Debatable: Recent Episodes
Zee Feed
Breaking down the controversial topics, unpopular opinions and social issues of the moment, one conversation at a time. Author, media pro and Zee Feed founder Crystal Andrews hosts no fluff, no filter conversations with experts and friends on the big picture stuff – and, frankly, it’s all up for debate.
CHEEKY FOLLOW ON INSTA
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
WANT TO SUGGEST A TOPIC FOR THE POD?
Send a DM or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.zeefeed.com.au/
Federal Labor is announcing their first budget (FY22/23) tonight. There is going to be a lot of media coverage unpacking everything (and yes, we’ll have some analysis too) which is great, but… do you really understand what budget coverage means when you read it? To help cut through the jargon, we explain 3 handy tips to help you make sense of all the budget stuff you’ll be reading and hearing over the next few weeks.
Read the full article here: https://zeefeed.com.au/how-understand-federal-budget/
Zee Feed is an independent digital media company, bringing context and critical thinking to Australia's media landscape. We are proudly WOC-owned and operated. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zeefeed
A new meme is bringing a surprising amount of hope to online spaces: the ‘Indomitable Human Spirit’. It's unashamedly optimistic and feels like it's from a more naive Internet era (it literally has a 2008 Coldplay song trending again). But most importantly, it couldn't be a more crucial meme for the moment the world finds itself in right now.
Read the full article here: https://zeefeed.com.au/indomitable-human-spirit/
Zee Feed is an independent digital media company, bringing context and critical thinking to Australia's media landscape. We are proudly WOC-owned and operated. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zeefeed
Yet another take on the latest HR concept of 'quiet quitting': Why are most of the proponents of the trend white? Financial and cultural factors mean that not everyone who tries to act their wage will be perceived the same way. The pursuit of work-life balance, which relies on a level of financial comfort (and confidence you could easily find a new job if fired) that makes it an uphill battle for women of colour. And the stats back that up.
Read the full article here: https://zeefeed.com.au/quiet-quitting-women-of-colour/
Zee Feed is an independent digital media company, bringing context and critical thinking to Australia's media landscape. We are proudly WOC-owned and operated. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zeefeed
House music when the recession is nasty? Longer hemlines when the markets crash? Pop culture trends are deeply connected to economic conditions – both how artists create, and how we the people consume. We looked back at recessions past (and asked a few insiders) to make predictions about the major trends in music, fashion, movies, TV and books that could come with a 2022-2023 global crash.
Read the full article here: https://zeefeed.com.au/recession-pop-culture-trends/
Zee Feed is an independent digital media company, bringing context and critical thinking to Australia's media landscape. We are proudly WOC-owned and operated. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zeefeed
The Labor government is hyped about its Climate Change Bill, which will see Australia cement emissions reduction targets for 2030 and 2050 into law. But what happens if the bill passes and we don't hit those shiny new (and low) targets? Good question. Here's the answer.
Read the full article at: https://zeefeed.com.au/australia-climate-change-bill-explained
Zee Feed is an independent digital media company, bringing context and critical thinking to Australia's media landscape. We are proudly WOC-owned and operated. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zeefeed
The revelation that Morrison secretly made himself co-Minister for Health in March 2020 was not a scoop published in a typical news article. It’s actually a nugget of information in a book, Plagued, written by Simon Benson and Geoff Chambers, senior political journalists for The Australian. Which begs the question: When did Benson and Chambers find out about the secret, and how long did they wait to tell us?
Read the full article by Crystal Andrews here: https://zeefeed.com.au/scott-morrison-secret-ministry-scandal-origin/
Zee Feed is an independent digital media company, bringing context and critical thinking to Australia's media landscape. We are proudly WOC-owned and operated.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zeefeed
Between May 2020 and May 2021, then Prime Minister Scott Morrison appointed himself as co-Minister of five different departments. At least three of these appointments were kept a secret from the actual Ministers. All were kept a secret from the public, until now.
Zee Feed editor Crystal Andrews answers seven of the most common questions readers have about this story.
You can see read the text version of this on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/ChUMf6ePbCL/
Zee Feed is an independent digital media company, bringing context and critical thinking to Australia's media landscape. We are proudly WOC-owned and operated.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zeefeed
Obviously, Australia is a nation of piss-takers. But at what point does the meme-ification of conservative politicians like Pauline Hanson, Scott Morrison, Bob Katter or Craig Kelly actually do more harm than good?
