Ep 238: Claire Hooper, The Election & The Mole

blackcopwhitecopTo top off what has already been a really busy week full of too much information, we bring in Claire Hooper from Good News Week to talk about the election night coverage.

Remember the extreme game show / early reality series The Mole? Well, Brooke Marshall was the winner of series 2 of that show and she comes in to give us a bit of a 10 year retrospective on what reality was like back then.

There’s a whole bunch of news and some pork as well so get into it.

We might not have a government but we do have episode 238 of Boxcutters.

Send us an email about all the things we asked you to this week.

This episode is supported by IceTV, giving Boxcutters listeners three special offers, including 30% off a 12 month subscription. Find out more at icetv.com.au/boxcutters

31 Comments

  1. Nelly Thomas says:

    A clarification and correction from this episode – it was reported in today’s Age Newspaper that Matthew Newton did indeed plead guilty to the assault of former girlfriend Brooke Satchwell. Over and out. Nelly

  2. David Boxcutter says:

    I can’t say I’m thrilled about the new IceTV sponsorship.

    The Crumpler and Virgin sponsorships were fun – have a competition, and give something away to listeners. The IceTV sponsorship is just lame advertising. The other sponsors actually added something to the content of the show, while this diminishes it.

    The other aspect is that they are advertising a subscription service, and in the subscription business, 30% discounts are just standard business practice to get customers. If you pay full-price for IceTV, you’re doing it wrong. They offer discounted subscriptions several times a year, it’s nothing special to Boxcutters.

    And the discounted hardware just removes the premium IceTV adds to their hardware prices, and reduces them to the same price you’d pay anywhere else.

    I say this as somebody who is a long-time IceTV subscriber because of the interview Boxcutters had with the IceTV people back in the day.

    And how the hell can you transport chicken products with an IceTV subscription?

  3. Hey Boxcutters,

    I’ve been curious for a while now, what type of numbers do you do in terms of downloads?
    You guys do a great show, I’d understand if you don’t want to disclose figures.

    Cheers.

  4. Lyndal Boxcutter says:

    @ Daniel B – Is asking a podcast how many listeners it has like asking someone their weight or income? Never discuss politics, religion or ratings at the dinner table.

  5. Daniel B says:

    @Lyndal

    Yeah, I know.
    I’ve just been listening for a few years now and just hope it gets they recognition in numbers they desere

  6. Lyndal Boxcutter says:

    @ Daniel B. I’m still surprised at how many people don’t even know what a podcast is. I describe it as a radio show on the internet that you can download and listen to at anytime. It doesn’t really do podcasting justice but is the closest I can get to as a parallel to something that have experience with

  7. David Boxcutter: don’t see what the problem is mate, Ice is a good product supporting a good podcast. if you’ve got problems with Ice’s prices or whatever, that’s not the BC team’s problem is it?
    and it’s not like BC is giving away “icy cold cans of coke” in the “Boxcutter Thunder” vans in the middle of the show.
    I download everything anyway, so ‘evs.

  8. Boxcutters is more of a pepsi show anyway… but I love the idea of the Boxcutter Black Thunder turning up.

    Also – for the record, gang, Craig Charles (Red Dwarf) was ACQUITTED of rape allegations – he did go into jail on remand whilst awaiting trial, however – where he was stabbed by another inmate. Un-rucky!.

  9. MurrayNE says:

    Boxcutter Thunders!!!

    I don’t mind the IceTV bit. I don’t think that I’ll be availing myself of any of their services (only the subscription is really even a possibility), but they seem okay.

    By the way, would anyone like to guess which part of this episode made me exclaim “f***ing Jesus!” (in extreme surprise and possibly affront/revulsion)? (uo????s s,??doo? ????l? ?u??np s,?? :?nl?).

