A Wheelie Good Chat
A Wheelie Good Chat is a podcast hosted by Sam Cole and co-host Joel Guest, offering an honest and insightful glimpse into life from the perspective of someone with a physical disability. Sam shares candid stories and personal experiences, while Joel, the ultimate Question Guy, dives deep with curiosity to explore and challenge societal assumptions, sparking meaningful conversations along the way.
This podcast is for anyone ready to expand their perspective, build knowledge, and reflect on the impact society has on individuals with disabilities. Together, Sam and Joel aim to promote acceptance and inspire change for people from all walks of life.
Let’s break barriers and embrace inclusivity—one conversation at a time. Follow on Instagram @awheeliegoodchat
A Wheelie Good Chat
28. Seeing is Believing
This episode explores the shifting landscape of media representation concerning individuals with disabilities. Sam shares her personal journey regarding the lack of relatable role models in her youth and the impact this had on her self-perception, while discussing the importance of authentic representation in fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion.
• Reflection on the historical portrayal of disabilities in media
• Discussion on the importance of visible role models
• Examination of the impact of social media on representation
• Critical views on authenticity versus inauthenticity in disability advocacy
• Vision for future media diverse representations
Thanks for listening, we really appreciate the ongoing support! Follow the podcast on Instagram @awheeliegoodchat and Sam @sam.bamalama
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https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-wheelie-good-chat/id1654431839
Before we begin, we would like to acknowledge the traditional customs of country throughout Australia and their connection to land, sea and community.
Speaker 2:We pay our respect to their elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations peoples today and in the future.
Speaker 1:I'm your host, sam Cole, and this is a really good chat where we divulge areas of my life yes, even not so PG ones, if you're a first-time listener. Thank you so much for joining A bit of a backstory on myself. I have a neuromuscular condition called dystonia and I started this podcast with my friend, joel, to break stigma and normalize conversations around disability within society. So we really hope that you stick around for future episodes. Happy New Year, everyone, and I hope you're enjoying the start of who you Are. 2025. It kind of blows my mind that it's 2025, you know, I think back to, you know, early 2000, when 2025 used to be in songs. It was like, oh, that's such a long way away. But you know, here we are now. So I hope everyone's had a lovely start to the year and hello to Joel. Happy New Year to you.
Speaker 2:And happy New Year to you too, Sam. Yeah, we're past Back to the Future franchise. We're beyond that. That was 2024 is where they went to the future. So yeah, where's my hoverboard man Still waiting for it, aren't we Still waiting for it? How's your 2025 been so far?
Speaker 1:So far so good, no complaints. You know, just kind of easing my way into the year, nothing, you know, just pretty steady, as steady as I can be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, good to hear. Well, today I guess we're going to talk about media representation, which I think last year was a big deal. Was that last year that the Mermaid movie came out my Little Mermaid? So a lot of controversy and a lot of discussion around representation and we didn't want to join in the conversation then.
Speaker 2:But I think now is probably a great time to talk about representation in terms of people with visible disabilities or people living with disabilities and barriers and challenges and what that means to you, sam. So let's just wind back the clock a little bit, because I think we all know at the moment that representation in all areas has seemed to be increased and something we're talking about and off air. Before, sam, you and I were talking about how it definitely is more visible. Now let's just wind back the clock a little bit and talk about you as a young person. Perhaps in your late teens were there anyone that you saw as a representation of yourself in those times? Can you think of any actors or actresses or artists or anything like that kicking around at the time, like nothing that is coming to my mind of any actors or actresses or artists or anything like that, kicking around at the time like nothing.
Speaker 1:That is coming to my mind, you know it is uh, a few years ago now. The one that kind of like I guess comes to my mind is dylan all cop and I, but I think he was kind of like big or he has kind of gotten bigger. He's been like a massive, like. Probably the one that kind of has been the consistent person, kind of pushing for representation and normalising disability, I guess with his Australian of the Year award, maybe a few years ago now that he's really even before that he was always pushing for it and still is pushing for, I guess, equality and that kind of thing. From him getting Australian of the Year year. There was a platform that he, I guess, kind of started, I guess in conjunction with TikTok.
Speaker 1:Of course I had to get around it yeah, yeah so you film yourself about like who you are, where you're from, a bit of backstory about yourself, and then brands would see that and then they would contact the agency about picking that person. It's mostly acting in ads or whatever, but yeah, so that kind of thing has really been a pivotal part in like normalising disability.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's great for people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and he's been a massive advocate for inclusion and for people of all abilities having a voice and representation. What was your sense around how people with disability were portrayed? Again, let's wind back the clock a little bit before we sort of get into nowadays. It sounds like a lot of what Dylan Alcott's been doing has been in the recent years. What was it back in the younger days for you? What years are we talking about there? Late 2000s?
