Pigoted

CONTENT WARNING: Obviously we discuss themes of abortion in this video and caution should be exercised before watching.

Having a break this week, so why not take a listen to my other podcast instead? It's available on all platforms now so feel free to subscribe if you enjoy it.

Featuring behavioural psychology from experts Kat Ford and Dr Jamie Benjamin.

Let's be honest, we've all got one mate who's REALLY into cryptocurrency. Barely a week goes by without them investing in some new stupid coin and telling you of the ridiculous gains it'll make. But is cryptocurrency a legitimate form of investing and making money? Or is it the latest scam? Joining us for this episode is comedian Rob Thomas and cryptocurrency expert Kram of Kram Visuals.

In the aftermath of Grenfell, Britain was left with an enormous housing problem. There were tens of thousands of buildings covered in the same dangerous cladding material which made Grenfell Tower so deadly. When the cladding was installed, it was thought to be an incredibly safe material. Now we have come to realise it's anything but. However, the damage seems to have already been done. Many buildings are now covered with incredibly dangerous and hazardous materials that need to be replaced. But who should pay?

Kurt Zouma heads a long list of football players who have recently gotten into trouble for their off the field activities. With the likes of Mason Greenwood and David Goodwillie hitting headlines this week as well, we ask the question "why are modern day footballers committing so many crimes?" Is it a coincidence? Is it social media catching more instances than in the past? Is there something toxic about making young men millionaires? Joining us is comedian Eshaan Akhbar. Follow him on social media @michaelpakintyre 

Canadian comedian Mark Hughes has had a varied and colourful life. He's an ex-prisoner and an ex-heroin addict, and he's been a professional comedian now for almost a decade. Recently he's taken the plunge and moved to the UK to continue his development as a comic.  Now Mark's settled in the UK for a month, how does he find the scene over here compares to Canada? Is the sense of humour different? Does the circuit run differently? What do we do better and what do we do worse? Subscribe if you enjoy!

You might have seen videos during lockdown of people quoting the Magna Carta and saying they don't consent to any laws. Often calling themselves Freeman Of The Land, this movement relies on the principle that common law requires a person's consent in order to be enacted. But is there any truth in this?   We invited comedian and barrister Chris Kehoe (also of Fully Legal podcast) to discuss whether or not being a Freeman Of The Land has any legal basis.

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Insulate Britain protesters are never far away from the headlines. Over the last couple of years the group has dominated headlines by blocking the M25 motorway and causing huge traffic pile ups. Here we speak to one of the leaders of the Insulate Britain movement, Liam Norton, about the divisive group. Do they feel like they're making an impact? What does the group want? Are they not bothered about public opinion? You can find out more about Insulate Britain here: https://www.insulatebritain.com/ Like the channel? Then subscribe for more content!

With the NHS in crisis, reforms are needed. The NHS is badly underfunded and is in dire need of a cash injection, but what else can be done to safeguard it's future? Joining us is comedian Rob Mulholland and Amanda, a woman who had life saving surgery on the NHS which doctors gave her just a 20% chance of surviving. Should ALL operations be available on the NHS? What about cosmetic surgery? What about people in comas with no chance of waking up?

We all know clever people who are thick as a pile of bricks when it comes to common sense. Likewise, we all know people who don't have a single qualification to their name and yet have more common sense than phd students. Is common sense linked to intelligence? Can you teach common sense? What's the craziest example of someone lacking common sense that you've seen?

Thanks for listening in 2021! We've got some big plans for 2022 and if you want to get the most from them, the best thing to do is to check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com/pigoted

It's almost time for the New Year, which means it's almost time for New Year's Resolutions. You know, those promises you make to yourself and break within about three days. The most popular of which is to lose weight. But what's the best way to go about it? Which diet is best? Is their an easy way to shed your timber? Fitness enthusiast and martial arts expert Archie Ackerman has amassed a social media following of hundreds of thousands of viewers with his no-nonsense approach to wellness. Here we get his tips on how to shed the pounds in 2022.

You might of heard of NFTs recently and wondered what on earth they are. Don't worry, you're not alone. We sat down with NFT seller Kram, owner of KramVisuals, to talk us through what on earth an NFT actually is and how people are making millions from them. 

Education is at the forefront of every political campaign in almost every country. It's something that affects all of our lives. But is this country getting education right? What could we do to be better? What sort of changes do the people who are at the heart of the profession feel we need to make? Joy France is an ex teacher of over 30 years, with a wide range of experience in everything from top academic institutions to pupil referral units. Joining her is Becca, a part time teaching assistant and mother of a child in secondary school.