  10. MurrayNE says:

    (Apologies for the weird jumple at the end – I tried to put a clue in “upside down” text, which obviously includes illegal characters)

  11. Daniel B: If we let Sunrise get closer to us than 50k we start to worry a bit.

    Lydal: I think it’s OK to ask – just don’t fully expect a serious answer. That said, I don’t think it’s some jealously guarded secret or anything, though I wouldn’t want to start some sort of pissing competition. Whatever the figures, I hope it’s good enough that listeners want to share it with others and have it as a common conversation starter. I have a number of podcasts I really love and the medium is definitely at such a new stage that almost no one I meet has heard any of them.

    David B: IceTV obviously think we have an audience that fits their product so they have come to us to help them with some awareness raising. Yep, on the site they often have discounts on various things at various times – there was a hardware sale at the end of financial year – but still, with the Boxcutters link you get it all the time. I wouldn’t tell anyone to get a subscription because it’s cheap in any case… I’d recommend it because of its functionality, with the right hardware and connectivity, that allows keyword/season/show/remote control. Even without the subscription, their TV guide has been my standard listing tool in a browser and as an app for a long time. And I particularly appreciate the fact that they don’t demand that every device that runs with their system be crippled so as not to be allowed to skip ads.

    So is it the split-second scripted, commercially produced “ad” in the middle of the show that bugs you or that it’s not appropriate?

    mordwa: You just can’t uncharge someone with rape – not that it’s even that that put me off. It was all going on with Craig Charles when I was in London and I started to see him on other things and, without the Red Dwarf script, he was generally a bit of a tool and not particularly clever or funny.

    The depth of feeling against Matthew Newton when the charges regarding Brooke Satchwell were first laid really took me aback. The day the news came out, there were so many people that were really going out of their way to pass comment and detail what they’d do to Newton. It was much more than Wayne Carey or Pete Townsend or Matty Johns or the guy from The Collectors. Have I missed something that turned everyone against Newton? At that point, I think the only thing I knew him from – professionally – was Alibrandi. Is there something about being spawn of Bert that people dislike?

    All that aside, I’m not sure how to take the thought of being a Pepsi show… what does that mean? Is it a reference to Ross’ Pepsi Olympics? That’s seriously old-school.

    MurrayNE: It’s killing me! What was the ‘clue’? I’m tickled that we made you exclaim.

  12. Josh Kinal says:

    @Brett I think the Matthew Newton thing was that he hurt Brooke Satchwell. Everybody loves Brooke because she is extraordinarily lovely and we are protective of her. No one gets to hurt her. She is welcome in all our homes etc…

  13. David Boxcutter says:

    Brett, I actually think the scripted nature of the IceTV ads is really what bugs me. It just seems so forced and unnatural. Previously it was more like “Woooo, Crumpler! Chicken Parma!” but with IceTV it’s more “And now, an announcement from our sponsors.”

    I think all the stuff about the subscription discount is actually secondary. It’s just that the nature of the advertising jarred, and got me thinking about the things that annoy me most about IceTV, and pushed them to the top of my mind. That’s kind of the opposite of what you want an ad to do.

  14. Hi

    I have no problem with any sponsorship ad’s on a program that I get to listen to for free (I love podcasting). Also I had never heard of Ice TV and whilst I am no position to buy a ‘magic box’ at this time I have found the TV guide they have to be outstanding, so without Boxcutters I would not have even been aware of Ice TV. On a side note, without an SMH review of podcasts I would have never heard of Boxcutters either.

  15. Stop whinging David B, the Boxcutters crew spend their time and money producing quality free content virtually every week and you are carrying on about a minute long ad in a show that lasts over an hour. Yes, how dare they subsidise their efforts.
    If you have a gripe with IceTV’s buisness model, take it up with them.

  16. David Boxcutter says:

    Did I say I have any problem with Boxcutters subsidising their efforts? I guess any commentary that isn’t outright praise is “whinging” and un-Australian, right? For fuck’s sake.