Read the full opinion piece by Crystal Andrews at: https://zeefeed.com.au/australian-politics-memes/
Zee Feed is an independent digital media company, bringing context and critical thinking to Australia's media landscape. We are proudly WOC-owned and operated. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zeefeed
In the last episode of Debatable for the year, Crystal reflects on how it really felt to build a news brand and go all-in on a small business in 2020. Debatable will be back in a big way in 2021 – until then, thank you for the downloads over the past five months!
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why 2020 was a double-edged sword for news media
- Zee Feed's viral moment: George Floyd's killing and protests
- How much money Zee Feed makes
- Owning my comparison anxiety
- The focus for 2021
- How sincerity makes up for size
THE NEW MEDIA BRANDS CRYSTAL IS JEALOUS OF:
- Centennial Beauty
- The Daily Aus
- The Daily Talk Show / Big Media Company
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As you could probably tell by the influx of targeted Instagram ads, Black Friday is here. With COVID-19 destroying the economy, Black Friday should be the retail saviour we've been waiting for... but is there a downside to all those discounts, especially on small business?
Crystal explores the pros and cons you should consider before you shop the Black Friday sales.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How much Black Friday generates in Australian sales
- The value of retail to the Australian economy
- Benefits to shopping small
- Why mega retailers are the real winners
- How low prices do economic damage
- France's Black Friday ban
- Consumerism and waste
Read the article: https://zeefeed.com.au/is-black-friday-good-economy/
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
There's been a shift in the climate crisis debate in Australia... we're finally talking about the money. Will talking about the financial impact of climate change push the country into taking decisive climate action?
Crystal explains three promising news stories that leverage financial losses to inspire environmental action.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Reframing the climate conversation around money
- The lesson in the Rest Super lawsuit
- Deloitte's economic predictions
- Climate is about survival, survival is about money
- 10 surprising Australian groups now demanding climate action
- The need to shift behaviours
Links:
Mark McVeigh sues Rest Super: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-02/rest-super-commits-to-net-zero-emmissions/12840204
Rest Super settlement agreement: https://rest.com.au/why-rest/about-rest/news/rest-november-statement
Deloitte Access Economics report: https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/economics/articles/new-choice-climate-growth.html
Business groups supporting climate: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/28/climate-crisis-business-farming-and-environment-leaders-unite-to-warn-australia-woefully-unprepared
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
At times, it's felt like the entire world might collapse under the weight of the 2020 US Election. And now there's only one week to go... but will the result impact Australia as much as we might think? Will a Trump or Biden presidency be better for young Aussies?
Crystal asks RMIT's Dr Emma Shortis, a historian who specialises in US politics, four big questions:
IN THIS EPISODE:
- What will a Trump re-election mean for Australia?
- How will a Biden presidency affect Australia?
- Will either election outcome impact our day-to-day lives in Aus?
- Is this election more influential than usual?
Links:
Read the article for this episode here:https://zeefeed.com.au/will-2020-us-election-result-impact-australia/
Barely Gettin' By interview with Barrie Cassidy: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-force-for-good/id1478594339?i=1000495612146
Van Jones TED Talk 'What if a US president refuses to concede after an election?'
Video: https://www.ted.com/talks/van_jones_what_if_a_us_presidential_candidate_refuses_to_concede_after_an_election?language=en
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-if-us-presidential-candidate-refuses-to-concede/id160904630?i=1000496141164
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Kevin Rudd swung for the fences, calling for a royal commission into Australian ownership concentration and the outsize influence of Rupert Murdoch. While his petition already has over 220,000 signatures, it doesn't answer some of the pressing questions: How big is the media ownership problem in this country, and is it even fixable?
Crystal explains the petition, the commission, and the laws, and the only outcome that seems likely...