The Ten Commandments. We've all heard of them, and we can all name about four of them. They're the cornerstone of the Christian faith and, as George Carlin once put it, "essentially a marketing ploy". But if you had to set up your own religion from scratch, what would your ten commandments be? And what rules would you set that would make the religion seem palatable to others? This week comedians Adam Hughes and Sam Serrano discuss exactly this, dissecting the current ten commandments and then putting our own in place. This episode was inspired by a question sent in from one of our listeners. If you'd like to send in a question for us to answer, email pigoted@gmail.com Pigoted podcast is made possible by our Patreons and sponsors. If you'd like to join patreon and get access to a ton of extra content, check out www.patreon.com/pigoted

Jack Hunter-Spivey is a professional table tennis player and won a bronze medal at the Paralympics in Tokyo 2020. Joining him is Tom Solan, a TV producer who has worked on the Olympics. Here we talk about how classifications work, how Jack trains, how funding is given and allocated, and controversies surrounding the Paralympics. For example, did you know that in the early 90s Spain sent out a basketball team full of reporters pretending to have learning disabilities and they won a bronze medal!

Back when I was at school, my classroom was full of children who wanted to grow up to become football players or singers. But nowadays, if you ask a kid what they want to be when they're older, they're more likely to tell you they want to be an influencer. There's an obsession over going viral and making your career creating content, but what's it really like? We speak to Mel Moon, Roadman Ralph and Lawrence, who between them have over 6 million followers on Tiktok alone, and have each had viral videos in the millions of views. What are the pro's and cons of this kind of job? How do you deal with the inevitable hate that comes your way? Enjoy the pod? Subscribe! Really enjoy it? Become a patreon!

Comedian Dean Coughlin and podcaster Amy Le Owens are co-hosts of The Mild High Podcast and we decided to do a crossover where we appear on each other's shows! Amy herself is a keen tarot card enthusiast and we discuss whether tarot card readings have any value beyond novelty purposes, as well as the ethics behind tarot card readers who charge for their services. Then later on we decide to put tarot card reading to the test as Amy gives Freddy a LIVE tarot card reading on the show! Enjoy the podcast? Why not subscribe! Really enjoy it? Become a patreon and help support us, plus you get access to a ton of extra benefits and loads more!

MMA fighter Dean Garnett has some strong views on the COVID vaccine, in particular whether or not we should be putting it into our bodies. Being an elite athlete, any altering effects of the vaccine could catastrophically affect his career and as such, he's incredibly cautious about the 'untested' nature of the vaccine. Comedian Garrett Millerick is pro-vaccine and debates Dean on the efficacy of the vaccine, whether or not any of us can ever truly consent to something we don't fully understand, and whether or not vaccine passports should form part of our future as a society.

You probably haven't ever stopped to consider this, but not all animals procreate in the same way. Take, for example, the leopard slug. They will vomit out their reproductive organs, mesh them with the organs of a mate, and then ingest them again.  Or the fact that slugs and snails are hermaphrodites. Not every animal does it like a human, by which I mean drinking two bottles of Blossom Hill wine and lighting some scented candles. Join us with guests Kat Ford, an evolutionary behavioural psychologist, and Dr Jamie Benjamin, an expert in animal mating.

Squid Game is the hit Netflix show that's taken the world by storm, smashing all previous records for viewing figures across the globe. The show is steeped in allegory and pulls no punches when it comes to criticising the unfairness of a capitalist society. But what is the message that Squid Game is trying to get across? Does capitalism work or is there a better way? Our expert for this episode is science fiction writer Sam Fennah, and our comedian is Justin Moorhouse. Like the show? Why not subscribe!

Do aliens exist or are we alone in the universe? Most scientists wager that there must be some other forms of intelligent life out there, by probability if nothing else, and yet the presumption of alien life forms brings about a whole different question in itself. If aliens exist, where are they? Why haven't they been in touch?  This is what's known as the Fermi Paradox. If intelligent life forms exist, then where are they? Why haven't we been able to detect them, or indeed, they detect us? There's several answers for this, from the rational, to the disturbing, to the frankly ludicrous (human zoo anyone?) Comedian Rob Thomas also features as a guest and you can check out his NFL podcast "Far From Lombardi" on all platforms. 

