Two Smart Blondes

Kirsten and Leila
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Leila McDougall and Kirsten Diprose bring on a well-known guest each week to discuss the latest in film, TV, media and pop culture. If you're talking about it, then so are we! Get up to speed and have a laugh in the process.Leila is a film producer and actor (best known for her movie, "Just a Farmer") and Kirsten is a journalist and podcaster, with much of her career at the ABC. They both live on farms... and yes, they're blondes.

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    Heath Ledger's tragic death re-visited; Hugh Jackman's "good guy" image under pressure & The pea snack that fooled us! - feat. Paul Ayre

    The Two Smart Blondes are joined by special guest, Paul Ayre. Paul is an actor, comedian and writer, based in Sydney. They dive into: *Heath Ledger's tragic death - re-examined ... an how actors embody a character. There has been a flurry of articles and talk about Heath Ledger this past week, all due to one short sentence, spoken by Michelle WIlliams, Heath's former partner and mother of his daughter. On a recent podcast, Armchair Expert, with Dax Shepard, Michelle was asked about her relationship with Heath. She said he was "so special and thank God they have Matilda'.  It also prompted some media outlets to revisit his tragic death, which was by accidental drug overdose in 2008. He had been filming the Dark Knight and playing the character of the Joker at the time. *Is the "Good Guy" image unfair?...And has Hugh Jackman lost his? The Good Guy or the Good Girl image is often great... until it's not. Aussie actor, Hugh Jackman has held the good guy title for decades, but since going through his separation and now divorce with Deborra Lee Furness... is it starting to slip? And does it actually matter for his career? Deborra officially filed for divorce this week and issued a statement which said “My heart and compassion goes out to anyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal. It is a profound wound that cuts deep". *Did you also think that pea snack was real? We did! You might have seen the viral social media rant, where Tiktoker, Nia, discovered that her favourite household snack "Harvest Snaps Baked Pea Crisps"... are not in fact little pea pods at all. That's despite a large picture of a pea pod on the package. She thought it was a dehydrated pea. So how easily are we fooled by food packaging and good marketing? About the guest: Paul Michael Ayre is a writer and actor born in Maidstone, Kent and raised in Sydney Australia. Paul wrote the pilot for Channel 10's Drunk History which went on to series, as well as winning over $70,000 worth of writing prizes for his self-produced series The Justice Lease and an extra thousand for his writing on the award winning series The Pet Killer. His online sketches across different platforms and channels have amassed over 36 million views with many Australian collaborators (The Bondi Hipsters, SketchShe and Legally Brown).  Paul has performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for 5 years, with several solo stand up shows  His recent credits in television, include most streamers like Netflix's Wellmania, ABC's Barons and Stan's Bali 2002 - the retelling of the 2002 Bali bombings opposite Claudia Jessie. This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: Kirsten@ruralpodcastingco.com

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    Firefighter Protests Go Viral and 10 years of Australia in Eurovision - feat. Ben Eltham

    Our special guest is Ben Eltham, who is a writer, journalist, researcher and creative producer based in Ararat, VIC.  Why does the media struggle to report on suicide? The AFL world and the entire nation has been rocked by the death of Adam Selwood and just months earlier, the death of his twin brother Troy. Tributes are of course flowing for Adam, who played 11 seasons for the West Coast Eagles and friends have described him as kind and caring. Originally a Bendigo boy, he died on the weekend at the age of 41. We're not going to focus on the circumstances of his death... but more a broader conversation about suicide and men's mental health... especially in such a hyper masculine culture like football. Viral anger over Victoria's Fire Services Levy The backlash against Victoria's fire services levy is coming in thick and fast on social media. New laws went through the Victorian parliament... steeply increasing the fire services levy... which for farmers will mean a tens of thousands of dollars more. Farmers and CFA firefighters... who are often one and the same... have also protested outside parliament. So what makes a successful protest? 3. Australia has been in Eurovision for 10 years - is it worth it? Austria has won Eurovision.. yes Austria, not Australia.  The artist, JJ won with his song "Wasted Love". Unfortunately Australian, Matt Zambotto known by the stage name Go-Jo was knocked out in the semi-finals. So after 10 years of involvement in Eurovision, what is our track record? And is it all worth it? ABOUT THE GUEST Dr Ben Eltham is an Australian writer, journalist, researcher, creative producer and social commentator based in Ararat, VIC.  He is a lecturer in media and communications at Monash University's School of Media, Film and Journalism. He has a PhD in cultural policy and writes for  news website, Crikey. This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: Kirsten@ruralpodcastingco.com

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    An Aussie version of Clarkson's Farm? And are "The Twinnies" destined for Hollywood?

