🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Episode 172 – Millhouse wanted

Andy and Roger kick things off with talk of health kicks, ageing bodies, and the fantasy of suddenly becoming disciplined in your late thirties without changing any of the conditions that made it impossible in the first place. From Joe Rogan–style supplement stacks to the hard reality of having only “100 points of discipline” to spend, the conversation quickly drifts into the less visible side of getting older as a man.

From there, the episode settles into a longer discussion about male friendship, loneliness, and why making (and keeping) meaningful connections seems to get harder with age. Building on last week’s speed-dating-for-friends experiment, Andy and Roger unpack whether the problem is time, structure, personality, or unrealistic expectations shaped by TV friendships that never really existed in the first place.

They debate charisma, status, magnetism, and whether friendships are driven by attraction, entertainment, or power, before questioning if two perfectly average blokes can still form a genuine bond without any obvious social “edge.” Along the way, there are detours through schoolyard trauma, PE teachers, bingo clubs, Foxconn dormitories, and the quiet importance of having at least one person who will always pick you for the team.

At its core, this is an episode about what men actually need from friendship, how many people really matter, and why finding your Millhouse might be harder than it looks—but still worth thinking about.

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#AndyAndRoger #MensFriendship #MaleLoneliness #MiddleAge #SocialConnection #ModernLife #MensHealth #Friendship #Longevity #GettingOlder #PodcastDiscussion #TheMiddlePodcast

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🎵 NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Episode 171 – Speed dating

Roger opens this week’s episode by detailing his perilous descent into the underground world of rare collectible toys—specifically, an oversized La Boo Boo. From Facebook marketplace meetups that feel like drug deals to AI-powered authentication techniques, it’s a wild ride through the plushie black market.

But the episode quickly takes a detour into deeper waters, as the pair unpack an unexpected encounter with cultural beauty standards in Asia. What begins as a comment about powdered white faces evolves into a broader discussion on colonialism, colourism, class, and whether Asian beauty standards are really western ideals in disguise.

Later, Andy recounts his and his wife's experience at a “friendship speed dating” event. It’s as awkward as it sounds. The duo unpick modern loneliness, gender dynamics, the impossibility of men and women being ‘just friends’, and what happens when socialising as a couple intersects with post-Tinder confusion.

Lizzo also makes an unlikely cameo. Obviously.

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#LaBooBoo #CollectibleCulture #WhiteBeautyStandards #AsianBeauty #PopMart #FacebookMarketplace #CulturalNorms #SpeedDatingFails #MenVsWomen #ModernFriendship #AndyAndRoger #PodcastChat #TinderFatigue #LonelyPlanet #CouplesThatDateTogether #YellowFeverDebate #CosmeticSurgery #BeautyMyth

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🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Episode 170 – Trump chokes

In an unavoidably morbid and uniquely American turn of events, Andy and Roger process the death of Donald Trump—reportedly from choking on a Big Mac aboard Air Force One—and its implications for U.S. and global politics. While most media is still in stunned reaction mode, the duo skip the spectacle and explore what this means for MAGA, the Republican Party, and America’s political psyche.

JD Vance is now president (pending swearing in), and the discussion probes whether the MAGA movement survives without its cult leader, or if it dissipates into factions. Can Vance maintain the energy, or is this the beginning of a Republican identity crisis?

Andy and Roger also explore the Democrats’ next moves in a post-Trump world, whether the media can survive without their orange cash cow, and what global allies (and enemies) make of the latest American chaos. Plus: is it actually possible that McDonald’s has killed a U.S. president?

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#TrumpDeath #BigMacGate #JDVance #MAGAMovement #AmericanPolitics #USPresidency #RepublicanParty #Democrats #PoliticalChaos #TrumpLegacy #PresidentialSuccession #Populism #ConservativePolitics #MAGA2026 #VanceEra #USMidterms #GlobalPolitics #AndyAndRoger #TheMiddlePodcast

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🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Episode 169 – Nanny state

Roger returns from a chaotic family trip to Malaysia with war stories from airport border security, forgotten backpacks, and a renewed appreciation for Australian food safety standards. Andy and Roger reflect on the nanny state versus the wild chaos of Southeast Asia—where you might find horse meat next to the Fruit Loops.

The conversation spirals into parenting styles, travel hazards, and whether Australian children are overprotected. They debate the merits of haggling at night markets, the ethics of domestic helpers in countries like Singapore and Hong Kong, and whether Australia should embrace a “maid economy” of its own. There's a touch of philosophy, some light intergenerational resentment, and a surprising amount of time spent on seatbelt regulations.

They also touch on generational roles, multi-generational households, and the underexplored potential of grandparents as a solution to the childcare crisis. A meandering and provocative episode that may or may not be sponsored by Bluey.

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#NannyState #ParentingStyles #TravelWithKids #AirportSecurity #MalaysiaTrip #FoodSafety #HagglingCulture #AsianMarkets #DomesticHelpers #MultigenerationalLiving #ChildcareCrisis #FilipinoMaids #GlobalInequality #AustralianCulture #ExpatLife #RogerAndAndy #TheMiddlePodcast #CrossCultural #ModernParenting #LawAndOrder

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Episode 168 – Make friends

In this episode, Andy and Roger wrestle with the timeless advice of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, asking the important question: does any of this still work in 2026?