IN THIS EPISODE:
- What the petition asks for
- Why media ownership concentration is a problem
- Explaining the reach and dominance of News Corp and Nine Entertainment Co
- Why we ditched the laws that could have stopped it
- The digital platforms inquiry
- Crystal's prediction of a digital-focused outcome
Links:
Read the article for this episode here:https://zeefeed.com.au/kevin-rudd-petition-australian-media-ownership/
Twitter thread of every media business owned by News Corp Australia: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGR4MxXjSRN/
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Recession Recovery for Dummies! While there will be lots of analysis of the details of the 2020 Budget, we're asking a bigger picture question: What's the best way to fix an economy – public or private-sector spending?
Crystal explains how spending on businesses vs spending on services each fix the economy, as the concept that underlies the #Budget2020 media coverage.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How private sector-led economic recovery works
- How public sector-led recovery works
- The big question that both strategies ask about society
- Hard truth: the goal is not to help everyone
- Will the impact of COVID on spending habits change the outcome?
Check out our budget breakdown here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CF_2CR5jQD1/
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're all consuming more news than ever before, but how well do we really understand what we see and read? Crystal shares her advice for reading news content including the tricks she uses for doing research.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why you are misunderstanding the purpose of headlines
- The role emotion plays in news
- How to distinguish between news and opinion
- The political stance of every major Australian news outlet
- Why you should read "opposite news"
Read the full article for this episode: https://zeefeed.com.au/how-to-understand-news/
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
SOLO EPISOE: This episode is a mental reset. Crystal explores the idea of two competing groups both holding equally true arguments, and whether refusing to acknowledging when others are 'right' is ultimately what is holding all of us back from progress.
Are we really trying to make the world better, or are we just in it to see our side 'win'?
In the episode:
K.C Cole 'Quantum mechanics has a lesson for our polarized society: Two contradictory things can still be true' https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-cole-quantum-mechanics-in-the-age-of-trump-20181021-story.html
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
Body Positivity: what does it really mean, who is it really for, and was Zee Feed right to criticise the movement in favour of body neutrality in 2019? The answers, as always are… complicated, but worth thinking about.
April Watson, aka Bodzilla, podcaster and BoPo advocate joins Debatable to discuss how mainstream awareness has changed the movement.
Follow April: https://www.instagram.com/thebodzilla/
Listen to the BODcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-bodcast/id1523248942
Links from the episode:
Body Positivity on Unpopular Opinions https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17910770104323841/
Fat Girl Flow “What to Expect Going Forward” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNt8pNpBbOs
Summary of Body Neutrality https://www.thecut.com/2017/03/forget-body-positivity-how-about-body-neutrality.html
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
SOLO EPISOE: No guests, just Crystal exploring how a week of arguing with random men on the Internet prompted her to re-evaluate her definition of optimism.
In the 21st Century, should optimism be less about fate and more about active resourcefulness?
In the episode:
The Cut: Optimism https://www.thecut.com/2020/08/listen-to-the-first-episode-of-the-cut-podcast.html
Emily Esfahani Smith, The Power of Meaning https://www.ted.com/speakers/emily_esfahani_smith
How to Win Every Argument https://www.zeefeed.com.au/shop/how-to-win-every-argument-book
Steven Pinker, Is the World Getting Better or Worse? https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_is_the_world_getting_better_or_worse_a_look_at_the_numbers?language=en
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Millennials and Gen Zs are not the same. Sure, we might fight on the same team sometimes but each generation has fundamental differences. Let’s get honest: What do Millennials and Gen Zs hate about each other?
In this special episode of Debatable, Crystal is joined by her baby sister Chelsea Andrews to get their generational differences out in the open
Follow Chelsea: https://www.instagram.com/chelandrews/
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
Australian news media was savaged this week for being so, so white, and entertainment media is not much better. How can we – the viewers, listeners, readers – help make the media and entertainment landscape more representative of the population? It turns out we have more power than we think.
Pavan Dutta, screenwriter for Neighbours, joins Debatable to discuss the power of soaps and telling culturally specific stories.
Follow Pavan: https://twitter.com/PvnDutta
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
Whether you're calling someone out publicly or watching from the sidelines, you're involved in cancel culture. But is there a difference between those who speak up and those who stay silent? What is the psychological drive behind cancel culture and why does it feel so good?
Ash King, provisional psychologist and content manager for The Indigo Project, joins Debatable to explain why cancel culture is part of human nature.
