Shows / Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps
The world has never been more connected. Yet never more divided. We yell at each other from inside our echo chambers. But change doesn’t happen inside an echo chamber. It’s time to get out, to stretch our legs, to step on some land mines. It's time to have an uncomfortable conversation with Josh Szeps.
A DM Podcast
Episodes
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps'Truth' in an Age of A.I.
What will reality feel like when we receive most of it via all-knowing machines? Our shared understanding of the world has been fractured by social media’s…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsPhilosopher A.C. Grayling in the Most Mind-Expanding Episode of the Year
Today, a delightful and scintillating and inspiring and disconcerting and thought-provoking and discombobulating and many-other-multi-syllabic words-ing romp…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsJosh vs the Anti-Abortion Activist
For an issue we don’t normally know how to talk constructively about, can Josh and one of the most outspoken anti-abortion activists model what a genuine, but…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsBLOCKADE COUNTDOWN: What's the End Game?
What is the end game in Iran? What is the blockade achieving? What cards does Iran still hold? Last week, the end was in sight with a two-week ceasefire. Then…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsJosh vs the News: Blockade Games, Orban Ousted, & Elon Notices Australia
On this week's thrilling instalment of the world's favourite livestream, Josh vs the News: • Hormuz gets a Big, Beautiful naval blockade! • How Viktor…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"Nuremberg" & the Psychology of Evil
Were top Nazi leaders mad? Were they evil? Were they like religious fundamentalists, committed to a deranged ideology? Or were they just amoral narcissists…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsWriting for 'SNL' with Sam Jay
Sam Jay is an Emmy-nominated comedian and former writer on Saturday Night Live. She walked away from becoming an SNL cast member to host her own HBO talk show…
- Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps
BREAKING: Trump Always Chickens Out (Thank F*ck)
Donald ‘Taco’ Trump has once again lived up to his nickname. After weeks of escalating threats to obliterate Iran's power plants, bomb them back to the Stone…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsDave Hughes Has a Problem With Josh
Dave Hughes is a legend of Australian television, radio and stand-up comedy. He has been so ubiquitous on TV and radio for the past 30 years that almost every…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsThe King of Late Night TV, Steve Vizard
Steve Vizard is Australia's Johnny Carson. Tonight Live with Steve Vizard was Australia's Tonight Show in the 1990s, after Vizard had previously created two of…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsA Black Muslim Comic & Gay Jew Walk Into an Uncomfortable Conversation
Zainab Johnson is a black muslim female New Yorker with a half-million instagram fans and the title of Variety magazine’s Top 10 Comics to Watch. This episode…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsNazi Jokes & Stand-Up Taboos with Tom Ballard
Think of Tom Ballard as a young John Oliver, who hosted Australia's national nightly satirical news television show ,"Tonightly with Tom Ballard". He returns…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsManosphere, Feminazis & the "Six Tribes" of Young People
Across the West, young people are finding it harder to build their careers, afford homes, and start families. But have we assumed they’re all the same, and…
- Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps
Everything is Awesome! Just Ask Josh
Everything is awesome humans. Well at least it is when Uncomfortable Conversations Community Manager (and resident Tocqueville expert) Evan Pivonka joins us…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsTop Trump Diplomat Tells All: fmr Deputy Secretary of State Inside the Room Where it Happens
What is going on with Trump’s foreign policy? Attacking Iran, decapitating Venezuela, threatening Cuba. Is America flexing its greatness, or flailing? Is there…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"Mr Mamdani, THIS is What Makes a City Thrive" with Eamon Waterford
Cities that rock and cities that suck do a few things differently. They need to hit a bullseye on high-vs-low density, walkability, law and order, red tape…
- Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps
Josh Vs The News: Feel Better with Reverend Szeps
Step away from the doomscrolling. Take a breath. Let the waves crash. In this week's edition of Josh vs the News, Josh offers something different: a tonic for…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsThe Mind-Boggling Magic of Math with Adam Spencer
How can a bunch of equations on a piece of paper reflect the deepest facts about reality? How is it that every single object, from a skyscraper to a black hole…
- Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps
Josh vs the News: How to Think About Iran Without Losing Your Mind
Everyone’s had something to say about Iran. But they're missing the most important piece. In this week's powerful editorial, Josh invites you to shift focus…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"Turning Point" Leader vs Josh
The national director of Turning Point Australia (the Aussie chapter of Turning Point USA) isn't your typical Christian nationalist. He's a 28-year-old…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps‘The Iran Conversation No One Is Having’ with David Frum
David Frum had a front-row seat the last time America went to war against a Middle Eastern adversary. He was in the George W. Bush administration in the…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsA.I., Iran, & Automated War with Prof. Toby Walsh
Among the first responses by Iranian state media to the US-Israeli war on Iran was a propaganda video. It flaunted row upon row of gleaming Iranian drones…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsHow Big Tech Destroys Learning
How do you learn things? Does it come easily or is it hard? Are you drawn to e-readers, or books? Typing, or handwriting? Duolingo, or moving to a Tuscan villa…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsWhat's China Up To?
