Helen Lewis swung by JOETowers to chat if anyone is actually a genius - and what who we label "geniuses" tells us about society. She argues that "genius" is a romanticised idea: the notion that extraordinary talent excuses bad behaviour or moral failings. Think, Elon Musk. She unpacks how celebrated (almost always male) figures like Edison, Einstein, Picasso, Tolstoy (and even Elon Musk) benefit from a halo effect that glosses over serious flaws such as abuse, neglect, misogyny, and selfishness. She traces the historical roots of the term “genius,” linking it to hierarchy-driven ideologies and the eugenics movement, arguing that intelligence testing and the “innate talent” narrative come with harmful baggage. Helen Lewis is a journalist and staff writer at The Atlantic. She is a former deputy editor of the New Statesman, and has also written for The Guardian and The Sunday Times.Her new book "The Genius Myth" is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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35:59
What we saw at the terrorism trial of KNEECAP
After reporting from the scene of Mo Chara's court hearing and its surrounding protest yesterday, Seán and Laura dive into what they saw and why the British state are really going after KNEECAP.Support PoliticsJOE's journalism: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticsJOE(0:00:00) JOEnlyFans(0:01:20) Love Irish podcasts hate Irish nonces(0:01:47) A note on endangered languages(0:04:30) The trial of Mo Chara Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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30:56
Big Ange and Philpch have it off at PMQs
On today's 'tight' record, Ed and Oli discuss the illustrious Deputy Prime Minister's Questions, Robert Jenrick's dark arts, and school uniforms.Support PoliticsJOE's journalism: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticsJOE(0:00:00) JOEnlyFans(0:01:20) Grand opening(0:03:40) (D)PMQs(0:40:13) The record gets loose Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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49:06
What’s controversial about the mass rape of children?
After Yvette Cooper's statement in the Commons yesterday responding to the findings of the Casey report, Seán, Oli, and Laura delve into what's really going on with grooming gangs.Support PoliticsJOE's journalism: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticsJOE(0:00:00) A bit of chat(0:07:10) But why JOEnlyFans?(0:15:24) Grooming gangs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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40:14
On the ground in Ballymena
Ed returns to the studio to discuss his Journalism in Northern Ireland, where he was on the ground reporting on the Ballymena riots. Oli joins him to create the platonic ideal of a podcast.Support PoliticsJOE's journalism: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticsJOE(0:00:00) Dross(0:10:01) PoliticsJOE Premium(0:22:40) Witches(0:26:18) Ballymena Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is PoliticsJOE's podcast - the only explicitly anti-nonce podcast in the UK.Reporting on British politics with a sense of humour, the podcast is a recorded version of the conversations we have after work.So pull up a stool, pour yourself a cold one, and laugh through the misery alongside us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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