Info

Like I'm A Six-Year-Old

Comedian Tom Ballard sits down with politicians, activists, thinkers and comedians to try to talk, laugh, cry and argue about politics. You will learn things and get fired up and hear some swearing. Enjoy.
RSS Feed
Like I'm A Six-Year-Old
2023
May
April
March
February


2022
December
November
March
February
January


2021
December
November
October
September
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February


2017
December
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: July, 2017
Jul 25, 2017

Caroline Marcus is the "Political Reporter for the People" for Sky News and an opinion columnist for The Daily Telegraph.

Caroline joined me live onstage at the Giant Dwarf theatre in Redfern in front of a lively crowd on Wednesday July 12th. We touch on the media landscape, bias, identity politics and her experience reporting on the Australian detention centres on Nauru for A Current Affair. Our disagreement occasionally got heated, but I really appreciated the chance to explore this stuff with Caroline in detail. 

A huge thank you to the Giant Dwarf for having us.

You can hear the first episode recorded on the night with Tanya Plibersek here

Problematic is coming to Edinburgh Fringe 2017, starts August 2nd

Problematic is coming to London's Soho Theatre, starts August 29th

@carolinemarcus

Article: If you disagree with me, you're a racist 

Article: Why are activists so afraid of the truth about Nauru?

A Current Affair: Inside Nauru's Detention Centre

My episodes on cultural appropriation with Gay AlcornYassmin Abdel-Magied 

Cause of the Week: Lifeline (lifeline.org.au)

 

Jul 18, 2017

Tanya Plibersek has been the Member for Sydney since 1998. She's the Deputy Leader of the ALP and Shadow Minister for Education and for Women. 

Tanya joined me live onstage at the Giant Dwarf theatre in Redfern in front of a lively crowd on Wednesday July 12th. We touched on the ideological rift bubbling up in the Coalition at the moment, gender equality, Mark Latham, education funding and Labor's refugee policies.

A huge thank you to Tanya for making the time (particularly as she was battling a cold on the night), everyone for coming out to see the show and to the Giant Dwarf for having us. 

The second conversation with journalist Caroline Marcus will be next week's episode. 

Problematic is coming to Edinburgh Fringe 2017, starts August 2nd

@tanya_plibersek

tanyaplibersek.com

Labor's Setting The Agenda

Video of the Sydney Setting The Agenda event

Article: Gonski money is making a difference. Let's not play the Liberals' tired old blame game by Tanya Plibersek

Article: Gonski 2.0: Is this the school funding plan we have been looking for? Finally, yes by Peter Goss

Cause of the Week: Oxfam's East Africa Appeal

 

Jul 11, 2017

Jeff Sparrow is a writer, broadcaster and activist. He's a former member of the International Socialist Organisation and was one of the founding members of the Socialist Alternative. 

I've been wanting to talk to Jeff for a long time and really appreciate this chance to ask him about radical politics, Marxism, class, oppression, the widespread rejection of centrism and the matter of taking one's politics "seriously". 

Come see Like I'm A Six-Year-Old LIVE in Sydney with Tanya Plibersek and Caroline Marcus TONIGHT!

Problematic is coming to Edinburgh Fringe 2017

Chapo Trap House podcast

@jeff_sparrow

Jeff's writing for Guardian Australia

Profile in The Saturday Paper

Article: Raising Melbourne's Red Flag

How Paul Robeson found political voice in Welsh Valleys 

No Way But This: In Search of Paul Robeson by Jeff Sparrow

Political Theory: Marxism from The School of Life

Cause of the Week: Triple R (rrr.org.au)

 

Jul 4, 2017

This week I'm bringing some highlights from a panel I chaired last week for Amnesty International Australia entitled Defending Human Rights In A Time Of Heightened Populism

The panel included refugee rights advocates Andre Dao and Aran Mylvaganam, Indigenous lawyer Meena Singh and businesswoman and social activist Hana AssafiriClaire Mallinson, the National Director of Amnesty Australia, was also on the panel, but unfortunately due to audio issues I haven't been able to include her here. 

I thought this was a really enlightening discussion on the way that populist politics affects our conception of human rights and plays into public debate. We reflected on what does and doesn't work for human rights advocacy in the face of populism, the death of facts and reason, persuasive storytelling and the impact of the Murdoch media on this conversation. 

Please bear with the audio: I guarantee you it's worth it. 

Come see Like I'm A Six-Year-Old LIVE in Sydney with Tanya Plibersek and Caroline Marcus on Wednesday July 12th

Problematic is coming to Edinburgh Fringe 2017

My appearance on The Bugle podcast with Tiff Stevenson

@amnestyOz

Cause of the Week: Amnesty International Australia (amnesty.org.au)

 

1