Roger recounts a conversation with a new migrant seeking advice on making friends in Australia, prompting a deep (and often reluctant) dive into Carnegie’s greatest hits. Andy questions whether trying to be liked is inherently inauthentic, while Roger attempts to rehabilitate the usefulness of smiling, remembering names, and basic human warmth.

They also touch on workplace culture, social awkwardness, Friday drinks, and the delicate art of not being a jerk. Along the way, they explore masculinity, authenticity, and the tension between self-improvement and selling out. Andy reflects on the joy of disassembling Lego, while Roger admits to hoarding four bins’ worth of Christmas rubbish. No one comes out looking good.

Also covered: packing fatigue, moving-house misery, and why everything ends up in a box labelled “misc.”

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#DaleCarnegie #HowToWinFriends #MakingFriends #SocialSkills #AndyAndRoger #AuthenticityCrisis #AustralianCulture #WorkplaceDynamics #FridayDrinks #Minimalism #MovingHouse #MaleFriendship #SelfHelpBooks #PodcastChat #PackingProblems #CulturalAdvice #SmilingIsWeird #NameMemoryFail #SocialNorms2026 #StatusAnxiety

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🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Episode 167 – Goodbye 2025

Another year older, another unwanted barbecue. In this special New Year’s wrap-up, Andy and Roger reflect on the curious psychology of Facebook Marketplace, from bookcase bartering and sick-son sob stories to ash-spewing barbecue disasters. What begins as a suburban tale of fridges and passive-aggressive pickup requests morphs into something deeper: the strange economics of zero-dollar transactions and the true meaning of "deadshit energy."

In the second half, the hosts do what they do best: attempt a 12-month world recap in under 12 minutes. They revisit Donald Trump’s shock re-election and its ripple effects, including strikes on Iran and a MAGA movement slowly eating itself from within. From antisemitism in Western Sydney hospitals to Pope Francis’ death and Albanese’s oddly smooth re-election, the year was as chaotic as it was forgettable.

Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the Bondi Hanukkah massacre, the collapse of consensus—2025 had no shortage of headlines. Yet between a Brisbane relocation and a nostalgia-fuelled Oasis gig, there were also glimmers of light.

A reminder, perhaps, that even in dark times, you can still fit a full-sized fridge in a RAV4.

Hashtags:

#FacebookMarketplaceFails #FridgeInARAV4 #Trump2025 #CharlieKirk #BondiShooting #AussiePolitics #MAGA #Antisemitism #CostOfLivingCrisis #OasisLive #PopeFrancis #BrisbaneLife #AndyAndRoger #PodcastRecap #FreecycleFails #EndOfYearWrap #Australia2025 #PoliticalReview #BarbecueSaga #SuburbanChaos

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🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Episode 166 – Antisemitism

This week, Andy and Roger kick off the episode with a Christmas debrief and a rant about Sydney’s failed curbside waste collection—complete with an altercation involving a taxi driver, a mosque, and a van full of rubbish. Naturally, it gets political from there.

The core of the episode is a deep (and at times circular) dive into antisemitism, prompted by physicist David Deutsch’s theory known as “The Pattern.” Andy and Roger dissect the theory’s claims that antisemitism is an inherent, cyclical force embedded in all societies. Andy is unconvinced. Roger has thoughts. They explore whether antisemitism is unique compared to other forms of racism, how religion and cultural identity influence perceptions of power, and why conspiracy theories so often land on Jewish communities.

The discussion navigates the difference between prejudice and scapegoating, the legacy of historical memes, and why "similar but different" groups provoke discomfort. They question whether theories like Deutsch’s help or hinder our understanding, and end with an appropriately awkward moment about how many times they’ve said “Jews” on air.

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#TheMiddlePodcast #AndyAndRoger #Antisemitism #ThePattern #DavidDeutsch #CulturalIdentity #ModernRacism #JewishHistory #Scapegoating #PodcastDiscussion #FreeSpeechDebate #WesternCivilisation #BondiAttack #NSWPolitics #ChrisMinns #CouncilPickupFail #MosqueParking #ChristmasInAustralia

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🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Episode 165 – Bondi

A sombre one this week, as Andy and Roger respond to the Bondi Beach terrorist attack—an act of anti-Semitic violence that left 15 dead and many injured. With hesitation but resolve, they unpack the political and cultural fallout: the risk of ideological vacuums, the failure of leadership, and the avoidance of hard conversations around religious extremism.

The episode examines Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s muted response, critiques the political distraction around gun laws, and reflects on the community’s rising fear, especially within Australia's Jewish population. The hosts consider how social tensions, foreign conflicts, and domestic policy paralysis converge to create dangerous outcomes—and how the failure to address extremism honestly allows space for fringe voices to rise.

Amidst it all, they pay tribute to Ahmed Al Ahmed—the unarmed Muslim man who tackled the shooter—highlighting the human capacity for bravery in the face of horror. A heavy discussion, but an important one.

Hashtags:

#BondiAttack #AntiSemitism #ReligiousExtremism #PoliticalLeadership #GunControlDebate #IslamicExtremism #JewishCommunity #Albanese #PaulineHanson #TragedyInAustralia #MiddleEastConflict #AndyAndRoger #TheMiddlePodcast #SydneyNews #CurrentAffairsAustralia #IslamAndTerrorism #Radicalisation #AustraliaPolitics

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