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. #190 - One Nation

    4 days ago

    #190 - One Nation

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 190 – One Nation In this episode, Andy and Roger begin with an unexpected observation about cosmetic surgery, lip filler, hair transplants, and the growing pressure to optimise appearance. What starts as a discussion about cosmetic enhancements quickly turns into a broader conversation about identity, signalling, status, and how different groups present themselves in modern society. The discussion then shifts into politics, with a deep dive into the remarkable rise of Pauline Hanson and One Nation in Australian polling. Andy and Roger explore why populist movements are gaining traction, whether Pauline Hanson is Australia’s version of Donald Trump, and how voters are responding to growing frustration with the major parties. They debate questions of race, immigration, multiculturalism, Islam, political correctness, and whether Hanson’s appeal comes from speaking uncomfortable truths or from exploiting division. Along the way, they discuss Trump’s enduring influence on global politics, the decline of traditional conservative parties, the role of social media and meme culture in modern political movements, and whether political figures should be judged by their intentions, their actions, or the consequences of both. As usual, the conversation wanders through history, culture, identity and plenty of uncomfortable territory before arriving somewhere in the middle. Hashtags: #PaulineHanson #OneNation #AustralianPolitics #Populism #DonaldTrump #PoliticalCommentary #CultureWars #ImmigrationDebate #MulticulturalAustralia #IdentityPolitics #AntiWoke #PoliticalTrends #AustralianCulture #AndyAndRoger #TheMiddlePodcast #CurrentAffairs #PoliticalDiscussion #MediaCulture #SocialCommentary #PodcastAustralia 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

    1hr 6min
  2. #189 - Make your bed

    6 June

    #189 - Make your bed

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 189 – Make your bed Making the bed is apparently the first step towards success, which may explain quite a lot. Andy and Roger compare their tolerance for household discipline, from unmade beds and open drawers to the genuinely hazardous business of leaving the dishwasher door down. They also consider separate doonas, decorative cushions and whether laziness should simply be accepted as a basic feature of human nature. The conversation moves to ironing, office clothes and the many months of life potentially lost to pressing shirts, before Andy asks Roger to update his assessment of the conflict in Iran. Roger explains why his hopes for a successful outcome have fallen, as they discuss Iran’s nuclear program, regional proxies, the Trump–Netanyahu relationship and the increasingly elastic boundaries of presidential immunity. Hashtags: #MakeYourBed #HouseholdHabits #ModernLife #Ironing #OfficeCulture #CorporateFashion #Iran #IranConflict #MiddleEastPolitics #DonaldTrump #BenjaminNetanyahu #Geopolitics #PresidentialImmunity #AustralianPodcast #AndyAndRoger #TheMiddlePodcast #PoliticalCommentary #CultureAndPolitics 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
  3. #188 - Friends of Zion

    30 May

    #188 - Friends of Zion

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 188 – Friends of Zion In this episode, Andy and Roger discover that making new friends as adult men may be even harder than expected. After both signing up for Bumble for Friends in the hope of finding a few local mates to share a beer with, they quickly find themselves navigating a very different ecosystem. The pair discuss friendship apps, modern loneliness, online profiles, and the surprisingly uncomfortable experience of judging strangers based on a handful of photos and a short bio. The conversation then shifts to a much heavier topic: antisemitism, anti-Zionism, and the ongoing public debate surrounding Israel and Gaza. Using a series of test statements, Andy and Roger explore where criticism of Israel ends and antisemitism begins, why definitions matter, and how language can create confusion when different groups use the same terms in different ways. They discuss conspiracy theories, social media influence, foreign disinformation campaigns, generational attitudes, and whether rising concern about antisemitism reflects growing prejudice or broader cultural and political forces. As always, they attempt to find some middle ground in a debate that often leaves little room for nuance. Hashtags: #Antisemitism #AntiZionism #IsraelPalestine #Gaza #BumbleForFriends #ModernFriendship #Loneliness #SocialMedia #ConspiracyTheories #PoliticalDebate #MiddleGround #AustralianPodcast #AndyAndRoger #CurrentAffairs #CultureWars #OnlineCulture #Israel #PublicDiscourse #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

