the tortoise & the hare

brooke & ben mcalary
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated weekly

Fast and slow. Young and old. Hard and soft. Open and closed. Real and fake. Hide and seek. Pleasure and pain… Life is full of dualities and extremes and pick-a-sides. But most of our days are spent in the messy middle.  the tortoise and the hare is a weekly show from the crew who brought you The Slow Home Podcast (RIP). Each episode is a human-made, homegrown, perfectly imperfect conversation about the either/or of life and the vast grey area in between. Because we all contain multitudes. So let’s talk about them.

  1. 1 day ago

    wrinkles & pimples | the tortoise & the hare

    When it comes to age and youth, body image takes a beating at both ends. Can we find a gentler way through the years? In today’s show, Brooke and Ben discuss the duality of wrinkles & pimples — i.e. the visible elements of youth and aging — and how they are literally in the middle of it right now, with both wrinkles and pimples (and grey hair and stiff backs in the morning). They discuss: changing body image in their mid-40s why gender-affirming care (including hair removal, plastic surgery, make-up and hormone therapy) should be accessible to everyone the changing role of body image for boys and men over the past decade what our faces and bodies are actually for the billionaires who want to live forever and go to great lengths to avoid aging Thanks for listening! Links: Find everything mentioned in today’s show at brookemcalary.substack.com  Become a paying supporter of ttath and get double the episodes! Weekly shows delivered straight to your inbox for just $5AUD/month for a limited time If video is your jam, subscribe to our YouTube channel @thetortoiseandthehare Access the full, human-made transcript here Credits: the tortoise & the hare is a McAlary Media production. Produced and hosted by Brooke McAlary and Ben McAlary Edited by Ben McAlary Studio equipment supplied by shot.studio Theme music is Edgar Allan Poe by Modern Aquatic Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    wrinkles & pimples | the tortoise & the hare

  2. 19 Aug

    fast & slow | the tortoise & the hare

    fast & slow | Is there a middle ground between the two? Or are we destined to wrestle our inner-tortoise and inner-hare forever? In the first episode of the tortoise & the hare, Brooke and Ben revisit slow living one last time (no, really!) to see where they exist on the spectrum of speed today and why they decided to keep the slow living reference in the new show’s name. Initially, slow living was a new way of seeing the world. It provided freedom and community and opportunity. But within a few years, the wellness industry exploded and slow-living voices competed to become a new version of the Joneses — the most slow, the most aesthetic, the most minimalist. What started as a fluid, adaptable idea became consumption-driven and highly aspirational. Links: Find everything mentioned in today’s show at brookemcalary.substack.com  Become a paying supporter of ttath and get double the episodes! Weekly shows delivered straight to your inbox for just $5/month for a limited time If video is your jam, subscribe to our YouTube channel @thetortoiseandthehare Access the full, human-made transcript here Thanks for tuning in! Credits: the tortoise & the hare is a McAlary Media production. Produced and hosted by Brooke McAlary and Ben McAlary Edited by Ben McAlary Studio equipment supplied by shot.studio Theme music is Edgar Allan Poe by Modern Aquatic Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    fast & slow | the tortoise & the hare

  3. 6 Aug

    coming soon | the tortoise & the hare

    Listen to the tortoise & the hare preview now. The first episode drops 20th August 2026! Fast and slow. Young and old. Hard and soft. Open and closed. Real and fake. Hide and seek. Pleasure and pain… Life is full of dualities and extremes and pick-a-sides. But most of our days are spent in the messy middle.  the tortoise & the hare is a weekly show from Brooke and Ben McAlary, creators of the much-loved  Slow Home Podcast (RIP). Each episode is a human-made, homegrown, perfectly imperfect conversation about the either/or of life and the vast grey area in between. Because we all contain multitudes. So let’s talk about them. *** Don't forget:  Subscribe to ttath in your favourite podcast app so you don't miss an episode Join us on Substack to become a supporter, access weekly shows and get new episodes direct to your inbox Find us on YouTube if you prefer to watch your pods   Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    coming soon | the tortoise & the hare

  4. 18/08/2024

    A Fond Farewell: Episode 17

    Instead of the usual conversation between Brooke and Ben, today's episode is simply a reading of the final ever edition of The Tortoise newsletter.  Take a listen, and please know that it has been an absolute pleasure to be heard by you over the years.  https://brookemcalary.substack.com/p/sometimes-life-surprises-us  Much love and thanks for listening, Brooke and Ben xx Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    A Fond Farewell: Episode 17

