Oh God, What Now?

Special crossover edition... Well, Elon Musk is putting Washington behind him – or so he says… Molly Jong-Fast joined American Friction to talk Chris and Jarv through what’s going on – and we thought you might want to listen too! Go get more American Friction and listen to the whole episode at: https://linktr.ee/americanfriction [https://linktr.ee/americanfriction]  Molly also has a new book out called How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir, and there’s a link to buy it below.)  Buy How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781035029334%E2%81%A0]through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org [https://bookshop.org/]’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow]      Presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio. Production by: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Reform UK gets a lot of coverage but not enough scrutiny. Say Nigel Farage did become Prime Minister (God forbid), what would a Reform UK-led UK look like? Is their manifesto (… sorry, ‘contract’) full to the brim of wishful thinking? Plus, with changes inbound on the two-child benefit cap and winter fuel payments is Labour sorting its act out? Or does this make Starmer look weak? Paul Nowak is the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress and joins the podcast to give his thoughts. And in the Extra Bit for subscribers following the death of BBC arts titan Alan Yentob, we ask: Is the dream of culture for the masses still alive?  • Read Sam Freedman’s Substack here: https://samf.substack.com/p/what-would-a-reform-government-be [https://samf.substack.com/p/what-would-a-reform-government-be] • Listen to The Bunker [https://linktr.ee/bunker_pod] including Duncan Weldon on the economics of war. • Don’t miss the latest edition of Crime Scene [https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast] on the Liverpool parade car collision and what it means for policing. ESCAPE ROUTES • Paul recommends Bruce Springsteen live and Race Across The World [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002tvs] on BBC iPlayer.  • Matt saw Mary Poppins at the Bradford Alhambra [https://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/mary-poppins]. • Rachel recommends listening to Magic At The Musicals [https://radioplayer.planetradio.co.uk/mmu] on RadioPlayer.  • Dorian recommends Gang Of Three [https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/6/by-robert-khan-tom-salinsky/the-gang-of-three] (keep an eye out in case in gets a transfer) and Electric Dreams at Tate Modern [https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/electric-dreams]. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Rachel Cunliffe and Matt Green. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio Production by: Robin Leeburn. Music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Rebellious MPs, a nightmare spending review, the endless Two Child Benefit Cap row, dire polling… is Labour in for a summer of discontent? We ask whether the Government can bend with the wind to succeed, what policies will change, and whether Starmer/Reeves is a double act with two straight men? Plus: Have researchers found a new way to deal with digital disinformation? And in a special bonus, Jonn and Andrew discuss why the best political drama of the decade so far is the Star Wars spin-off Andor.  • Don’t miss Oh God, What Now? Live [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oh-god-what-now-live-at-21soho-tickets-1363321634709?aff=oddtdtcreator] at 21Soho on Weds 11 June.  • Listen to the new Crime Scene [https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast] – the truth about true crime.  ESCAPE ROUTES • Ros recommends The Midwich Cuckoos [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780141033013] by John Wyndham.  • Jonn recommends Paradise [https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/browse/entity-2b4b8988-50c9-4097-bf93-bc34a99a5b4f] on Disney+. • Marie recommends Six Of Crows [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781780622286] by Leigh Bardugo. • Andrew recommends Earthsea [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780241956878] by Ursula K. Le Guin and Murderbot [https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/murderbot/umc.cmc.5owrzntj9v1gpg31wshflud03] on Apple TV+.  • Back us on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie le Conte, John Elledge and Ros Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk [https://www.podmasters.co.uk/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The Tory press and pundits reacted as rationally as you’d expect to the new UK-EU deal, accusing Starmer of sneaking back into the EU, betraying the British taxpayer, and all their favourite themes. But exactly what are they saying and how much of it is legit? Plus, with the potential abolition of the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, we ask why governments can’t see the positives of culture? And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, it’s 20 years since The Thick of It hit our screens. Politically, does it still hold up? Today’s special guest is Emma Kennedy, writer and host of our sibling science and psychology podcast Why? – new series out now [https://linktr.ee/whypodcast]! • Get tickets for Oh God, What Now? Live [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oh-god-what-now-live-at-21soho-tickets-1363321634709?aff=oddtdtcreator] at 21 Soho, London, with special guest Marcus Brigstocke. • Don’t miss our fascinating new series Crime Scene. Latest episode: Who killed the Essex Boys? [https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast] www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] Presented by Dorian Lynskey, Rafael Behr and Zoë Grünewald. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio. Production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The fish and the fury… As dead-end Brexiters rage against the “betrayal” of the Great British Haddock, we look at what REALLY matters in Starmer’s EU reset. Plus, polling giant YouGov’s Patrick English joins us to bust some opinion poll myths and explain the Reform Surge. And is Generation X really the most hard done-by of the postwar era? We don our Blur t-shirts and crack a Smirnoff Ice to discuss the 90s generation taking financial responsibility for their kids and their parents. • Join us for Oh God, What Now? Live in London [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oh-god-what-now-live-at-21soho-tickets-1363321634709?aff=oddtdtcreator] with special guest Marcus Brigstocke on Weds 11 June.  • Listen to Crime Scene’s interview [https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast] with Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.  ESCAPE ROUTES • Ros recommends Delizia: The Epic History of Italians and Their Food [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781399727044] by John Dickie.  • Seth recommends The Radical Print [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781913107437] by Esther Chadwick.  • Andrew recommends Andor on Disney+ [https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/browse/entity-faba988a-a9f5-45f2-a074-0775a7d6f67a].  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor and Seth Thévoz. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]