Have you read Below Deck, watched Stateless or listened to Strong Songs this month?

Newsletter No 5 - March 2020

Thanks for reading Leading Content, a monthly newsletter sharing links to articles, books, television programs, movies and podcasts you might enjoy. If you have any recommendations of your own, or any thoughts on what I have suggested, please be sure to join the conversation by commenting below.

To Read

Below Deck (Sophie Hardcastle, Allen & Unwin) - I first heard about this book from author and journalist Georgie Dent and based on her recommendation, I immediately bought Below Deck online without even knowing what it was about. I am so pleased I did. Reading Below Deck almost feels, at times, like being transported into a vivid painting filled with colours replacing words as it tells the story of a young Australian woman, Oli, as told through four distinct periods in her adult life. Relationships, consent, trauma and loss are all themes of this book that is sure to resonate with many. Oli's relationships - both those that enrich her and those that damage - form the heart of the story and will have you racing to the conclusion. A must read.

Principled : 10 leadership practices for building trust (Paul Browning, UQP) - When I was invited to give a testimonial for Principled I was more than happy to do so given it is a new book focused on an area I am passionate about - trust. As we know, every leader needs to earn trust and also understand that trust can be lost in a moment. In a world where trust is in rapid decline, this book provides invaluable, practical advice including useful case studies for leaders on how to build and retain the precious commodity that is the trust of their followers and stakeholders. An important book for all leaders.

This neighbourly gesture led to forever friendship (Kellie Scott, ABC) - During times of uncertainty and change, with panic buying of toilet paper and anxiety about coronavirus dominating our daily news, this is a lovely short article sharing a story of genuine friendship between two women. I was first alerted to the article by the husband of Kym Gardner, one of the women featured in the article celebrated for making a difference during challenging times through simple acts of kindness. A lovely reminder of what really matters.

'Angels' in Hell - The Culture of Misogyny Inside Victoria's Secret (Jessica Silver-Greenberg, Katherine Rosman, Sapna Maheshwari and James B, Stewart, New York Times) - In the years after the initial focus on #MeToo, it is reassuring to see investigative journalists continue to lift the veil on completely unacceptable workplace cultures and behaviours. In this article the behaviours of two of Victoria's Secret most senior leaders, Leslie Wexner and Ed Rasek, is exposed in painful detail. These kinds of stories are important for all to read as a reminder to ensure workplace cultures like this are hopefully never allowed to thrive again.

To Watch

Stateless - We are only two episodes into Stateless so it is definitely not too late to catch up (you can find Stateless on ABC iView). Inspired by the true story of Cornelia Rau as, well as the stories of many thousands of refugees who seek to arrive in Australia each year, the incredible performances of some of Australia's most impressive actors including Cate Blanchett, Yvonne Strahovski, Marta Dusseldorp and Asher Keddie make this a must watch. I did not know much about Rau's story before watching Stateless so to read more, this article by Robert Manne in The Monthly is well worth reading to understand her story.

Bombshell - Having loved The Loudest Voice television series, I wasn't too sure I was going to enjoy another film about Fox News CEO, Roger Ailes. I was also sceptical anyone could inhabit Ailes' character as well as Russell Crowe had. In the end, it was the impact this film had on my 17 year old daughter that convinced me to see it. My daughter initially saw Bombshell with her friends and rushed home to tell me I was going to be "so mad" when I found out what happens to the women in the film. I explained that sadly, these stories are all too common and yes, it did make me very mad. She asked whether we could go and see it together, which we did the next day. Bombshell is not a perfect film but I do think it is a very good one and I was impressed it could have an impact on my daughter's generation and fire her up to never accept this kind of behaviour. I recommend Bombshell not because it is the best version of this story but because it has prompted more discussions on a topic that will never cease to be important. For a much more nuanced review of Bombshell, this article by Megan Garber in The Atlantic is excellent.

Richard Jewell - This film seems to have gone under the radar which I think is a shame because it is an important cautionary tale. Directed by Clint Eastwood and based on the true story of security guard Richard Jewell, it outlines the rush by the media and public to assume the guilt of a man who was accused of leaving a bomb in Atlanta at a concert for the 1996 summer Olympics. Based on a 1997 Vanity Fair article by Marie Brenner, the film gives a damning portrayal of how Richard Jewell's life and reputation were destroyed by news stories and FBI leaks which were ultimately found to be untrue.

Parasite - I was slow to discover Parasite and sadly I only heard about the film after it won the 2020 Academy Award for Best Film. I really didn't know what to expect when I started watching Parasite and I suspect this is the best way to watch the film. It is hard to describe what unfolds in Parasite since it crosses so many genres but one thing is for sure, Parasite will make you think. It will also make you squirm, shield your eyes and you will find yourself not breathing for minutes of time as the story unfolds, particularly towards the end. I am not sure there is much more you can expect from a film and I thought it thoroughly deserved the Oscar win.

Love is Blind - I confess, my guilty television watching pleasure is reality dating programs. Like more than a million other Australians, I have watched Married at First Sight (MAFS). Whereas the premise of MAFS is for "experts" to put people together, start with a (fake) wedding and then follow the couples until the invariable break up, Love is Blind happens in reverse. The premise allows strangers to connect more naturally through conversation (with the catch being they are unable to actually see one another) and once a number of singles are connected and get to see what each another looks like, if everything goes to plan they will be married in a (real) wedding at the end of the show. Based on the first series, the success rate for Love is Blind is much higher than MAFS (no spoilers!) and while the manufactured television drama which is a staple of reality television is still there, I found it a much more interesting concept and frankly, much more likely to lead to two people actually staying together.

To Listen

Strong Songs with Kirk Hamilton - I have to thank Leigh Sales for introducing me to this podcast via her own podcast, Chat 10 Looks 3, with Annabel Crabb. Strong Songs is fantastic and will completely change the way you listen to your favourite songs. I am by no means an expert when it comes to music. I don't know a chord from a harmony or an octave (and even writing that sentence tested my musical knowledge!). So the magic of this podcast is that the sheer enthusiasm of podcast host Kirk Hamilton makes musical analysis fun as he breaks down endless famous songs - Thriller, Like a Prayer, I Will Always Love You, Stairway to Heaven, Dancing Queen - and explains what is happening with the lyrics, in the instruments used and in the way choruses are constructed. It is a brilliant podcast to listen to in the car and to help even the most musically incompetent of us appreciate the choices artists make that help our favourite songs stay timeless.

Bird's Eye View - I only found out about this podcast yesterday, listened to the first episode immediately and I am already hooked. Honestly, I recommend you subscribe to this podcast right now. It is the first podcast to be hosted by women inside Darwin Correctional Centre. It tells the story of 18 women 'inside' including their often painful, violent pasts, their hopes and dreams for the future and what everyday life is like inside prison. The women's sense of humour is wonderful and you just know this is going to be entertaining when one of the (many) opening warnings says "This is jail, everyone swears. If you don't like swearing, turn down the volume." This article by SBS news correspondent Aneeta Bhole delves into the stories of two of the women and why they wanted their stories told.

I hope you enjoyed this month's Leading Content newsletter. Please be sure to subscribe, comment below with your thoughts on these recommendations, tag someone you think might be interested and share this newsletter with your network.