Speaker 1:Yeah, in movies they were always, you know, sick, dying, helpless, like isolated. What was me kind of thing which you know, that can be the reality, but also, on the other hand, there are some fucking inspiring people out there who are just living their lives.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:No one wants to be categorised with what was me kind of attitude.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I definitely don't. Yeah, it's just not really fitting.
Speaker 2:Do you feel that had an impact on you as a young person? Do you feel that sort of affected? Maybe the way you looked at yourself? I think?
Speaker 1:looking back, I'm sure it would have, you know, not seeing yourself in the media, just, you know, on a panel, like no one in a wheelchair on a panel, kind of situation. I'm sure at the time I'm like, oh, whatever, don't really think much of it, but I'm sure it impacted me a great deal more than I would have had. You know, said, I guess you know not seeing it, you know on an advert for clothing or something like that. But yeah, now we're kind of seeing a slow shift in that, yeah. So I think it would have definitely affected my confidence and my normalising just wheelchairs in general or differences?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's like hard to have aspiration if you never see someone who looks like you succeed and if all you're ever seeing is people who look like you, are sick and dying and are the victims and you know the sympathy kind of character I, you know. I I don't know what that must be like and it must be difficult, because I think about you, know the dreams you would play as a young child or you know I'm going to be this when I grow up and I'm going to do this and I see myself in media all the time. I could do that, I could do that. So, yeah, just wondering it must have a massive impact Because you were quite young as well and like sort of coming to terms with now a shift in your lifestyle.
Speaker 1:I feel like that must have been really I don't know what do you think it would have meant for you if you could see positive role models portrayed in media? Yeah, I mean, I'm sure it would have, you know, just kind of I guess normalizing, like I said before, and people being more accepting and people not staring as hard as you know, like, oh, someone in a wheelchair, someone with some differences. But probably for me, when I was late teens, early 20s, that's when I realised that this is my life. So before that I was very, I guess, had my rose-coloured glasses on, to thinking that I'll wake up one day and I won't, you know, be in a wheelchair anymore. I guess I was holding on to that. So those kind of feelings probably were overridden by the fact that you know, that was my main focus Well, not my main focus, but my main like kind of mindset, if that makes sense. Yeah, looking back, it probably wasn't like a really focus for me, kind of like, you know, looking at the media.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, how did it make you feel then? So, before you were late teens and you come into grips with the way that your lifestyle is going to be forever, was it difficult to see someone portrayed as sick and dying and that kind of thing? Was that something that you found difficult to watch?
Speaker 1:I wouldn't say difficult to watch. It kind of frustrated me because I'm like, like I said, not everyone has that mindset, I guess once again putting people with a disability in a category which we're not about here yeah, and it sounds.
Speaker 2:It sounds like you're not. You didn't get sucked into that. That's what I'm trying to sort of understand. Was it? Did it sort of add to your stigma against your condition and your way of life and did it maybe make you think, oh, my life is over now? But it sounds like you weren't really in that space.
Speaker 1:No, I wasn't, because I think the community I grew up with and my family, they never like they always kind of treating me just like anyone else, like it wasn't oh, poor sam, let's gather around her and she needs this right now, that kind of thing. It was more just like, yeah, sam's throwing these kind of cards, uh, we're not gonna focus on it. Yeah, so I'm, like you know, obviously, like I've spoken before, I'm grateful for that community and growing up in that kind of environment, because that that 100% has, you know, given me my resilience, and obviously my mum as well has given me that resilience to keep going, you know, not just to focus on my condition and, like you know, play the victim as such.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I guess you know the power of community and the power of connection and support, isn't it right? And that means that this kind of situation is frustrating more than it is hurtful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wave your fist at the screen going that's not how it is. Rah, yeah, that's not like in the book. That's not like in the book. No, all right. So what about now? How do you feel? Do you feel there's been a change in the media? Do you feel it's affected you in any way?
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, there's 100% been a change. You know from like news reporters having some sort of physical difference, which is fantastic for someone who has a disability, and watching it it's like, oh, maybe I could be an actor, maybe I could be a model, or whatever it may be, would it be?
Speaker 2:fair to say it's like oh, maybe I could be an actor, maybe I could be a model, or whatever it may be.
Speaker 1:Would it be fair to say it's like a sense of belonging you know, a sense of inclusion, a sense that you do belong that's yeah, that's probably exactly actually, yeah, and I have not been like an outsider way of saying it yeah, and it's like, not necessarily inspiration.