  5. 17/07/2024

    Balance: Episode 16

    A more accurate title for this episode might have been: The Myth of Work-Life Balance, because both Ben and Brooke think it’s fundamentally BS, but that was too long a title, so Balance it is. In this episode, they look at the idea of balance through a post-lockdown, new-workplace lens, in an effort to make sense of why it feels harder to achieve now, and what we might be able to do to create it. They dig into their own definitions of balance, the pros and cons when it comes to self-employment, how they each differentiate between work time and non-work time and why they find the goal of work/life balance to be damaging. The also talk about anti-balance or tilting as an alternative, as well as the impact of the upcoming “right to disconnect” legislation, the attraction of "working ahead", how to approach changes in your own workplace when you’re not self-employed, and why it’s important to start small, specific and slow. It’s a juicy topic, not least because it applies to everyone differently and we hope you enjoy it. Head over to The Tortoise for the full show notes, and if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter while you're there.  Thanks for listening!  Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Balance: Episode 16

  6. 19/06/2024

    Body Image: Episode 15

    In this month's episode, Brooke and Ben dig into the topic of body image. How do we see ourselves in the world? How does that inform our choices and beliefs? What inputs have the most impact on our self-image?  What began as a conversation about "hot rodent men" became an exploration of how we take up space in the world, the comments, trends, beliefs and expectations we internalise, how those things impact our behaviours and the role that media and marketing play in all of it.  Brooke shares how her body image has shifted over the past few years, due to health issues, getting older, shifting priorities and the impact of slow living, and Ben looks at the differences in body image for young boys versus men.  They also discuss their different experiences of negative body image growing up, how body and beauty trends keep us feeling "wrong," why the resurgence of “skinny” might be in direct response to body positivity, why body neutrality could be a healthier place to aim when it comes to self-image, and the importance of body appreciation and its role in our well-being.  Head over to The Tortoise for the full show notes, and if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter while you're there.  Thanks for listening!  Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Body Image: Episode 15

  7. 15/05/2024

    Pleasure: Episode 14

    Pleasure. Just the word brings a little shiver to the spine, doesn't it? Defined as “a feeling or experience that involves enjoyment or satisfaction,” in today’s episode, Brooke and Ben dig a little deeper into what pleasure is in real terms, what it means to them personally and why expanding our individual definitions might be the key to unlocking a whole new way of experiencing life. For Brooke it relates to not only her word of the year (joy) but also the theme she's currently exploring over on The Tortoise — rebellious living. While at first glance, pleasure doesn’t appear to be particularly related to living rebelliously, throughout this conversation, she and Ben dig into why centring pleasure in a world that feels too much, too heavy, too overwhelming really can be an act of rebellion. (Honestly!) In a wide-ranging conversation, they also discuss how the senses are related to pleasure, why redefining and reclaiming it could increase the amount of pleasure we experience, the relationship between pleasure and addiction and why embracing joy and delight might make us less prone to capitalistic manipulation. They also talk about the six-second kiss that's been a game-changer, list some of their own simple pleasures and talk about the importance of becoming a better self-observer if we're going to invite more pleasure into our lives. Head over to The Tortoise for the full show notes, and if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter while you're there.  Thanks for listening!  Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pleasure: Episode 14

  8. 17/04/2024

    Soft Life: Episode 13

    If you spend any time on TikTok, you've probably seen the #softlife trend pop up over the past couple of years. Brooke and Ben aren't on TikTok, so are late to the party as usual, but wanted to dive into the sister movement of slow living anyway. In today's episode, they look at what soft living is, where it began, how it relates to slow living, and why it's following a similar trajectory as that of self-care, slow living, and other counter-cultural movements. (ie. becoming increasingly mainstream and commercial). They look at soft living as the opposite of hard living (which proves both obvious and helpful) and try to define it for themselves. For Brooke it revolves around joy, and for Ben its in learning how to ask for help - both of which offer unexpected ways of looking at softness. They also talk about the consumerism attached to these movements, and offer some practical suggestions on how to create space for softness in your day-to-day life. Head over to The Tortoise for the full show notes, and if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter while you're there.  Thanks for listening!  Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Soft Life: Episode 13
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About

Fast and slow. Young and old. Hard and soft. Open and closed. Real and fake. Hide and seek. Pleasure and pain… Life is full of dualities and extremes and pick-a-sides. But most of our days are spent in the messy middle.  the tortoise and the hare is a weekly show from the crew who brought you The Slow Home Podcast (RIP). Each episode is a human-made, homegrown, perfectly imperfect conversation about the either/or of life and the vast grey area in between. Because we all contain multitudes. So let’s talk about them.

Information

  • Creator
    brooke & ben mcalary
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    374
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 McAlary Media
  • Show Website
    the tortoise & the hare

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