    1hr 2min
  4. #187 - Tickle and Giggle

    23 May

    #187 - Tickle and Giggle

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 187 – Tickle and Giggle In this episode, Andy and Roger wander into the increasingly dangerous territory of modern dating politics, culture wars, and one of Australia’s strangest legal battles. What starts as a conversation about young women navigating dating apps and spotting “red flags” in politically conservative men quickly spirals into a broader discussion about whether political alignment has become essential for relationships to survive. The pair unpack the growing divide between young men and women politically, the influence of figures like Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro, and whether enjoying Donald Trump as an entertainer is now enough to tank your dating prospects. Along the way, they debate abortion, tribal politics, identity-driven relationships, and whether couples can genuinely coexist with fundamentally different worldviews. The second half turns to the now infamous Giggle vs Tickle court case, where a female-only social networking app found itself at the centre of Australia’s gender identity laws. Andy and Roger explore the legal reasoning behind the decision, the broader implications for female-only spaces, activist strategy, and whether the public is quietly reaching the limits of culture-war fatigue. Unsurprisingly, things become even more absurd once the words “Giggle” and “Tickle” have to be repeated seriously for half an hour. Hashtags: #GiggleVsTickle #CultureWars #ModernDating #PoliticalDivide #JordanPeterson #BenShapiro #DonaldTrump #IdentityPolitics #DatingApps #AustralianPolitics #FreeSpeech #GenderDebate #TransRights #FemaleSpaces #CultureWarDebate #AndyAndRoger #PodcastDiscussion #PoliticalAlignment #RelationshipDynamics #SocialCommentary #AbortionDebate #ModernRelationships 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

    31 min
  5. #186 - Negatively geared

    16 May

    #186 - Negatively geared

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 186 – Negatively geared In this episode, Andy and Roger somehow begin with Rebecca Black and karaoke videos before spiralling into Harrison Ford, Joe Biden, ageing rock stars, and the psychological inability of powerful people to retire gracefully. It only gets more cheerful from there. The main discussion centres on the Australian federal budget and the government’s proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions. Andy breaks down exactly how negative gearing works, why investors have historically been willing to run rental losses, and how the combination of tax policy and capital gains transformed Australian housing into a long-term wealth machine. Roger questions whether the changes are genuinely about housing affordability or simply another case of younger generations being told to lower their expectations. The conversation explores whether the reforms actually help first-home buyers, why rents could rise instead, and how grandfathering existing arrangements effectively locks in advantages for older asset owners while removing the same opportunities for younger Australians. They also debate Labor’s broken promises on tax reform, the growing populist right in Australian politics, and whether parties still win elections on policy at all. Later, the discussion shifts into public sector efficiency, DOGE-style government reform, bureaucracy, and why fixing government systems is far more complicated than simply hiring “smart outsiders”. Andy argues the people inside government already know where the inefficiencies are, while Roger questions whether large Western governments have lost the ability to deliver major outcomes effectively. They finish by discussing Pauline Hanson, the fractured Australian centre-right, influencer politics, social media campaigning, and why the next generation of political candidates may look more like TikTok creators than traditional party operators. Hashtags: #NegativeGearing #AustralianPolitics #FederalBudget #HousingCrisis #CapitalGainsTax #PropertyMarket #IntergenerationalWealth #HousingAffordability #LaborParty #AnthonyAlbanese #PaulineHanson #OneNation #AustralianEconomy #DOGE #GovernmentSpending #PublicService #PoliticalCommentary #AndyAndRoger #PodcastDiscussion #AustralianHousing #BoomersVsMillennials #CultureWars #SocialMediaPolitics 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