Military purges. DeepSeek AI. Social credit scores. Taiwan. Why has the Chinese leader purged five of the seven members of the military's top decision-making…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsOur Spectacular Future of Solar-Generated "Fossil Fuels"
Imagine a world where vast solar arrays produced cheap, abundant energy for everybody... while also powering hyper-scaled superintelligent A.I. data centres…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsThe Ultimate A.I Survival Guide (for Humans)
How much will A.I. change your life in the next few years? In what ways? How will you navigate the upheavals? How will the society around you do so? "Normies"…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsViolent Clashes at Israeli President's Bondi Visit
Violence erupted this week as police in downtown Sydney clashed with thousands of activists protesting a visit to Australia by the Israeli President, Isaac…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsFmr John Oliver Writer on Bias, Blackface & Making Sense of the News
Has our culture had a grown-up conversation yet about race and gender? Or did the media flip from the casual bigotry of the 20th century to the censorious…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsJust Josh: America on the Brink
Minneapolis. ICE. The arrest of journalists. The indictment of political opponents. The pursuit of election officials. The killing of protestors. Is the U.S…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsDon Lemon Arrested: Trump, ICE & the Prosecution of the Press
With the arrest of the high-profile journalist Don Lemon, the protests in Minnesota have become the new frontline of press freedom. Is the Trump Administration…
- Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps
An Anti-Zionist & a Pro-Zionist on “Apartheid Violence” in the West Bank
Does Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank call into question its legitimacy as a state? Or is the occupation a necessary evil to defuse the threat of…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps“Genes & Free Will: Pedophiles, Ozempic & Self-Control” with Prof. Kathryn Paige Harden
How much are you a product of your genes, and how much are you a product of your experiences? Or are you a free agent, acting in spite of your biology and…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps“Why the West Should Be Like Wikipedia” with Nicholas Gruen
How much influence do you actually have over how you are governed? Markets reward clickbait. Politics rewards tribalism. Social media rewards outrage. Almost…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsSteven Pinker on Moral Panics, Media Bias, and Why We Hoarded Toilet Paper During Covid
Steven Pinker may be the world’s best-known cognitive psychologist, a public intellectual who for decades has used his fame to help us understand how we think…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"Should We Ban Hate Speech After Bondi?" with Andrew Lowenthal
There’s a lot of big events happening in the world at the start of the year, but between bushfires and flash flooding, Australia is grappling with the…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsJosh's 'Big-Dick-Little-Dick' Theory of American Militarism
It’s been an eventful start to the year. Josh went live to share his thoughts on Trump, Venezuela, and the end of American exceptionalism.
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"The 'LGBTQ' Threat to Gay Rights" with Prof. Ronan McCrea
Is the success of the gay rights movement guaranteed? Or are there hints that, eventually, gay rights could be reversed? One of the most peculiar strategies of…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsEddie (Suzy) Izzard & Josh in London!
One of the most successful comedy performers on the planet, Eddie Izzard (who now goes by Suzy) has spent more than thirty years touring groundbreaking shows…
- Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps
“Comedy, Self-Deprecation & Punching Down" with Comedian Sammy Petersen
Happy New Year, humans. Here's a funny, reflective start to 2026. Josh sits down with a stand-up comic who suffered a heart attack on stage at the age of 26…
- Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps
Behind the Scenes: A Year of Uncomfortable Conversations
The show's community manager, Evan Pivonka, joins Josh to review 2025 through the lens of Uncomfortable Conversations' best, worst and weirdest episodes. They…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsKonstantin Kisin & Josh: Multiculturalism, Migration & the Media
Britain’s infrastructure is crumbling. Petty crime is part of daily life. Illegal immigration costs millions per day. The tax burden is the highest in…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsChristmas! Food! Farts! E. Coli! with food scientist Gary Kennedy
For how many hours can you leave out a Christmas ham? Will turkey stuffing give you the runs? Is it okay to refrigerate hot take-away fried rice? Why does…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsJosh vs the News: Bondi, Multiculturalism & Jew Hate
Josh takes questions about the news on his weekly livestream. No prizes for guessing the big story this week. That's right: The French Snail Robbery.