Speaker 2:it is inspirational, obviously, but we've talked about how, like I think I think you did an episode on your own about how I'm not your inspiration, but it's nice to see and go. You know what that's an option for me. Now I do belong, I see myself there and I see myself in the crowd. I see myself there on stage and doing these different things Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Like I said when I was a kid looking back, because kids are so influential about their surroundings and what they see on media and how they're portrayed, so that would have been a huge impact having, like you know, seeing those people now back when I was a kid on the media would have been such a huge thing. You know I'm talking about now. Yeah, it just makes such a difference to how you see yourself, like you said, like a sense of belonging, which is huge yeah, I mean, wouldn't it be great to see a superhero in a wheelchair?
Speaker 2:so young young children can go, can can dress up as that in Halloween and and pretend that they're that superhero and wouldn't it be great if there were? More things like that for for more people to. That's me, that's who I am.
Speaker 2:I think that's awesome, that's true, I think we're starting to see it too, because my memory growing up in the 90s and early 2000s was that people with disabilities were portrayed by actors with no lived experience at all. Now we're starting to see a lot more professional actors who live with disabilities in their lives. Is that something you've seen? It's not just a positive portrayal of people disability as characters, because we're seeing a lot of that as well. We're seeing a lot of characters in our mainstream shows who have visible disabilities in a really positive sense.
Speaker 2:But we're also seeing people professional actors as well. That's what I think. I've got no evidence for that, actually, other than a list of names in front of me just joel's opinion.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, no, but I agree, I feel that there's more discussion, more openness about having some sort of disability, that that being mental, that being physical. I feel well-known actors are like a lot, not feeling like they can't explore it, can't discuss it. They don't have to hide it. It's more normalised in a sense.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure, for sure. Is there anyone in particular that springs to mind for you In the acting world or in the oh any artists or anyone who's in, I guess, the public sphere that you think is representing the disability community really well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, there's a couple who spring to my mind, and the first one is Ellie Mae Barnes, and that's Jimmy Barnes's. And everyone knows who Jimmy Barnes is. Hell yeah, it's his daughter. She's 35 and she's got cerebral palsy and so she's um and she's got. I don't know if she's in a band, but obviously you know, having having your father as Jimmy Barnes, you're going to be some sort of like musically inclined. Yeah, and she was on a show on ABC called I think it was Hardwire Hardware, hardware. Okay, I think. I'm pretty sure oh, I couldn't look it up and she was there with two other Australian artists and they formed two different bands with people with a disability and then they went and performed at a festival in Australia.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so Did you see her? Did you see her live?
Speaker 1:Oh, no, no, no, no, this was on TV, oh okay, all right, oh great. Yeah, this was on TV. There was like a vast range of disabilities within the band, but yeah, it was such a good to show you know, even though these people have disabilities, that they can still have talent, absolutely, and contribute to the music industry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. Is the show called Headliners?
Speaker 1:Oh, headliners, yeah, Okay, yeah, I'm glad you looked it up.
Speaker 2:You got the first letter right, Hardware yeah. I was thinking in my head. I was like, yeah, yeah, what is this show then? Are they all performing in workshops and sheds or what's is it more about? Like the hardware of the equipment or I don't know like, is it headliners? Yeah, great, yeah, yeah, yeah, wonderful, go ellie, yeah, yeah anyone else?
Speaker 1:yeah, and the other one that comes to my mind is a writer called hannahiveny I think that's how you say her last name and she's an author, an actress and an advocate for people with disabilities and she's 25. And, yeah, I just love her attitude on Instagram. She's got cerebral palsy. She's a lead actor in a new SBS series Haven't watched it, just things like that and both female, which is yay to the female power.
Speaker 2:No, that's awesome. It's awesome to see, and especially, young people getting into the space as well. You know, that's amazing, I think. For me, who springs to mind is Rosie Jones in the UK oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So Rosie Jones in the UK oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So Rosie loses cerebral palsy, but she's on all the panel shows. She's on 8 Out of 10 Cats. She was on Taskmaster and I think Taskmaster especially, which is sort of known for being maybe sometimes physically difficult, I think it was awesome that Rosie went on and did an amazing job as well. So she's over there just smashing goals. I think that was awesome, that Rosie went on and did an amazing job as well. So she's over there just smashing goals. I think that is amazing.
Speaker 2:And Madison Tevlin as well. Have you heard of Madison Tevlin? She was in the film Champions. I haven't seen that. No, you haven't seen that. So she's a young lady who lives with Down syndrome. She is out there. Man, like I love her. If you follow her on Instagram, she is just excellent. She, yeah, she's a fantastic advocate and she also did a great little short clip called Assume that I Can. I don't know if you've seen that. That's an awesome little.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, assume that I Can, so maybe I will. So if anyone hasn't heard that, youtube that immediately. It's like three minutes long. It is amazing. And Madison Tevlin I hope I'm saying her name right Madison Tevlin does amazing things in that space as well.
