The Middle

Andy and Roger

In a world where only the extreme get their voice heard... How do we know where the middle is? Join us on our search for the middle. https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/

  1. #174 - Ragebait

    2 DAYS AGO

    #174 - Ragebait

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 174 – Ragebait Ever found yourself furious at a stranger on the internet… only to realise you’ve been expertly played by the algorithm? In this episode, Andy and Roger unpack the modern art form of rage bait — from missing TV remotes (and why black ones were superior all along) to the way social media platforms quietly nudge us toward outrage. What starts with domestic frustration quickly turns into a broader discussion about how algorithms amplify extreme content, polarise political views, and keep us emotionally hooked. They explore how both left and right get fed increasingly unhinged versions of their own beliefs, why activists often cancel their own side first, and whether podcast hosts telling people to “do your own research” are offering common sense — or lighting a fuse. Along the way, they test out a few deliberately spicy hypothetical headlines involving culture wars, speech, identity politics, and populist politicians, examining how framing shapes outrage. The conversation also touches on figures like Joe Rogan, the internal backlash against progressive CEOs, and whether modern audiences are losing their sense of humour — with a nod to Ricky Gervais’ famously uncomfortable award show monologues. Ultimately, Andy and Roger ask a bigger question: is rage just digital junk food, or does it serve a deeper human purpose? Is it corrosive, or does it unite tribes against a common enemy? And most importantly — are we choosing outrage, or is outrage choosing us? Hashtags: #RageBait #SocialMediaAlgorithms #CultureWars #PoliticalPolarisation #JoeRogan #FreeSpeechDebate #CancelCulture #OnlineOutrage #IdentityPolitics #Algorithm #DigitalCulture #ModernPolitics #AndyAndRoger #PodcastDiscussion #MediaLiteracy #InternetCulture #LeftVsRight #PublicDebate #TechAndSociety #CriticalThinking Engage with us on social media: Website: http://themiddle.site/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themiddlepodcastandyroger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Middle-Podcast/100089236832534/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMiddlePC Email: the.middle.podcast.au@gmail.com Sign up to our subscriber email list: Visit our website: http://themiddle.site/ Or click: https://forms.gle/4qATmU2yiHgjZrej8

    54 min
  2. #173 - Shit lunches

    14 FEB

    #173 - Shit lunches

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 173 – Shit lunches In this episode, Andy and Roger start with the most romantic of corporate obligations: Valentine’s Day. Is it a heartfelt celebration of love… or a Hallmark-engineered public signalling exercise designed to shame mediocre boyfriends? The boys unpack the unspoken benchmarks (flowers are apparently non-negotiable), the performative nature of romance, and whether “effort” is just code for expensive. They also wade into dangerous territory: are genuinely romantic men real, or just highly strategic operators? From there, things take a sharp but entirely logical turn into the slow decline of the workplace lunch. Remember when the food court felt adventurous? When sushi was exotic and $10 was the psychological ceiling? Andy and Roger reflect on how age, inflation, post-COVID malaise and corporate drone culture have drained the joy out of the midday meal. They debate the social acceptability of bringing KFC back to the office, the quiet dignity of a $6 sandwich, and why a glass cabinet full of tired paninis now inspires only dread. Along the way, they compare Australian lunch culture to Japan’s convenience store model, India’s home-delivered tiffins, and the strangely elite status of square white bread sandwiches. There’s praise for IKEA meatballs, suspicion of Costco chickens, and a reluctant admission that maybe—just maybe—they are the problem. It’s romance, masculinity, Vegemite, industrialised bread, and the existential crisis of a $15 toasted sandwich. Hashtags: #ValentinesDay #ModernRomance #WorkplaceCulture #OfficeLife #LunchBreak #FoodCourt #CafeCulture #CorporateLife #CostOfLiving #FastFoodDebate #IkeaMeatballs #CostcoHotdog #AustralianCulture #Masculinity #RelationshipExpectations #AndyAndRoger #PodcastDiscussion Engage with us on social media: Website: http://themiddle.site/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themiddlepodcastandyroger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Middle-Podcast/100089236832534/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMiddlePC Email: the.middle.podcast.au@gmail.com Sign up to our subscriber email list: Visit our website: http://themiddle.site/ Or click: https://forms.gle/4qATmU2yiHgjZrej8