Battle Rapper Kinell joins us for a one-on-one podcast where we talk about cancel culture and social media witch hunts. Recently Kinell found himself on the receiving end of 'trial by social media' when he shared an offensive and inappropriate poster from over five years ago. A poster which, by the way, he didn't make. Here we have an in-depth discussion about battle rap culture and how the threat of being cancelled is affecting that, as well as instances from our own experiences where we've potentially lost work and opportunities due to cancel culture.

This week's expert is Ben, a man with a phd in Astrophysics and a passion for all things space. During this episode he's going to blow your mind into a million tiny pieces and scatter them all over the universe. Black holes are properly mental - there's still a lot scientists don't know about them, but we're learning more and more all the time. What is a black hole? How are they formed? What's it like to be inside one? Will they grow and eventually swallow space? All these questions and more are asked, answered, broken down, and broken down some more. Our guest comedian for this episode is Dean Coughlin. Check out his podcast "The Mild High Club". 

You may remember flat earther Joe Samui from a previous episode. Joe was so keen to come back on and talk even more flat earth theories, but we decided to bring in a guest that could really challenge Joe and knew what they were talking about. Step forward Ben, a man with a phd in Astrophysics who is also married to someone with a phd in astrophysics. This man lives and breathes space. So we decided to put him in a room with Joe and see what happens. Will our astrophysicist finally be able to convince the flat earther that the world is round? Well have a watch and find out.

Vegan Clare owns Hi Vibe Nutrition and believes without question that eating animals is morally and ethically wrong. Comedian Rob Mulholland stopped eating animals after an acid trip where he believes he made a spiritual connection with an octopus. Host Freddy Quinne had a bacon sandwich THIS MORNING. Can they convince him to change his ways? Is there an ethical dilemma around eating animals? Can you ever justify eating meat? We dive into these questions head first as we explore whether or not eating meat can ever be justified. Plus, at the end of the show, Clare lays a surprise trap for Freddy and challenges him to go vegan for a week! Freddy accepts and will vlog everything that happens and release it as exclusive content for all patreon members.

This is a special release recording of Pigoted EXTRA, a weekly extra episode exclusively for members of our Patreon. If you enjoyed this episode, why not sign up to our patreon and you'll get extra content just like this every Friday!

Freemason (and comedian) Ryan Gleeson has been a member of this organisation for over seven years and has risen through the ranks to become a Master Mason (yes, that's a real term). Here we ask Ryan every single question we can about the organisation and it's secretive shady image, and for the most part he's pretty up front and open about what being a Mason actually is. Ever wanted to know what goes on inside a lodge? Or what the initiation process is? Whether or not there's any secret codes or handshakes? All of this gets answered and more! Also featured is comedian Dean Coughlin, who has his own podcast called The Mild High Club which you should check out on your preferred podcast platform of choice! Enjoy the show? Subscribe to our channel!

Flat Earther Joe Samui tells us that, to begin with, the term "flat earth" is quite misleading. "I'm more of a globe denier" he says, before clarifying that he also believes in a geo-centric model of the universe (that is, one where the sun revolves around the earth). How did Joe start down this path of discovery? What evidence does he have? Why would NASA lie about the earth's shape? We ask all of these questions and more! Over the course of this fascinating episode, we talk to Joe about various flat earth 'proofs' and try to reason around them, and Joe asks some questions of his own. Also joining us is comedian Davey Ash, who used to be heavily invested in flat earth but is now more sceptical. Enjoy the show? Feel free to subscribe to the channel!

Utilitarianism is a moral school of thought revolved around doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It sounds good on paper, but does this approach work in real life? Can we boil down the entire of moral philosophy to this fairly simple rule? Alex Farrow is an Oxbridge educated philosopher and a fellowship of the guardian of the galaxy (or something). Here we examine Utilitarianism, how it worked during COVID, and what its limits are. Joining us is comedian Vince Atta who is very funny and insightful and available to follow on all social media accounts. Love the show? Why not SUBSCRIBE and help us grow!

Let's be honest - does anyone actually read newspapers any more? When was the last time you saw someone reading a newspaper? When was the last time you were behind someone in a shop who was buying one? Newspaper circulation has dropped drastically as more and more people consume media online. After all, why wait to read about it tomorrow when twitter can give you live updates? News corporations have had to adapt to this, and the changes they've made have seen the quality of journalism all but slide off a cliff. Michael Marshall returns as our expert for this. Michael is the co-founder of The Good Thinking Society, as well as Skeptics In The Pub, and has a wonderful podcast called Be Reasonable where he talks to nutters (basically). Our comedian is the wonderful Phil Chapman, get following him on social media! Enjoying the podcast? Please subscribe on Youtube, Spotify, iTunes, wherever you get your pods.

