
Wendy Harmer β A Rational Conversation
12/08/23 β’ 50 min
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In this conversation, Dan and Lewis interview Wendy Harmer, a comedy legend and former radio host. They discuss the evolution of comedy and radio, the impact of commercial radio, memorable interactions with radio management, and unconventional radio stunts. Wendy shares stories from her time on The Morning Crew and reflects on the cultural significance of the show. They also discuss the changing media landscape and the success of radio hosts like Kyle and Jackie O. Overall, the conversation highlights the unique and influential role of radio in the comedy industry.
Takeaways
- Radio has played a significant role in the evolution of comedy, providing a platform for comedians to showcase their talent and reach a wide audience.
- Commercial radio has undergone significant changes over the years, with comedians becoming a staple on radio shows and management often lacking experience in the medium.
- Unconventional radio stunts and promotions have been a hallmark of the industry, with hosts often pushing boundaries to engage listeners and boost ratings.
- Wendy Harmer's time on The Morning Crew was culturally significant, as she brought a female perspective to radio and helped redefine the role of women in the industry.
- The media landscape has changed dramatically, with the rise of social media and digital platforms providing new avenues for content creation and consumption.
A Rational Fear is turning 1,000,000 in downloads. Buy a ticket to our 1,000,000th download live show here:
https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/tickets/malthouse-outdoor-stage/a-rational-fear/
Chapters
00:00
Introduction and One Millionth Download Show
02:25
Introducing Wendy Harmer
03:05
The Evolution of Comedy and Radio
05:01
Capturing the Comedy Community
08:07
Finding Your Tribe in Comedy
09:08
The Impact of Commercial Radio
10:10
Memorable Interactions in Radio
12:39
Unconventional Radio Stunts
17:30
The Influence of Radio Management
19:16
The Dash for Cash and Other Stunts
21:53
The Origin of 'Two Strangers and a Wedding'
23:45
The Cultural Significance of The Morning Crew
30:32
The Impact of Wendy Harmer's Radio Career
33:36
The Changing Landscape of Media
36:06
The Success of Kyle and Jackie O
π€ CHIP IN TO OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ARationalFear
Here's all the fun stuff you get when you sign up to Patreon.
π§ Get an ad-free and sponsor free version of the show.
π Get early access and discounts to live shows.
π₯ Get early access to final videos, and draft edits of upcoming videos.
π¨πΌββοΈ Make show suggestions.
π¬ Get a link to the A Rational Fear discord.
If you enjoyed this please drop us a review on Apple podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-rational-fear/id522303261
If Patreon isn't your thing, and Apple Subscriptions are too Appley β chip in with A-Cast here: https://plus.acast.com/s/a-rational-fear-1.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
ποΈ BUY TICKETS TO OUR 1,000,000th DOWNLOAD LIVE SHOW: https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/tickets/malthouse-outdoor-stage/a-rational-fear/
π€ CHIP IN TO OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ARationalFear
π¨ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL LIST: http://www.arationalfear.com/
In this conversation, Dan and Lewis interview Wendy Harmer, a comedy legend and former radio host. They discuss the evolution of comedy and radio, the impact of commercial radio, memorable interactions with radio management, and unconventional radio stunts. Wendy shares stories from her time on The Morning Crew and reflects on the cultural significance of the show. They also discuss the changing media landscape and the success of radio hosts like Kyle and Jackie O. Overall, the conversation highlights the unique and influential role of radio in the comedy industry.
Takeaways
- Radio has played a significant role in the evolution of comedy, providing a platform for comedians to showcase their talent and reach a wide audience.
- Commercial radio has undergone significant changes over the years, with comedians becoming a staple on radio shows and management often lacking experience in the medium.
- Unconventional radio stunts and promotions have been a hallmark of the industry, with hosts often pushing boundaries to engage listeners and boost ratings.
- Wendy Harmer's time on The Morning Crew was culturally significant, as she brought a female perspective to radio and helped redefine the role of women in the industry.
- The media landscape has changed dramatically, with the rise of social media and digital platforms providing new avenues for content creation and consumption.
