Advertise on podcast: It Is Complicated

Thank you for your listening and support - 2025 has been a year - we are back in mid-2026 We love you, we appreciate you, we thank you for your support. Love - Dr J and Josephine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A very short update - recorded in one take and un-editedby Dr J - so it makes some sense. 1) We are still here 2) We appreciate our listeners 3) We are planning a move to SubStack - we'll be doing that in coming weeks We will record episodes possibly talking about the break (or not) - and publish the backlog - see you soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of It Is Complicated, we remember Suzanne Osten, who died on the 24th October 2024  This interview was recorded a year ago, we are releasing it now as a tribute to her. We do have a backlog of episodes, this one felt important to put out first.  Josephine met Suzanne in 2005 after Suzanne saw one of her performances and invited her to be in an opera, even though neither of them had experience in being in, or directing an opera.  Suzanne’s adventurous spirit and willingness to try new things left a lasting impression on Josephine, and you can hear in the conversation how Suzanne was a force of nature—creative, chaotic, and always up for a challenge.  This episode celebrates Suzanne’s incredible impact on the art world and her lasting friendship with those who knew her. Suzanne Osten’s IMDB page https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0652305/ Transcript (from zoom) for this episode IIC Episde 62 Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr J, Josephine and CN Lester discuss their multi-hyphenate, portfolio working lives. Even for those with salaried jobs, there is always the side gig (or two or three) and projects.  Performers, academics, scientists, consultants, photographers, authors - there is not a single role that defines them. This was recorded in March 2023 - since then - Josephine's book is available at Where it all started Novel , and CN Lester short story is out in the anthology Furies: Stories of the Wicked, Wild and Untamed - Dr J is still writing their first book proposal https://whereitallstartednovel.com/ https://burleyfisherbooks.com/products/9780349017167 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode comes with a content warning - it is dark! Some of the darker places ended up on the cutting room floor, and it is still dark. Be safe when you listen to this. An apology to Brianna Ghey and her family. Dr J managed to mispronounce their surname all the way through. We picked this up in the final edit.  In this episode we tackle the level of transphobia that is now so entrenched in our society that people with privilege can make a jibe about it within parliament.  We talk about the impact of this upon us personally, and as a group.  We do our best to bring our usual sense, humour and compassion to this conversation. We approach the impacts and arrive at a resolution. It is by advocacy for ourselves and others like us, that we can get through this. We also end up with an usual Breathtaking rant from Dr J - who has a Billy Joel obsession going on right now, as well the Muppets - Tenderly! Muppets - Dr Teeth & the electric mayhem - Tenderly We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Episode 60 Transcript Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated - your subscriptions help us pay our guests for their time Give us feedback - get in touch on Patreon as social media is a trash fire - we’d love to connect with you - or leave us a rating or a review on your favourite podcast platform Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the fifth in our Queer Voices series we talk with Samantha Béart, actor, currently known for playing Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3. We talked about how games and performances and performing in and for games, allowed us to explore, examine and find ourselves. We get into the ways games have allowed us to understand the world and ourselves, the joy of the “F**k around and Find out” nature of some games, how trauma can be understood within a game. How games can take us deeper and into places we didn’t expect allowing us to explore and have positive experiences. There are some gigantic nerd theory moments. Links we talk about: Where it all started: https://whereitallstartednovel.com/ Paragraph 175 - film about homosexuality in German controlled regions in WW2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paragraph_175_(film) The Ukie census of the Games Industry - https://ukie.org.uk/UK-games-industry-census-2020 Karlach isn't a good girl blog post - https://www.tumblr.com/sailorgundam308/731617898834034688/karlach-isnt-a-good-girl From Queer to Eternity podcast - https://play.acast.com/s/from-queer-to-eternity/samanthabeart - which is almost 'Part 1' of this conversation We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Episode 59 Transcript Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Give us feedback - get in touch on Patreon as social media is a trash fire - we’d love to connect with you about routine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the fourth in our Queer Voices series we talk with Laura Kate Dale, games journalist, author, and accessibility consultant. We started on how some of our narratives are routed in negativity, and how that can be turned into talking about Joy and Euphoria, small or large. This leads into us talking about how the little things can fight back against the system every day, challenging how we see our own lives. We can overlook the small joys, taking them for granted, ignoring the heart sing moments. We can be proud of ourselves in the small moments and in the big moments, and we have our narratives that are outside of the normative view of the world. Our special interests this week are trains, train data, weddings and Baldurs Gate 3.  Find Laura Kate Dale here: https://laurakbuzz.com/ Get Stories of Autistic Joy here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/stories-of-autistic-joy-laura-kate-dale/7460206?ean=9781839978098 in the UK and https://us.jkp.com/products/stories-of-autistic-joy for other countries We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Episode 58 Transcript Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Give us feedback - get in touch on Patreon as social media is a trash fire - we’d love to connect with you about routine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the third in our Queer Voices series we talk with novelist, poet and performer Rosie Garland. We set off talking about what we all have on (and sadly some of the opportunities to see Rosie are now in the past due to our slowness to release this due to 2023). We talk about performing and writing. We move onto what feeds us, the activities that we do every day, or maybe only sometimes, that feed our souls and hearts and minds. They keep us going, the routines that are concrete and quantifiable things we do. When we are busy, when we are doing “too much`’, when we do it right, we are doing things that feed us and make us feel as ourselves and