,

This week we have one of my favourite comedians and tv producers walk us through the CBS decision to axe the Stephen Colbert Late Show.

Was it financial or something more sinister?

W.Kamau Bell is one of the smartest TV creators and stand ups and he’s got the silverware to prove it. Kamau has even hosted his own tonight show. He’s one of the most prolific brains in media, comedy and justice.

 📝 You can read his very thoughtful analysis of the Colbert moment on his Substack Who’s With Me.

🎟️ And you can book to see him live on tour around the US later this year. 

If you enjoy A Rational Fear, chip in to the Patreon.

ALSO In two weeks we have a Federal Minister on the show and on Patreon, you will be able to pitch your questions directly to them - but I’ll only take them for Patreon.

Cheers,

Dan

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G’day Fearmongers,

We have two special guests this week!

Firstly, from the International Intrigue newsletter this week, co-founder and editor, Jeremy Dicker. It's a great daily read. I highly recommend subscribing. Kind of like Morning Brew for #Geopol.

International Intrigue website.

We cover a couple of big internationally intriguing headlines from Albo's trip to China and why the US Department of Defense is buying a mining company in Nevada.

AND Guest #2. James Blackwell gives the Federal Court a spray about this week's decision that the Australian Government doesn't have a duty of care to Torres Strait islanders… and thereby... all Australians.

We’re also launching A Rational Fear Corporate. We will come to your conference to hold a panel show about your industry—that is guaranteed not to be boring.

Imagine: Your company paying for comedians to make fun of your industry.

To book A Rational Fear corporate shows hit me up on the email: dan@arationalfear.com

Cheers

Dan

PODCAST LINKS:

Apple Podcasts | PocketCasts | YouTube

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Thanks:

Big thanks to our Patreon Supporters, RØDE Mics, and Jacob Round.

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G’day Fearmongers,

There’s only 48 hours left of this election — soon our national nightmare will be over.

On the podcast we’re joined by the hosts of the new media and cultural podcast, Lamestream. Scott Mitchell and Osman Faruqui are a couple of smart media operators who have been inside big corporate media, and politics, and know lots about how the sausage is made.

In this episode we chat about how the fourth estate has covered this election. Right wing vs progressive ecosystems, and how the major parties are trying to reach younger audiences.

ALSO for lovers of wacky news clips — Dylan Behan has given us his Australian election edition of News Fighters.

Cheers,

Dan

LAMESTREAM ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qVXiJ3EVcWavliV6eh4j3?si=874b15abc7cd41f1

LAMETREAM ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lamestream/id1810214465

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G’day Fearmongers,

Thanks to everyone who made it out to our huge A Rational Fear live show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival — it was a great vibe.

Our panel dives into the election campaign, what the minor parties are really up to, we explain how the US trade tariffs work, celebrate the role of traditional media in Australia, we chat with Belinda Gread and how nerds have ruined the world.

Big thanks to all of our guests:

• Alice Fraser
• Tom Ballard
• John Delmenico
• Vidya Rajan
• Mel McGlensey
• Belinda Gread
• DJ Andy McClelland
• also thanks to me and Lewis — we were also very good.

We couldn’t have put this show on without the help of Nathan and Yvonne from Token, Laura Milke at the Malthouse — and thanks to Tom Noble Creative for the great photos.

And thanks to our Patreon supporters — it meant we could subsidise some of the cost of the show and make sure our interstate guests could make to the show.

In this episode of Rational Fear, Dan Ilic hosts a comedy panel show that satirizes the Australian political landscape, focusing on the upcoming election. The show features comedians like Tom Ballard, Alice Fraser, and Lewis Hobba, who humorously dissect current political events, including Peter Dutton's leadership, the coalition's struggles, and the media's coverage of the election. The podcast includes comedic segments about American tariffs, a mock interview with a fictional Liberal candidate, and a sponsorship bit from the Department of Foreign Affairs. Throughout the show, the panelists use sharp wit and comedic commentary to critique political figures, media practices, and societal trends, offering a humorous take on serious contemporary issues.

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🎟️ MELBOURNE COMEDY FESTIVAL TICKETS: https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/whats-on/comedy-festival-2025/a-rational-fear

I know I am full of hyperbole for this podcast — but believe me when I say THIS is a great episode.

We talk about Alex Dyson’s longest job interview ever. Both Allegra and Alex chat about dirty tactics, having a sense of humour while campaigning, how the cut and thrust of politics can make two candidates who want the same thing be at each others throats. Allegra Spender also has some great advice for Alex Dyson should he get into parliament.

You’ll finish this episode thinking that these two individuals could indeed make Australia a better place.

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In this episode, we discuss the upcoming election on May 3rd with Alex Fein from RedBridge and Populares’ Ed Coper.

These two people have their fingers (and toes) on the pulse more than most politicians — and the word that sums up the electorate in 2025 is “abandonment”.

And we make some ropey jokes from 2005, and get some predictions where this election will end up in 5 weeks time.

You can get a ticket to the Populares Campaigning Event here: https://events.humanitix.com/populares_event

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G’day Fearmongers,

A reminder that our Melbourne Comedy Festival Show is only 3 weeks away!