A Rational Fear is turning 1,000,000 in downloads. Buy a ticket to our 1,000,000th download live show here:
https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/tickets/malthouse-outdoor-stage/a-rational-fear/
Chapters
00:00
Introduction and One Millionth Download Show
02:25
Introducing Wendy Harmer
03:05
The Evolution of Comedy and Radio
05:01
Capturing the Comedy Community
08:07
Finding Your Tribe in Comedy
09:08
The Impact of Commercial Radio
10:10
Memorable Interactions in Radio
12:39
Unconventional Radio Stunts
17:30
The Influence of Radio Management
19:16
The Dash for Cash and Other Stunts
21:53
The Origin of 'Two Strangers and a Wedding'
23:45
The Cultural Significance of The Morning Crew
30:32
The Impact of Wendy Harmer's Radio Career
33:36
The Changing Landscape of Media
36:06
The Success of Kyle and Jackie O
π€ CHIP IN TO OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ARationalFear
Here's all the fun stuff you get when you sign up to Patreon.
π§ Get an ad-free and sponsor free version of the show.
π Get early access and discounts to live shows.
π₯ Get early access to final videos, and draft edits of upcoming videos.
π¨πΌββοΈ Make show suggestions.
π¬ Get a link to the A Rational Fear discord.
If you enjoyed this please drop us a review on Apple podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-rational-fear/id522303261
If Patreon isn't your thing, and Apple Subscriptions are too Appley β chip in with A-Cast here: https://plus.acast.com/s/a-rational-fear-1.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode

Sponsor losing - Award winning - Dan Ilic & Lewis Hobba
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Lewis and Dan catch up after winning the Best Comedy Podcast at the Australian Podcast Awards.
Come see the 1,000,000th download show at the Malthouse Theatre February 1st
TICKETS https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/tickets/malthouse-outdoor-stage/a-rational-fear
π€ CHIP IN TO OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ARationalFear
Here's all the fun stuff you get when you sign up to Patreon.
π§ Get an ad-free and sponsor free version of the show.
π Get early access and discounts to live shows.
π₯ Get early access to final videos, and draft edits of upcoming videos.
π¨πΌββοΈ Make show suggestions.
π¬ Get a link to the A Rational Fear discord.
If you enjoyed this please drop us a review on Apple podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-rational-fear/id522303261
If Patreon isn't your thing, and Apple Subscriptions are too Appley β chip in with A-Cast here: https://plus.acast.com/s/a-rational-fear-1.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode

Matt Lieb β A Rational Conversation
ποΈ BUY TICKETS TO OUR 1,000,000th DOWNLOAD LIVE SHOW: https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/tickets/malthouse-outdoor-stage/a-rational-fear/
π€ CHIP IN TO OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ARationalFear
π¨ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL LIST: http://www.arationalfear.com/
It's tricky times to be a satirical comedian on the world stage right now.
The world is full of sad things, but it's a comedians job to find the catharsis in the contemporary anxiety.
One comedian who is doing that on the toughest of subjects is Matt Lieb.
A progressive jewish person Matt has created online sarcastic persona of the Liberal Zionist who attempts to justify the scale of violence being unleashed upon civilians in Gaza.
Matt Lieb discusses his use of humour in addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict and the risks involved in speaking out.
He highlights the challenges of navigating the minefield of criticising Israel and the consequences that individuals face for expressing their opinions. Matt also shares his experiences as a Jewish comedian and the different perspectives he brings to his comedy.
Throughout the conversation, Matt emphasises the importance of separating criticism of the Israeli government from anti-Semitism and the need for open and honest dialogue on the topic.
The conversation covers various aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including language use, the perspective of Israeli comedians, the impossible situation faced by Israelis, the lack of hope for peace, imagining alternative solutions, and the role of comedy in discussing sensitive topics.
Follow Matt Lieb's work:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattliebjokes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattlieb
It was a super interesting conversation. Speaking of conversations. Richard Fidler from the most downloaded podcast in Australia, βCONVERSATIONSβ is joining us for our 1,000,000th download live show which is on sale now.
A Rational Fear is turning 1,000,000 in downloads. Buy a ticket to our 1,000,000th download live show here:
https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/tickets/malthouse-outdoor-stage/a-rational-fear/
π€ CHIP IN TO OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/ARationalFear
Here's all the fun stuff you get when you sign up to Patreon.
π§ Get an ad-free and sponsor free version of the show.
π Get early access and discounts to live shows.
π₯ Get early access to final videos, and draft edits of upcoming videos.
π¨πΌββοΈ Make show suggestions.
π¬ Get a link to the A Rational Fear discord.
If you enjoyed this please drop us a review on Apple podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-rational-fear/id522303261
If Patreon isn't your thing, and Apple Subscriptions are too Appley β chip in with A-Cast here: https://plus.acast.com/s/a-rational-fear-1.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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