    Leila and Kirsten dive into: 1.  Does Australia need its own "Clarkson's Farm"? - Season 4 returns soon! The sensation that is Clarkson's farm is returning to Prime Video for its fourth season on May 23.  Jeremy has apparently opened a new pub, got a new female farmhand and Richard Hammond from Top Gear makes an appearance. So, WHY this show is so good... and could we make an Aussie version? 2. Hollywood chasing viral "Twinnies" Looks like Hollywood, Netflix and all the other big names are after Australian viral twins, known as the "Twinnies". Paula and Brigette Powers - who look the same, always dress the same and talk together too, were interviewed on TV news about their mother's carjacking. They have since gone viral, been imitated online countless times.  What's next for the sisters? Is this a flash in the pan moment, or the beginning of something bigger? 3. Will the Minecraft Movie be a success on streaming services? The Minecraft movie is being released this week on streaming services, but will it perform well?  Many didn't like the movie... but at $900 million at the Box Office it is the most successful Hollywood film for 2025 to date at the worldwide Box Office.So will it pull the money in via the streaming services too? NOTE: There's no special guest this week! (Due to a blonde moment)... although a future guest, Paul Ayre, does make a cameo appearance. It's all very funny really. This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: Kirsten@ruralpodcastingco.com

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    What does the 100% film tariff mean for Australia?; Spam election texts and Prince Harry's odd TV interview. Feat. Matt Neal

    Our special guest is Matt Neal, ABC journalist, crime author and film reviewer. This week we dive into:  Trump threatens a 100% tariff on movies made outside the USFirst it was China, now all movies made outside the US are likely to be hit by the latest round of tariffs announced by the US President, Donald Trump. Trump says he wants to put a stop to other countries luring movies away from the US. So what does this mean for Australia, which offers big incentives for US film productions to be made here?  Did all those bloody spam election texts work?According to my phone messages, someone called "Trumpet" is one of my top friends. Now I have never messaged him back... but my goodness Clive Palmer loved to spam us all with messages this federal election campaign. So did it actually work? Well Trumpet of Patriots... didn't win a single seat in the lower house. For the millions of dollars spent on advertising and spamming us all. Nothing. Clive wasn't the only one on the text... seems a lot of the independents were too. So how do we feel about the election text? Prince Harry's entitled BBC interviewPrince Harry, wants to reconcile with his family now... and get them to pay for security as he and Meghan travel around the US. He recently did a TV interview with the BBC, saying that his father, King Charles isn't speaking to him at the moment due to a legal battle over his security protection. Is Harry the only one, who can't see just how ridiculously entitled this comes off as?  American actors are FINALLY getting better at Aussie accents. Why?We used to be able to pick the Yankee playing an Aussie in a movie a mile away. There'd often be a slight cocknee twang... a Kiwi vowel mix up ... or they simply couldn't fully shake the "r" sound at the end of words. But there have been some seriously good accents lately... for instance, the actor playing Belle Gibson in Apple Cider Vinegar, nailed the an Aussie accent.  So how come foreigners are finally able to do it?  This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: Kirsten@ruralpodcastingco.com

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    Has Trump killed blockbuster movies?... The legacy of Virginia Giuffre for women in entertainment - feat. Tara Iwomoto

    Our Special guest is Tara Iwamoto, an LA born consultant, who has worked in publishing entertainment and digital media. This week we dive into: * The legacy of Virginia Giuffre, for women in entertainment The tragic news of the death of Virgina Giuffre last week at her WA home, has caused an outpouring of emotion from around the world. Virginia, will be remembered for her bravery... and blowing open the lid on Jeffrey Epstein. She stood up to a culture across the entertainment industry, that said it was ok to use and abuse women for sex. * Has Trump killed blockbuster movies? Beijing strikes back at US tariffs China has announced it will curb the imports of Hollywood movies, in response to Donald Trump's 125% tariffs on imports from China. So will this ruin Hollywood? Probably not...but it is likely to hurt blockbuster movies, many of which are created with the large Chinese film market in mind. And if the blockbuster movie industry suffers, there are likely to be knock on effects for those struggling to make a living in film. More about Tara Iwamoto: Tara's career has spanned publishing, entertainment, and digital media, leading development deals with top celebrities and producing unscripted TV pilots alongside major studios and platforms. She's originally from California, in the US but now calls Sydney home. This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: Kirsten@ruralpodcastingco.com

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    Farmer Wants a Wife is back; Katy Perry's 'Space Cringe'... And the 'Country Curious' Trend - feat. Luke Chaplain

