The Antoinettes

Feeling helpless and hopeless? Same here.  There’s this creeping feeling—once a whisper, now a roar—that things are spiraling out of control. Glaciers are vanishing, children are being murdered—roller blades still on—slaughtered while playing, in a world consumed by hatred. And our leaders? Useless. It’s enough to make anyone feel like throwing in the towel.   But hey, they say you *have* to hold on to hope, right? Thoughts, prayers, yada yada. Hope is powerful, but how do you even begin to keep it alive when everything feels like it’s burning down?   Enter Dr. Preeya Alexander—GP, health communicator, and someone who’s also grappling with finding hope in this mess. She joins The Antoinettes to share five *actually* practical ways to stay hopeful—even when it feels impossible. _________________ Please rate and review if you enjoyed this episode! And share it with a friend (or two). Click here to subscribe to The Antoinettes. Keep the chat going on our Facebook group and suggest topics for us to debate! Sign up to the The Antoinettes newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. The Antoinettes acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rap mogul Sean Comb’s fall from grace continues after his arrest and allegations that include violent crimes against women, grooming men to perform sexual acts with other men as well as trafficking. Now there’s concern pop star Justin Bieiber could have been one of his victims, as internet chatter goes into overdrive digging up old footage and audio and pumping out theories. And a broader conversation about sexuality and fluidity among rappers has come to the fore. Once shrouded in secrecy, one Antoinette says men in hip hop have a sexuality reckoning while the other Antoinette tries to rap.  ____________________________________ Please rate and review if you enjoyed this episode! And share it with a friend (or two). Click here to subscribe to The Antoinettes. Keep the chat going on our Facebook group and suggest topics for us to debate! Sign up to the The Antoinettes newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. The Antoinettes acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

True crime podcasts, shows and books are going gangbusters. And it’s women who are its biggest audience. But do these grisly tales just glorify crime? How much is fact and how much is fiction? Netflix docu-series The Worst Ex Ever is topping charts and we have so many questions and suspicions.  Catcher of killers and true crime podcast extraordinaire Gary Jubelin joins The Antoinettes to unpack the good, the bad and the bloody of true crime. ______________ Please rate and review if you enjoyed this episode! Click here to subscribe to The Antoinettes. Keep the chat going on our Facebook group and suggest topics for us to debate! Sign up to the The Antoinettes newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. The Antoinettes acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We came. We watched. We cussed. We analysed. From Democrats killing babies, to migrants eating your pets and Trump only referring to the Vice President as "she" and "her" -- it was a wild debate.  The Antoinettes sat down and watched the U.S Presidential hopefuls go head to head.   Here are their takeaways (no cats were harmed or cooked in the making of this podcast). ________________________________________________________________ Please rate and review if you enjoyed this episode! Click here to subscribe to The Antoinettes. Keep the chat going on our Facebook group and suggest topics for us to debate! Sign up to the The Antoinettes newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. The Antoinettes acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As queer Australians demand being counted, in true Olympic spirit, Prime Minister Albanese has performed massive backflips over what will be asked in the next Census. Now some LGBTQI+ people will be included in the census — but not all.  One Antoinette unpacks why sex and gender identity need to be accurately measured and welcomes the move.  The other is not impressed and doesn't think counting changes anything. The Antoinettes also explore why Australia still lags when it comes to measuring the ethnic and racial makeup of the country. ____________________________________________________________________ Please rate and review if you enjoyed this episode! Click here to subscribe to The Antoinettes. Keep the chat going on our Facebook group and suggest topics for us to debate! Sign up to the The Antoinettes newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. The Antoinettes acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a push by Australian lobby groups and tabloid media to stop far-right African-American commentator Candace Owens from entering the country for her scheduled speaking tour. One Antoinette would stamp her visa, while the other believes she's dangerous and shouldn't be platformed. But is the real issue how the ‘character test’ migration law is subjectively applied and to who?  Other shit shows this week include Aussie airlines chronic flight delays and why post holiday blues might just be your brain playing tricks on you. ______________________________________________________________________ Please rate and review if you enjoyed this episode! Click here to subscribe to The Antoinettes. Keep the chat going on our Facebook group and suggest topics for us to debate! Sign up to the The Antoinettes newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. The Antoinettes acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like many work/life balance hopefuls, several weeks ago one Antoinette announced she was unplugging from work and social media and having an extended digital detox.  The other Antoinette raised both eyebrows at whether this was ever going to happen, and in this episode we share what really transpired. It includes a fake virtual assistant and a concealed knife. It comes as Australia’s new laws on the ‘right to disconnect’ from work come into effect, while there’s resistance at a similar proposed law in California.  But has the digital horse already bolted irrespective of law changes? Is unplugging ever really an option? The Antoinettes can’t agree, and enjoy making fun of each other instead. ____________________________________________________________________ Please rate and review if you enjoyed this episode!  Click here to subscribe to The Antoinettes. Keep the chat going on our Facebook group and suggest topics for us to debate! Sign up to the The Antoinettes newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. The Antoinettes acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode of The Antoinettes, one half of the duo flies solo to share her many thoughts on Olympic breakdancer Raygun. Azure’s initial reaction was laughter but now her feelings are far more complex.  She explores “having a crack” and African-American cultural appropriation plus the online blowback she’s received for airing her criticisms. This episode breaks it all down, and no kangaroos were involved.  __________________________________________________________ Please rate and review if you enjoyed this episode!  Click here to subscribe to The Antoinettes. Keep the chat going on our Facebook group and suggest topics for us to debate! Sign up to the The Antoinettes newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. The Antoinettes acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hundreds of pharmaceutical drug in short supply -- among them there are critical shortages of Vyvanse, an ADHD treatment and diabetes medication Ozempic. Hollywood stars have popularised Ozempic as a weight loss drug and Vyvanse, colloquially known as a ‘Dexie’ is no longer just a coveted study drug but now also popular in the party scene. What does this mean for people living with illnesses and disabilities when their medication is in hot demand for other reasons? And how do we respond to these shortages? This episode of The Antoinettes explores skinny jabs, party pills and the role generic meds play in the future of critical med supplies. Click here to subscribe to The Antoinettes. Keep the chat going on our Facebook group and suggest topics for us to debate! Sign up to the The Antoinettes newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. The Antoinettes acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Childhood and parenting have radically changed in the past few decades. Far more children today struggle to manage their behaviour and grapple with poorer educational outcomes and more mental health problems than ever before.  As a parent is it OK to sometimes ask yourself: Is my kid just plain awful? And how much can parents blame themselves for this? Reflecting on their journeys as mothers and step mothers, The Antoinettes unpack the widely held belief “There are no bad children, only bad parents” because sometimes its not as simple as that. Click here to subscribe to The Antoinettes. Keep the chat going on our Facebook group and suggest topics for us to debate! Sign up to the The Antoinettes newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. The Antoinettes acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.