  17. I’m just saying that any support they can get, wether it is in the form of scripted advertisments or giveaways should be supported, not criticised.
    You have obviously been listening to the show for some time and you know how much time and effort is put into it each week and this “lame advertising” is most probably putting some money into the costs of producing the show, where-as sponsors such as Crumpler and Virgin where just providing products for giveaway.
    And no-one should anything about being “Un-Australian”, champion.

  18. @Brett,

    Josh has mentioned on the show a few times that he’s a pepsi max fan… You’d know that if you *tongue firmly in cheek* actually listened to the show-!

    – fair enough on the perception thing, just wanted to point out that the team (perhaps unintentionally) had insinuated that CC’d done time because he was found guilty. It’s not how you started, but in the crosstalk it absolutely came across that way. Oh well.

    The whole segment was fascinating – I speak as someone who can still watch Chris Benoit (the wrestler), but Mel Gibson gives me shivers.
    As for the reverse scenario where an on-screen performance colours one’s idea of a performer – consider Paul Raiser, who may be a lovely man in real life for all I know – but after ‘Aliens’ all those years ago still drives me into a rage at the mere sight of him.

    _____
    Late entry on the Greatest TV Characters – Sherlock Holmes. Has there ever been a TV version that wasn’t very, very good? Even with as many actors as Dr Who involved, and more scenery-chewing, each person to play the role is so obviously, directly Holmes. Even drop-kicking him into modern-day times in the new Stephen Moffatt penned series works. Recommended, if anyone’s interested…

    Poor Leci Goransen, by the way…

  19. Josh Kinal says:

    Pepsi Max is delicious and healthy!

  20. David Boxcutter says:

    Daniel, it’s just that exhortations such as “shut up and stop whining” often go hand-in-hand with that anti-intellectual mentality that many Australians have that any analysis of matters other than sport or cars is for effete poofters who should fuck off out of the country.

    You listen to Boxcutters, right? If what I said was whinging, then surely 90% of Boxcutters is whinging? They are not shy of criticising things aesthetically. But I guess they are the heroes right, like the celebrities discussed in this episode who assault and abuse people, yet are still golden in the eyes of the public? But if a “nobody” says something unpopular, let’s all pile on. Another unappealing Aussie trait.

    But I guess we should all just shut up about things, especially if we get them for free. As we all know, anything that is free of cost is beyond criticism.

    As you said, if Boxcutters can get financial support in any way, then we should be fine with them raising money by kidnapping young girls and trafficking them for prostitution, right?

  21. Daniel B says:

    Prostitution and trafficking?
    Uh, okay.
    I think that you are trying to make something out of nothing.
    Any gripe you have with supposed Australian “traits”, I couldn’t care less about.
    It’s a Podcast mate.
    Chillax and have a great day!

  22. Paul Boxcutter says:

    Thought I’d throw in my 2 cents. (which turned into a list of just things, sorry).

    1. Ironic (to me anyway) that most of the discussion about this episode was the advertising.
    2. Brett didn’t seem to say anything crack-pipe worthy ;(

    3. I did find the ‘read’ jarring and very out of the flow of the show, but I understand why it’s needed, and laughed at Brett’s reading inability.
    4. I decided just to pony up to a monthly subscription in the hope that the guys will need less of this type of advertising. Of course though I doubt this will have an effect, as why wouldn’t they want to get some cash for their efforts, but I did it anyway.
    5. ‘Cause I pay the sub, I can whinge about whatever I want. πŸ˜‰
    6. I have an IQ2, so ICEtv isn’t a deal for me at all, but I can understand the company thinking the boxcutters would be an ok fit, and the Boxcutters thinking the same (unless you get sponsored by Laonica Chicken – now that’s Boxcutters relevant).

    I don’t think everyone will be happy, but IMHO I’m happy to forgive the guys a few minutes of the ‘cast to advertising, considering the immeasurable minutes of joy the ‘cast has given me, and how smart I sound using all the things they say as my own*

    Oh, and I despise Matthew Newton, I don’t care how good you are at something, treating women like that is never right. Never.