Love Island. First Dates. Naked Attraction. Married At First Sight. There's a ton of reality TV dating shows on telly nowadays. But are they actually based in science? Or are they just vehicles for attractive people to have miniature meltdowns? Turns out it's a bit of both. Dr Jaime Benjamin is an expert in how human beings process attraction towards one another. She also knows A LOT about the genitals of other animals, and if you've ever wanted to know why ducks fannies are so special, stay tuned. Rob Mulholland is a stand up comedian. Check him out on his YouTube channel. Enjoy the show? Feel free to subscribe! Really enjoy the show? Sign up to the patreon and help keep us going! www.patreon.com/pigoted

Facial bias is something we're all guilty of. We all do it every time we meet somebody. It's a human evolutionary response buried deep within us. So deep, in fact, that when we're *told* specifically to look out for facial biases, we do it even more. There are obvious evolutionary advantages to being able to recognise behaviours early on. Being able to see aggression coming will help us to survive longer. But do they have any advantages in this day and age? And what are the disadvantages? Kat Ford is a behavioural evolutionary psychologist who has studied facial bias. You can read her paper on Facial Masculinity and Agreeableness on Perceptions of Criminality online. Our guest comedian is Sam Avery, check out his podcast "Fix The World" is available on all podcast platforms. Love the show? Remember to subscribe!

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Fake News wasn't much of a problem before Donald Trump came along and used it to label everything he didn't like, but the practice of politicians manipulating their population for a desired effect is a concept as old as civilization itself.  However, the process of the media flat out lying to us in order to create "clickbait" (false articles used to drive revenue) is one with a much fresher history. 1835, to be exact. Our guest for this podcast is Dr James Crossland, a Reader in International History, whose present research interests lie in the history of terrorism, panics, intelligence and propaganda. Crossland is also an expert in in development is a study of British intelligence and the evolution of strategic propaganda during the 1930s and 1940s. That's right. We talk about Nazis. Strap in.

Reality TV shows are among the most popular programs aired in the UK. And because they're cheap to produce because there's no need to pay for writers or actors, their popularity has soared in recent years. But as TV production companies are pressured to go bigger and engineer more high stakes drama to keep viewers hooked, are they exploiting the contestants on their shows? Is there a duty of care to the participants? Lewis Ellis is a businessman and former contestant on The Apprentice. Here he gives his insightful opinion, as well as some hidden secrets about how the show manipulates outcomes. Also joining us is comedian Ray Bradshaw, an award winning Scottish comic. Enjoying the show? Click subscribe so you'll never miss an episode! Really enjoying the show? Share it with your mates and help us grow!

What do you know about bees? They make honey? Well, some of them don't. They have a queen? Some of them don't. If we lost them then we wouldn't be able to pollinate and the world would end? Yeah, turns out that's rubbish as well. Dr Philip Donkersley (aka Donkers) is an entomologist with a major focus on evolutionary and microbial ecology. He has worked on a range of ecosystems including pollinators and pathogen vectors. I don't know what that means either. Basically to put it in simple terms, the man is a bee expert. And a wasp expert too. If you've ever wondered why wasps are d*ckheads, he explains it perfectly and the answer blew my mind to pieces. He also talks about what one insect we couldn't afford to lose or else we'd be in the sh*t, literally. 

Michael Marshall is a skeptical activist, freelance journalist, co-founder and Vice President of the Merseyside Skeptic Society, project director of the Good Thinking Society and has featured in The Times, The Guardian and New Statesman. And in case you can't tell from that introduction, he doesn't believe in psychics.  In fact, not only does he not believe in them, he spends a fair amount of his life actively disproving and campaigning against them. So much so that he's been sued by some of the most prominent psychics in the country. Michael is a man on a mission, and that mission is to expose the practice of psychics. Joining us is stand up comedian Simon Wozniak, one of the most original and thought provoking comedy voices on the circuit today. A real breath of fresh air, Simon's comedy is winning over audiences across the country and gaining him legions of followers.

Dr Sarah Clement is an environmental social scientist and environmental governance researcher, which is an incredibly fancy way for saying that she advises governments on policies that will fight climate change. So we asked her the big questions - does putting your cardboard in one bin and your plastic in another actually make any difference whatsoever? Should the burden of environmentalism be on big corporations, governments, or the individual? And how screwed are we anyway? Joining us is comedian Adam Rowe, an award winning stand up comedian, national touring act, and one half of the Have A Word Podcast.