    58 min
  6. #185 - Rizz

    9 May

    #185 - Rizz

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 185 – Rizz In this episode, Andy and Roger attempt to answer one of the most important questions facing modern civilisation: what actually is “rizz”? The conversation kicks off with the everyday chaos of Australian roads, from overly polite drivers causing near misses to the strange psychology of pedestrians, before drifting into the world of dashcam videos, auditing channels, and the oddly soothing appeal of watching strangers lose their minds online. From there, the pair unpack the rise of Gen Z slang and whether “rizz” really just means charisma, confidence, or something far more elusive. Along the way they debate which public figures genuinely have it, from Barack Obama and Donald Trump to George Clooney, Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Michael Jackson, and Jay Leno. They also explore whether charisma can actually be learned, why some celebrities seem magnetic on screen but painfully awkward off it, and whether modern media rewards authenticity or just well-practised performance. There’s also discussion about podcasting, cult leaders, billionaires, nerd charisma, Italian-Americans, Sam Harris, Steve Jobs, and why real estate agents might simply be running behavioural economics scripts in human form. As usual, Andy and Roger somehow manage to move from Australian traffic etiquette to Hitler in under an hour. Hashtags: #Rizz #Charisma #GenZSlang #PodcastDiscussion #AndyAndRoger #JoeRogan #ElonMusk #GeorgeClooney #BarackObama #DonaldTrump #SamHarris #SteveJobs #ModernCulture #InternetCulture #DashcamVideos #AustralianPodcast #CulturalCommentary #MediaPersonality #YouTubeCulture #CelebrityCulture #SocialDynamics #PodcastLife 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
  7. #184 - White Australia

    2 May

    #184 - White Australia

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 184 – White Australia In this episode, Andy and Roger stumble across a 1962 street interview about the White Australia Policy—and things get uncomfortable, quickly. What starts as a curiosity turns into a raw comparison between past and present attitudes, as they listen to everyday Australians grapple (often clumsily) with race, immigration, and national identity. Andy takes a more sympathetic view of the interviewees, framing their perspectives in the context of post–World War II anxiety and a desire for stability, while Roger questions whether their views were actually that extreme for the time—or simply reflective of a broader “middle” sentiment. Along the way, they unpack how much Australia has changed culturally, socially, and demographically since the policy’s dismantling in the 1970s. The conversation then shifts to modern parallels: immigration today, multiculturalism, and the tension between economic necessity and cultural cohesion. From selective schools to shifting national identity, Andy and Roger explore whether the same underlying questions still exist—just dressed up in more acceptable language. It’s a delicate topic, handled in their usual style: part thoughtful, part blunt, and occasionally veering into food analogies that may or may not help the argument. Hashtags: #WhiteAustraliaPolicy #ImmigrationDebate #AustralianHistory #Multiculturalism #CulturalIdentity #ModernAustralia #SocialChange #AndyAndRoger #PodcastDiscussion #PoliticalDebate #Migration #NationalIdentity #HistoryAndPolitics #CulturalShifts #PublicOpinion #AustraliaToday 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

    38 min
  8. #183 - Michael Jackson

    25 Apr

    #183 - Michael Jackson

    🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 183 – Michael Jackson In this episode, Andy and Roger wander into the minefield that is Michael Jackson—prompted by a new biopic that disappoints critics and sugarcoats the real MJ. What starts as a chat about movie reviews quickly turns into a broader discussion about legacy, fame, and whether it’s even possible to tell the truth about someone that famous. They unpack the film’s biggest criticism—that it sanitises Jackson’s life—and ask whether that was inevitable given the family’s involvement. From there, the conversation turns to the strange duality of Michael Jackson himself: a once-in-a-generation entertainer with an undeniable cultural impact, and a deeply complicated figure surrounded by controversy, allegations, and behaviour that doesn’t sit comfortably in hindsight. Andy and Roger debate whether it’s possible to separate the art from the artist, touching on Jackson’s upbringing, the pressures of fame from childhood, and the idea of arrested development. They explore the role of enablers, the cult-like loyalty of fanbases, and how figures like Donald Trump draw similar dynamics in public perception—albeit in very different arenas. The episode also branches out into a wider conversation about musical biopics: why they rarely land, why they tend to gloss over the uncomfortable bits, and whether some stories are simply too messy to retell. Along the way, they revisit films like Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, and debate which artists—if any—actually deserve the biopic treatment. It’s part nostalgia, part cultural critique, and part uncomfortable reality check on what happens when fame, talent, and human frailty collide. Hashtags: #MichaelJackson #Biopic #MusicHistory #PopCulture #CelebrityLegacy #ArtVsArtist #AndyAndRoger #PodcastDiscussion #FilmCriticism #FameAndPower #CulturalDebate #MusicIndustry #TrueStory #EntertainmentNews #MediaAnalysis 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

    37 min
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Trailer

4.5
out of 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
    197
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Andy and Roger
  • Show Website
    The Middle