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsBONDI ATTACK: Josh's Thoughts on Terrorism, Freedom & the Asymmetry of Anti-Semitism
Sydney is shell-shocked after the deadliest terrorist attack ever on Australian soil. Sixteen people are dead and at least 40 wounded after gunmen executed…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps“The Secret Power Behind World Leaders” with Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks
The image of a singular political leader is misleading. Why? Because they can barely function without a team behind them. Chief among that team, being their…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"End Animal Cruelty. Don't Go Vegan" with Aidan Alexander
If you're ethically conflicted about industrial animal farming, this episode is a shot of hope. Shaming people into going vegan doesn't work. What does? Aidan…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"The Psychology of World War III" with Dr Nicholas Wright
Bluffing, double-crossing, predicting, testing your enemy. The mind games of international relations are wildly complex. And at the end of the day, the outcome…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsJosh vs The News: Bezos' Trump Bribe, Banning Refugees, & is Hegseth a War Criminal?
Josh takes a look at the week’s news, and tries to make sense of it. A
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"The Secret Economic History of the World" with Pulitzer finalist Sven Beckert
Is faith in our economic system cracking up? From Mayor Mamdani's win to Elon's trillion-dollar payday, from Instagram infuluencers embracing communism to…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsPrime Minister Tony Abbott on Refugees, Fossil Fuels & the fate of Western Civilisation
Tony Abbott was the 28th Prime Minister of Australia. Here, he visits Josh for an Uncomfortable Conversation about his government’s policy of “turning back”…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"Obama, Trump & the Great American Contradiction" with Pulitzer-Prize-winner Paul Starr
The difference between America's last two consequential presidents (sorry, Joe) couldn't be starker. How did the same country - sometimes even the same voters…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"The Case for American Power" with Shadi Hamid
The left has become increasingly uncomfortable about arguing for the moral superiority of the United States, let alone for the exercise of American dominance…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps“Have We Got Morality Backwards? The Case Against Utilitarianism” with Bo Winegard
What does it mean to do the right thing, and how do we know when we’re doing wrong? Is it ever okay to lie? To exact vengeance? To eat meat? To abort a…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps“The New Race to the Moon: China, MAGA, SpaceX & Mars” with Jeffrey Kluger
President Trump has nominated a billionaire to be the new head of NASA as the United States gears up for its most ambitious mission in decades: a return to the…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsJUST JOSH: Dissecting Tucker Carlson
American conservatives are in a tizzy of in-fighting after one of their leading voices, Tucker Carlson, hosted a genial chat with a Holocaust-denying…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh SzepsLIVE PANEL: "Who Really Influences Our Politicians?" with Senators Bridget McKenzie & David Pocock, and MP's Allegra Spender & Helen Haines
What happens when you put politicians in a room and ask them to talk honestly about who really influences their decisions? This bonus episode is a live…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps“Being a Satirist in Censorious Times” with cartoonist Jason Chatfield
Zohran Mamdani has just been elected mayor of New York, parachuting onto a political terrain more polarised and energised than it's been since the 1960s. How…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps“The Climate Change Solution So Crazy it Just Might Work” with Quico Toro
The conversation around climate change is so predictable. It's either depressing doom, science denialism, or ambitious summits that don't achieve much. Can't…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"Public Shaming" with Clare Stephens
Pile-ons, performative outrage, apology rituals, and public humiliation have become a blood sport over the past decade. What happened? Was it a moral panic? A…
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps"Trans Rights, Women's Rights, Gay Rights, Oh My!” with Professor Robert Wintemute
What happens when the fight for women's equality collides with transgender rights? Is the anti-trans nastiness of the Elon MAGA-verse now winning? Or is it…