Clear as Mud

26. Artificial intelligence is STILL as clear as mud!

Clear as Mud is on a short hiatus while Ray and Lawrence work on a new concept for season 3. In the meantime, Ray was interviewed for radio to talk about LinkedIn's 20th birthday and the buzz topi...

2023-06-04

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25. Artificial intelligence is clear as mud!

We speak to ChatGPT, AI and CX researcher and expert Liam Bray to explore whether robots are going to take our jobs or make them more interesting. Can he convince Ray that we're not headed for the sin...

2023-02-02

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The Internet's 'Sliding Doors' moment

Who knew that Tim Berners-Lee came up with a way to combat online misinformation more than 25 years ago? You'll never guess what killed it off! Also, Ray and Lawrence try to extricate themselves from ...

2023-01-16

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23. The metaverse: A bright future, or clear as mud?

In which polymath metaverse pioneer Sami Tauber tries to convince a couple of old cynics that the next phase of digital development is not going to end in tears  (Spoiler alert: she does a great ...

2023-01-05

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21. The enduring power of storytelling

Despite shrinking attention spans, storytelling remains a powerful way to get your message across. We speak with corporate communications coach Arabella McPherson about how telling a story helps you g...

2022-12-08

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20. Movie stars, ad tech, algorithms and politicians all behaving badly

In which we discuss Hollywood affairs, a promising development in the fight against ad tech, a triggering stumble from KFC and - surprise, surprise - lying politicians. And who knew Ray was a punk roc...

2022-11-23

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19. Donald Trump and the inexplicable power of demagoguery

For most people around the world, the initials that come to mind when conversation turns to Donald Trump are not MAGA, but WTF? To try and understand how this blustering bankrupt became the leader of ...

2022-11-10

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18. Amateur sportspeople take it all off, corporate life imitates art, and feeling sorry for Mark Zuckerberg and weather forecasters

In which we discuss the relationship between college athletics and OnlyFans, how TikTok is changing the entire social media landscape and over-reactions to wrong weather forecasts. Meanwhile, Ray digs...

2022-10-26

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17. TikTok envy, nation brands at war, random not-so-kind acts and partying PMs

In which we decry Big Tech's most viral activity - copying each other - as well as examining Ukraine's nation branding efforts, a kind/not kind viral trend and ageism and sexism on the international s...

2022-10-12

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16. Who's to blame when the public rejects the facts?

Ray casts aspersions on the 18th century structure of the scientific publishing industry, while Springer Nature global VP Stephen Pincock points out how researchers have embraced story-telling as part...

2022-09-28

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15. Crikey! It's Murdoch vs Streisand, news for the un-newsed, Go Ask Beatrice and going viral on LinkedIn

In which we explore what Lachlan Murdoch has in common with Barbara Streisand, why Channel 5 is both the past and the future of news and how a middle-aged Mormon housewife channelled her inner drug-ad...

2022-09-14

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14. 'Psychological antibodies' and clear as mud messages on COVID vaccinations

We talk to Professor Julie Leask, the person who coined the term 'vaccine hesitancy' about what governments got right - and wrong - about COVID messaging. Spoiler alert: Humour often works best, even ...

2022-08-31

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That '70s episode: Elvis, Watergate, ice cream metaphors and nyet to Macca's

In which we unpack the ongoing obsession with Elvis, the power of the -gate, did-he-or-didn't he make a Tiananmen Square reference, and McDonalds' exit from Russia, in our all Good, Bad and Hilarious ...

2022-08-17

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12. Don't want a personal brand? Too bad, it's the 21st century

In which we speak with culture whisperer Susie Khamis about why personal branding has become an inescapable part of contemporary life. Plus, influencers in the raw, Trump on trial, real estate wankers...

2022-06-24

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11. The slow death of journalism, virtual singers, shrinking chocolate and former politicians' shrinking brains

In which we discuss the decline and fall of 'real news' and journalism as we finish our interview with award-winning writer Mike Sager. Before that, two boomers dissect Jimi Hendrix's lyrics, bemoan t...

2022-06-15

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Episode 10 - Pre-loved clothing, energy-efficient TV ads and the most annoying thing about reality TV

In which we muse about how killing advertising could save the planet - if Meta doesn't do it first! Meanwhile, Ray bangs on about why reality TV gives him the s***s to expert Graeme Turner - and no, i...

2022-06-07

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Episode 9 - Virtual influencers, murder and the mystery of the missing bite

In which we update listeners about the 'How to Murder Your Husband' case, finish our interview with influencer expert Nataly Levesque, ask why Kim Kardashian airbrushes her burgers, look at America's ...

2022-06-01

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Episode 8 - How to fight newspeak, gambling's election gateway drug, karaoke for profit and Trivago's muddy algorithms

In which we finish our discussion with our Orwell expert and discover that Putin does not have a monopoly over newspeak. We also examine the sneaky way online gambling outfits are trying to hook unsus...

2022-05-20

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Episode 7 - Is 'badvertising' a tautology, Trump and newspeak, tasteless burger and beauty ads and Musk invents Twitter

In which we ask award-winning copywriter Jim Morris why so much advertising is clear as mud, as well as measure the bullshit output from former presidents, space-seeking billionaires and game show con...

2022-05-13

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Episode 6 - Election special: Politicians being clear as mud on the campaign trail

In which we talk to Mark Gwynn from the Australian National Dictionary Centre about how politicians and the media twist meanings and use evocative language, analogies and even colour to try and make u...

2022-05-05

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Clear as Mud

Episodes (25 episodes)

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