    Paul Boxcutter.

    *Except for crack-pipe worthy statements!

  23. David Boxcutter says:

    Prostitution and trafficking?
    Uh, okay.

    Daniel, are you unfamiliar with this thing called “rhetoric”?

    Also, I’m not really that surprised that you use terms like “chillax”, “mate” or that you don’t care about the state of Australian culture. It completely fits with your attitude demonstrated so far.

    Also quite fitting that you were the one who issued a directive to me (stop whining) and now you’re telling me to “chillax”. Have you ever considered engaging in rational debate, rather than telling other people what to do or say?

    I don’t have any problem with people disagreeing with me. It’s when you engage in such shitty tactics that pisses me off.

  24. David Boxcutter says:

    P.S:

    MUSLIMS!

    Human-trafficking, prostitution-loving MUSLIMS!!

  25. darrenboxcutter says:

    The reason why Mathew Newton or Mathew Johns (Hey I just worked out a name pattern) come back onto TV is because we like to see a real life Snidely Whiplash (Look him up on Wikipedia) on TV.

    When watching them on TV we like to say look at that awful man and look how he has made that contestant cry or how outrageous he says that.

    (With cynicism) Real victims? What victims? They aren’t important.

  26. Nelly Thomas says:

    Paul, I think there’s a “smoke one thing” in the “This week on Boxcutters” (button on the front page, to the right). There’s always one!
    Nelly

  27. I couldn’t believe someone fancied Sandilands.

  28. Hey Nelly,

    Been meaning to share this link with you since the end of last season’s Survivor. Best I get on with it what with the new season starting in less that a month *squeals like a girl*.

    http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/video/?pid=hYSQ8GVhOTv1xeB8B0bynsCAi2C0lefE&vs=Ponderosa&play=true

    I discovered it about mid way through last season and it added to my love of Survivor in the most wonderful way. This site contains mini clips of life at Ponderosa – the place the jury members hang out after they’re removed from the fun. Coach looked nearly human and rational! And formed a terrible band with JT and Courtney!! The only annoying thing is the approx 30 second ad played before the start of each clip.

    Clips from the last 4 seasons are still available, but I had trouble seeing the odd one from the earlier of the seasons available – saying it wasnt available to my region.

    Hope it brings you lots of joy,
    jebo

  29. Daniel B says:

    Hello David, you mate, champion, digger,

    If you won’t to continue this, email me.
    I love you!
    Oh yes, I am Australian, with Australian values and beliefs, I very much hope this doesn’t get between our beautiful friendship
    Rhetoric!

    Ps.I’m sorry for not replying sooner. I have been too busy having intimate relationships
    and enjoying my life. Rhetoric.
    the

  30. On actors vs characters:

    Has anyone else noticed on DVD commentaries how the actors often seem to be like their characters in real life? I can see how as an actor, when you sit down to do commentary on a show you might deliberately or unconsciously get into the character. It’s a bit weird though, listening to the real people behind Mad Men, and Jon Hamm (Don Draper) is being the perfect gentleman, and John Slattery (Roger Stirling) is always commenting on how beautiful the women are.

    This episode also reminded me of that scene in The Shield (but probably happens at one point in every cop show) where a detective drags a confession out of some awful criminal. While everyone is congratulating him for putting the guy away, he puts on a fake smile of victory, but when he’s alone we see that really he’s horrified at what he has become, or perhaps always was, to be so able to get into the heads of sociopaths. I couldn’t help but imagine what it’s like to be an actor and have a double “who am I that I can play this character that feels like he is turning into a sociopath by association” thing. Of course, I watched and liked The Shield, in part because of the f’ed up things in it, so now I get to feel all uncomfortable too.

  31. Nelly Thomas says:

    A belated thanks to Jen for the Survivor news! OMG, Laura is as nutty and spiteful as she came across on the show… And she’s a grandma! Woah. I appreciate my Nanna even more πŸ™‚
    nelly

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