    Film maker, agtech entrepreneur and farmer, Luke Chaplain is our special guest, as we dive into: Farmer Wants a Wife Returns... And there's already spoilersMost of us know that most reality TV is often filmed months and months before it goes to air. So keeping everything under wraps is incredibly hard for producers in this day and age. And apparently there are a few of the contestants... who have loved up pictures on their social media... but not with the farmer they are meant to be vying for.  Space-Cringe...Katy Perry has regrets over her 11 minutes in spaceIt's been dubbed "Mission, Tone Deaf" ...  where Blue Origin's Jeff Bezos' flew an all-women crew into space for 11 minutes- leading passenger Katy Perry to dramatically kiss the ground after she touched down, and then speak emotionally about feeling "connected to love" . The celebrities say the aim was to promote female empowerment...but it has been widely criticised due to its environmental impact and overall rich-person ridiculousness. "Country is cool" right now...but is it Americanising our Aussie 'country' culture?The 'country curious' trend is taking over pop culture; from music, fashion to film and TV, it seems that 'country' is influencing every genre. And we're totally here for it. But a lof of it is coming from the US. So, is this leading to an Americanisation of our own 'country' traditions here in Australia? Have terms like 'cowboy' started to replace the Aussie terms of 'ringer' or 'stockman'?   This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: Kirsten@ruralpodcastingco.com

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    How Political Attack Ads are Changing and the Emojis in Netflix's 'Adolescence' - Feat. Hannah Murray

    This week's special guest is Hannah Murray - founder of Bush Chooks Media and horse sports lover. She's a photographer, videographer and reporter, living on a mixed farm in Blackville, NSW. Hannah describes herself "as having a few tabs open" - she always has a few projects on the go! This week we dive into?  Is it possible to have an election without the NASTY attack ads? The election race has officially begun ... and the political attack ads started even earlier. And they're not just mean... they can often be misleading. It's actually legal to lie in a political advertisement in Australia, at least it is before the official election race is called. So what can we expect on the campaign trail this Federal election, in terms of the ads?  Parents are talking about the Emoji's in Netflix's drama series 'Adolescence" There's a new Netflix series that has parents talking about social media and toxic masculinity. The crime drama is about a 13 year old boy, accused of murdering a female classmate. It has been described as "a portrait of modern boyhood in profound crisis" Could Gout Gout  revitalise Athletics as a TV spectator sport? More than 1 million people tuned in to watch Gout Gout races in the 200 metres in Melbourne. So could a 17 year old runner from Ipswich, bring back Athletics to prime time TV? Loving this podcast? You might also like Ducks on the Pond - a podcast for rural women. This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: Kirsten@ruralpodcastingco.com

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    Why do Aussies still love MAFs? And "woke" Snow White flops - feat. Shanna Whan.

    Our special guest is Shanna Whan AM, the founder of Sober in the Country, dog-lover and hilarious country gal. 1.   AI "Fat" Filter is trending on Tik Tok. Is it just silly... or dangerous? It can seem innocent enough.. we've all played around with filters, that make our face look weird or look like a unicorn ...and had a laugh. But there's a trend on Tik Tok, where people...mainly young people... are using an AI filter that makes them look fat and then posting pictures of themselves, often laughing at the results. Is this silly fun, or something more harmful? 2. Mirror, mirror on the wall, will Snow White cause Disney’s fall?” Disney's live-action re-make of Snow White has finally been released into cinemas... with lacklustre sales... and brutal reviews. There have been multiple issues plaguing the re-make, including a blown-out budget. But the main problem seemed to be in the awkwardness of trying to update a film made in 1937. 3. MAFS has topped TV ratings again...but why? Three million Aussies tuned into Channel Nine the other day to watch the MAFS commitment ceremony. And can you believe the show has now been going for 10 years? It's a bit trashy... and there are certainly better ways to find love... so why do Australians love MAFS? About the guest: Shanna Whan (AM) is the rural woman, founder, CEO, and face behind Sober in the Country. She's an Australian of the Year recipient who decided to “do what she could to be part of the change” after almost losing her own life to alcohol addiction in 2015. Today, through her tireless advocacy, Sober in the Country has grown from an online blog into a nationally respected charity, shifting the entire conversation around booze in the bush and saving and changing lives. She lives in rural northwest New South Wales with her husband, 'Timbo' and her beloved dogs. This is a Rural Podcasting Co. in collaboration with VAM paddock productions Would you like to get in touch? Email us here: Kirsten@ruralpodcastingco.com

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Leila McDougall and Kirsten Diprose bring on a well-known guest each week to discuss the latest in film, TV, media and pop culture. If you're talking about it, then so are we! Get up to speed and have a laugh in the process.Leila is a film producer and actor (best known for her movie, "Just a Farmer") and Kirsten is a journalist and podcaster, with much of her career at the ABC. They both live on farms... and yes, they're blondes.

المعلومات

  • صناع العمل
    Kirsten and Leila
  • سنوات النشاط
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  • التقييم
    ملائم
  • حقوق النشر
    © 2026 Two Smart Blondes
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    Two Smart Blondes