    43 min
  3. #172 - Millhouse wanted

    7 FEB

    #172 - Millhouse wanted

    🎧 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. Hashtags: #AndyAndRoger #MensFriendship #MaleLoneliness #MiddleAge #SocialConnection #ModernLife #MensHealth #Friendship #Longevity #GettingOlder #PodcastDiscussion #TheMiddlePodcast Engage with us on social media: Website: http://themiddle.site/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themiddlepodcastandyroger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Middle-Podcast/100089236832534/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMiddlePC Email: the.middle.podcast.au@gmail.com Sign up to our subscriber email list: Visit our website: http://themiddle.site/ Or click: https://forms.gle/4qATmU2yiHgjZrej8

    28 min
  4. #171 - Speed dating

    31 JAN

    #171 - Speed dating

    🎵 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. Hashtags: #LaBooBoo #CollectibleCulture #WhiteBeautyStandards #AsianBeauty #PopMart #FacebookMarketplace #CulturalNorms #SpeedDatingFails #MenVsWomen #ModernFriendship #AndyAndRoger #PodcastChat #TinderFatigue #LonelyPlanet #CouplesThatDateTogether #YellowFeverDebate #CosmeticSurgery #BeautyMyth Engage with us on social media: Website: http://themiddle.site/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themiddlepodcastandyroger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Middle-Podcast/100089236832534/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMiddlePC Email: the.middle.podcast.au@gmail.com Sign up to our subscriber email list: Visit our website: http://themiddle.site/ Or click: https://forms.gle/4qATmU2yiHgjZrej8

    43 min
  5. #170 - Trump chokes

    24 JAN

    #170 - Trump chokes

    🎧 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? Hashtags: #TrumpDeath #BigMacGate #JDVance #MAGAMovement #AmericanPolitics #USPresidency #RepublicanParty #Democrats #PoliticalChaos #TrumpLegacy #PresidentialSuccession #Populism #ConservativePolitics #MAGA2026 #VanceEra #USMidterms #GlobalPolitics #AndyAndRoger #TheMiddlePodcast Engage with us on social media: Website: http://themiddle.site/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themiddlepodcastandyroger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Middle-Podcast/100089236832534/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMiddlePC Email: the.middle.podcast.au@gmail.com Sign up to our subscriber email list: Visit our website: http://themiddle.site/ Or click: https://forms.gle/4qATmU2yiHgjZrej8

    42 min
  6. #169 - Nanny state

    17 JAN

    #169 - Nanny state

    🎧 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. Hashtags: #NannyState #ParentingStyles #TravelWithKids #AirportSecurity #MalaysiaTrip #FoodSafety #HagglingCulture #AsianMarkets #DomesticHelpers #MultigenerationalLiving #ChildcareCrisis #FilipinoMaids #GlobalInequality #AustralianCulture #ExpatLife #RogerAndAndy #TheMiddlePodcast #CrossCultural #ModernParenting #LawAndOrder Engage with us on social media: Website: http://themiddle.site/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themiddlepodcastandyroger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Middle-Podcast/100089236832534/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMiddlePC Email: the.middle.podcast.au@gmail.com Sign up to our subscriber email list: Visit our website: http://themiddle.site/ Or click: https://forms.gle/4qATmU2yiHgjZrej8

    55 min
  7. #168 - Make friends

    10 JAN

    #168 - Make friends

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE 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.” Hashtags: #DaleCarnegie #HowToWinFriends #MakingFriends #SocialSkills #AndyAndRoger #AuthenticityCrisis #AustralianCulture #WorkplaceDynamics #FridayDrinks #Minimalism #MovingHouse #MaleFriendship #SelfHelpBooks #PodcastChat #PackingProblems #CulturalAdvice #SmilingIsWeird #NameMemoryFail #SocialNorms2026 #StatusAnxiety Engage with us on social media: Website: http://themiddle.site/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themiddlepodcastandyroger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Middle-Podcast/100089236832534/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMiddlePC Email: the.middle.podcast.au@gmail.com Sign up to our subscriber email list: Visit our website: http://themiddle.site/ Or click: https://forms.gle/4qATmU2yiHgjZrej8

    49 min
  8. #167 - Goodbye 2025

    3 JAN

    #167 - Goodbye 2025

    🎧 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 Engage with us on social media: Website: http://themiddle.site/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themiddlepodcastandyroger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Middle-Podcast/100089236832534/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMiddlePC Email: the.middle.podcast.au@gmail.com Sign up to our subscriber email list: Visit our website: http://themiddle.site/ Or click: https://forms.gle/4qATmU2yiHgjZrej8

    51 min
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4.5
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About

In a world where only the extreme get their voice heard... How do we know where the middle is? Join us on our search for the middle. https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/

Information

  • Creator
    Andy and Roger
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    181
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Andy and Roger
  • Show Website
    The Middle