help us carry on. What feeds our souls is important and necessary. We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Episode 57 Transcript Rosie Garland - http://www.rosiegarland.com/ Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Give us feedback - get in touch on Patreon as social media is a trash fire - we’d love to connect with you about your use of routine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special episode where we have Dr J on the Mind the Product podcast - https://www.mindtheproduct.com/business-analysts-in-product-dr-j-harrison/  Dr J also talks about 2023 and why they haven’t had a chance to watch any Keanu Reeves recenlty We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Special Complicated Complicated Transcript Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Give us feedback - Our Mastodon - https://ohai.social/@itiscomplicated- or leave us a rating or a review on your favourite podcast platform - We are both on Insta - https://www.instagram.com/drjharrison/ and https://www.instagram.com/josephineabaird/  or find Dr J on Threads - https://www.threads.net/@drjharrison Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Released on Trans Day Of Visibility. This episode we talk about the way you can tell if a space is safe, the flags we see, both green and red, how they can co-exist, and that we can spot duplicity and performative actions.  We also talk about being here - for each other. That simple notion of being here, as someone to talk to, as someone to step up, as someone who takes the blows so you don’t.  Our being here is winning, we are hope, bruised and bloodied, running back into the battle! That video from Matt Ricardo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=637OvuxB_bY&t=3s&ab_channel=MatRicardo Correction - Dr J thinks Richard Grint played Ron Weasley, we all know it's Rupert Grint. We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Episode 56 Transcript Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Give us feedback - we’re left twitter - we are sometimes on Mastodon - https://ohai.social/@itiscomplicated- or leave us a rating or a review on your favourite podcast platform Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second in our Queer Voices series we talk with Dr Joe Parslow -  Lecturer in Popular and Queer Performance and Hashtag Doctor Husband Boyfriend Joe - about drag and queer performance, breathing and togetherness - and the complications around making space and getting to breathe in those spaces.  The queer notion of breathing together, coming together, and aspiration. Reflecting energy between the performers and the audience. How this connects us all in the space. We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Episode 55 Transcript Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Give us feedback - we’re on twitter - https://twitter.com/ItIsComplicatd - and Mastodon - https://ohai.social/@itiscomplicated- or leave us a rating or a review on your favourite podcast platform Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special episode of a panel discussion recorded at eNBy City with Dr J, malakai, Haz and Lilly. We are talking to a room of mostly students.  The event focussed on Queer Joy. This is the third part of a three part recording. We have done our best with the recording to clean up the sound during this last part of the panel discussion. This was recorded for the Hear & Queer Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@hearqueer5656  We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Special 3 eNBy City Transcript Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Give us feedback - we’re on twitter - https://twitter.com/ItIsComplicatd - and Mastodon - https://ohai.social/@itiscomplicated- or leave us a rating or a review on your favourite podcast platform Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special episode of a panel discussion recorded at eNBy City with Dr J, malakai, Haz and Lilly. We are talking to a room of mostly students.    The event focussed on Queer Joy.   This is the second part of a three part recording.   Be aware about half way through we pulled the recording equipment apart - and it means the audio quality drops - I’ve done my best to equalise it and improve it - malaki and myself still have a pretty much working mic, Haz, Lilly and the audience have a mic that isn’t working so well   This was recorded for the Hear & Queer Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@hearqueer5656    We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Special 2 eNBy City Transcript   Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Give us feedback - we’re on twitter - https://twitter.com/ItIsComplicatd - and Mastodon - https://ohai.social/@itiscomplicated- or leave us a rating or a review on your favourite podcast platform Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special episode of a panel discussion recorded at eNBy City with Dr J, malakai, Haz and Lilly.    The event focussed on Queer Joy.   This is the first part of a two (or more) part recording.   This was recorded for the Hear & Queer Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@hearqueer5656    We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Special eNBy City Transcript   Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Give us feedback - we’re on twitter - https://twitter.com/ItIsComplicatd - and Mastodon - https://ohai.social/@itiscomplicated- or leave us a rating or a review on your favourite podcast platform Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When asked the question “where do you want to be in ten years?” we break down - why? We spend so much time surviving, how do we then look towards a future? Our futures we see are not chrononormative, and we often step outside of the standard expectations. How do we see ambition, and its link to opportunity? Can you be ambitious when you can’t believe you can achieve it? What does ambition mean when you always think you won't have another chance to have a job? What does it mean when you have been knocked back consistently?   When opportunity is there and we don’t have the drive, or ambition, what does that mean? Is it about our difference? Our lack of linear progression? What does mainstream ambition mean when you’re non-normative? Does being trans and non-binary impact on our desire for mainstream success?   How does this impact on us in the workplace? In job interviews? Does a company seeing a place for us make a difference?   We then get into the breathtaking nature of Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077, voice acting, the tall stompy lady, and storytelling in games. We mention: Cyberpunk 2077 Resident Evil Village Thomas was alone Hugwave (from itch.io)   We have a transcript for this episode - IIC Episode 54 Transcript   Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/itiscomplicated Give us feedback - we’re on twitter - https://twitter.com/ItIsComplicatd and Mastodon - https://ohai.social/@itiscomplicated- or leave us a rating or a review on your favourite podcast platform Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.