🎟️ Get your tickets HERE

PODCAST NOTES:

In this episode, we discuss Australia's unique relationship with the United States, ANZUS, Pine Gap and wading into AUKUS submarine deal. Guests Senator Jacqui Lambie and Dr. Emma Shortis provide insights into Australia's defence strategy and the challenges posed by reliance on foreign powers.

It’s a very silly and smart conversation — about one of the most complex relationships that underpins my own anxiety.

See you at the big show

Dan

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G’day Fearmongers,

A reminder that our Melbourne Comedy Festival Show is only 4 weeks away!

🎟️ Get your tickets HERE

On this week’s podcast we have a conversation with award-winning environmental journalist Stefano Valentino. Stefano has written extensively about the confluence of power and greenwashing, and disinformation.

We asked him about disinformation in elections, he told us about how the biggest companies get away with the claiming they have climate credentials.

And Lewis comes up with the perfect metaphor for Misinformation vs Disinformation.

See you next week!

Cheers

Dan

TICKETS TO MELBOURNE COMEDY FESTIVAL: https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/whats-on/comedy-festival-2025/a-rational-fear

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🔗 https://its-not-a-race.raisely.com/

🎟️ https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/whats-on/comedy-festival-2025/a-rational-fear

In this episode of A Rational Fear, Dan Ilic and Lewis Hobba catch up and discuss their busy start to the year, including Lewis's move to Melbourne and preparations for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. They introduce new initiatives like the A Rational Fukt Check, aimed at fact-checking political promises and disinformation during the upcoming election. The conversation also touches on the role of memes in political discourse and the importance of community engagement in combating misinformation.

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Tonightly and Media Watch wacky clips craftsman Dylan Behan is back with his annual News Fighters year in review episode taking an in depth look at 2024 in news and politics. From Dutton’s nuclear epiphany to Albo’s endless cash splashing (mostly on his own house) this year has marked an an ever increasing enshittifcation of Australian politics. Also Stefan Pazur does his annual wrap of sport and entertainment. News Fighters: where we fight the news, so you don’t have to!

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G’day Fearmongers!

Merry Christmas to everyone (except Raygun).

Join A Rational Fear as we break down some of the most memorable stories (to us). We gathered around table at the Tilbury Hotel — one of the earliest satirical venues in Australia, the birth place of Three Men and A Baby Grand, and the earliest incarnations of the Wharf Revue — how very fitting that we, A Rational Fear, destroy that legacy with our little podcast.

Joining Lewis Hobba and Dan are a handful of our favourite friends in comedy, Bec Melrose, Steph Broadbridge and Chris Taylor. We have a few lunch time beer, and let loose on the year 2024.

Thank You if you’ve listened to any of our podcasts this year — as the 2025 election looms you can bet your Nuclear Power Plant that we’ll be back each week covering the ins and outs of the campaign. And Lewis, will be doing a video series on instagram reels and TikTok dedicated to the election.

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Hello Fearmongers,

This is the Exit Interview for Kylea Tink, the current independant Member of Parliament for North Sydney. But not for long thanks to AEC the boundaries of North Sydney are being folded into the neighbouring electorates.

Since there is no HR department at Parliament House I took it upon myself to sit down with Kylea Tink and ask her how her time was at the company.

From this conversation it is clear that Kylea Tink is not done as she is already hinting that she could run for a neighbouring seat to the former electorate of North Sydney — is she going to Bennelong? Is she going to Berowra?

What is for certain — Kylea is going to be putting her energy in getting more community independents elected in Parliament hosue.

Thanks as always for downloading A Rational Fear — if you can chip into the Patreon or if you can’t shoot us a response on the listener survey.

Cheers

Dan

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G’day Fearmongers,

We have a very different episode of the podcast this week — we’re throwing out the rule book to bring a conversation with Millie Holten (Instagram), the brilliant creator of a new web series that is doing huge numbers on TikTok called Long Head.

Starring the incredible voices of incredible comedians Kate Dehnert, Tom Walker and Sam Campbell as the titular Long Head.

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald called it “Mr Bean for the TikTok generation”.

It’s a very strange and stupid series. A radical departure from the usual biting satire that folks subscribe to A Rational Fear for. Long Head is refreshingly delightful.

How did we manage to book Millie? Well Dear Listener — I am the executive producer of the series — so this email is what the National Anti-Corruption Commission would call a gross compliment of interest

EPISODE 1 » EPISODE 2 | EPISODE 3 | EPISODE 4 | EPISODE 5 | EPISODE 6

Millie and I have been working on this show since 2022, and we’re so stoked that the world can finally see it. Of course — I did nothing really, mainly admin — we actually made it with a really talented team of animators including Dale Anderson, Michael Harris, and animation director Annabelle Ots.

And we were lucky enough to record the sound and have it expertly crafted and designed by Matt Perrott’s Mighty Sound in Sydney.

The whole series was generously paid for by … you the taxpayer. More specifically Screen Australia supported the project — thank you, Screen Australia!

We’d love you to watch it, and share it with your friends and family who are on TikTok. And if you know any big wigs in showbiz, please send it to them too.

WATCH IT ON TIKTOK HERE

We think it could be the next Bluey — we want American kids to walk around talking like Sam Campbell.

Cheers,

Dan Ilic

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