Follow The Indigo Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_indigo_project/
Follow Ash: https://www.instagram.com/ashking/
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
We've all been warned that the Internet is permanent. So what happens when young people – who've been posting online their entire lives – begin to enter politics? With so many political careers already being ended because of old posts on social media, will Millennial and Gen Z political careers be killed off too quickly?
Rachael Conaghan, News & Politics Writer for Junkee, joins Debatable to discuss whether we need to re-evaluate the importance of old tweets, for our own sakes.
Follow Rachael's work on Junkee: https://junkee.com/author/rachael-conaghan
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
Zee Feed’s Instagram followers made a surprising confession: they do NOT like Beyoncé. Their reasoning? She’s too superior, too unnapproachable, too private. Does this mean the era of aspirational, superstar celebrity is over?
Sarah Fitzmaurice, a journalist who has reported on celebrities for some of the world’s biggest media companies including Daily Mail, joins Debatable to discuss what the evolution of celebrity culture says about all of us.
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.in.sydney/
LINKS
Unpopular Opinion: Beyoncé https://www.instagram.com/p/B-gIS30HqAX/
Aspirational vs Authentic Celebrity https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/nov/23/selfies-influencers-twitter-president-decade-of-social-media-celebrity-hadley-freeman
Billie Eilish backlash https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/billie-eilish-body-shamed-reaction-bikini-picture_n_5e933019c5b638031b197156?ri18n=true
Gen Z is over celebrity glitz https://us.fashionnetwork.com/news/Gen-z-is-over-celebrity-glitz-wants-transparency-and-authenticity,1150680.html
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Remember all those “We are the virus” memes being shared on social media during the initial COVID-19 outbreaks in March? If you shared them, you should be aware of the dangerous belief system they were connected to: Ecofacism, a topic where race, class, privilege and the climate crisis all collide.
Tim Lo Surdo, Director of Democracy in Colour, joins Debatable to unpack the intersectionality of social justice causes, and how to be a responsible ally and advocate for change.
More on COVID-19 and ecofacism here: https://grist.org/climate/were-the-virus-the-pandemic-is-bringing-out-environmentalisms-dark-side/
Follow Tim https://twitter.com/timlosurdo
Learn more about Democracy in Colour https://democracyincolour.org/
Want to suggest a topic for discussion on Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It’s well documented that men generally don’t read books by women, but is that true for podcasts, YouTube channels and blogs too? Why is it that male creators can build an audience that’s 50/50, while the work of female creators is invisibly labeled as being “for women”?
Josh Janssen, co-host of The Daily Talk Show, joins Debatable to discuss the gender bias in content consumption… and whether Crystal’s aim of creating a balanced audience is achievable.
Follow Josh: https://www.instagram.com/joshjanssen/
Listen to The Daily Talk Show on every podcast app and YouTube https://www.youtube.com/thedailytalkshow
Want to suggest a topic for discussion on Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From the Australian bushfires, to COVID-19, to the global surge of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, 2020 has seen consumers waking up to the fact that their money has power. What’s more important, the product being bought or the person making money from it?
Sianna Catullo, Chief Creative Officer of Clothing the Gap, joins Debatable to discuss the emerging trend of conscious consumerism – and how long it will last.
Follow Sianna https://www.instagram.com/siannacatullo/
Follow Clothing the Gap https://www.instagram.com/clothingthegap/
LINKS
Sporty&Rich controversy https://www.instagram.com/p/CArmDNwAM_1/
Estee Lauder workers demand Ronald Lauder removed from board https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/ronald-lauder-donald-trump-supporter-estee-lauder-employees-removal
Homie Clothing https://www.instagram.com/homie.com.au/
Good Is the New Cool: Market Like You Give A Damn https://www.goodisthenewcool.org/good-is-the-new-cool-book/
Want to suggest a topic for Debatable?
Send a Crystal a DM on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/zee_feed
https://www.instagram.com/crystal_jane
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It's here... almost! Listen for a snappy intro into what you can expect on Debatable from Crystal Andrews, journalist, author and founder of Zee Feed.
Zee Feed breaks down the news for the social media generation, and Debatable is an extension of that – exploring the big topics shaping our lives in no fluff, no filter conversations with experts and friends.
Got a suggestion for a topic you'd like to hear discussed on the pod?
DM Zee Feed on Instagram or email hey@zeefeed.com.au