Speaker 1:Definitely. And I just want to say Rosie Jones. I think she is so funny she's hilarious. She's got like such a great sense of humour. I can't believe I didn't think of her, but yeah, I was just going local. But yeah, no, she, she's great absolutely great.
Speaker 2:You gotta take this thing international, man. You gotta take it international. I'm just trying to find his name as well, because the guy who's in, uh, the peanut butter falcon movie was shy. We did our research really well, didn't we? Sam, uh, he was. He was awesome. I thought he did. He was just an amazing zach gottsagen, gottsagen I don't know how to say his last name, I don't know. The peanut butter falcon. Did you watch that film?
Speaker 2:no it's a great, great, great film. Uh, and zachary gottsagen was fantastic. He was the one of the main characters. He was in a lead role. He's a man who lives with uh dan syndrome as well. Uh, and he became the first person with dan syndrome to be a presenter at the Academy Awards. Oh, my God, he's wicked. He's so funny as well. I think he's just a delightful young man. So that's awesome to see. And I just think, like you go back 15 years and there's no way we would have seen this, and that's like that long ago. Like go back 20, 30, 40 years and there's just like not a hope. How fast has this changed? You know, I sort of feel like overnight we just flicked a switch and now there's representation always.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely. And also I think it's like a huge thank you to like social media as well as like TikTok, instagram, just because you can like put yourself out there and you know see how I guess the followers or the you know interactions are, and then kind of build it like you know your followers or your I guess you know your brand or whatever like that way. So it's like you know it's daunting as just going out into like a production of like a news report or whatever, it's still daunting putting yourself out there. But I feel, with being on social media and that it's a bit more welcoming, if that's the right term to use, yeah, and look, that's the real positive side of social media is it just allows connection.
Speaker 2:Things like TikTok are fantastic for creators to be able to sort of get their voice out there and things can take off and be shared. There is a dark side to that, though, and that is people faking disabilities for the clout. Have you heard a bit about this before?
Speaker 1:Oh God, yeah. So what's that called Munchausen?
Speaker 2:Munchausen by proxy. That's something a bit different. That's something a bit different.
Speaker 1:I see Okay, that's not what this is. Okay, whoopsies.
Speaker 2:It can be In. It can be in some cases it can be, but I'm sort of just talking about the pure act of like people. Um, I googled it last night because I was going to come up a couple of names, but honestly, there are so, so, so many. I didn't really want to pick out an individual name. There are actually, it's a whole world of this.
Speaker 2:Tiktok have released articles on how to spot a seizure, so people are faking seizures to be on for internet clout.
Speaker 2:A lot of people faking autism spectrum disorder. A lot of people faking I think dystonia is quite hard to fake, to be honest but a lot of people faking like other kinds of like paralysis and stroke victims or brain injury victims or things like that as well, and I think it's the minority. Like you know, I don't think the majority of what you're coming across, I don't think everything you come across over there is a scam. I think the majority of it is quite honest stuff. But I think it's kind of hard sometimes to tell the difference between someone who has a legitimate diagnosis and is showing you a part of their life that is real and honest and true, versus someone who is putting it on in a corner of a room just to maybe get those internet points and perhaps make money off it in a bit of social sort of stature. Have you come across this in your TikTok career? Have people accused you of anything, and how does this whole kind of dark side of disability being represented make you feel?
Speaker 1:I've never been accused of faking my disability. I mean, they haven't caught it on yet, have they? Okay?
Speaker 2:This is our way of getting ahead of it, right? Yeah, those fakes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh no. It's really, really disgusting to think that people use whatever disability they think they have or, you know, faking a seizure, just to get views or brand deals. It's just absolutely disgusting because people live with this every day like it's not just something you know.
Speaker 1:You're like, oh, maybe I'll have it today, maybe I can fake it it's actually people's lives and people just like think it's something that gets views. It's just so disgusting. People have one of my videos just said it's not offensive or anything like that. It's just like oh, what happened to you? Or can you use your hands or something like that.
Speaker 2:Okay, um yeah it's not challenging you, it's just uh tactless yeah yeah, yeah yeah, it's just insensitive, that's all yeah, that's exactly it.
Speaker 1:And it was like the same person who or, I guess, not person account, probably a, probably a buddy bought one um kept commenting the same thing on like quite a few of my videos can she use her hands? Like, instead of saying, can you? Yeah? Yeah like it's my account, bro, I think I think that's also.
Speaker 2:Uh, if you have a social media presence, I think the comment section is is out of your control like it's wild oh yeah, yeah, mine are really good compared to other people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, because the first thing you like I do is always go to the comment section of any video and, yeah, like some of them, it's just if the the video is quite like and it's controversial. Yeah, the comments are always where you want to go for the tea. They're just so whack. Yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Have you ever come across an account that you felt very strongly was perhaps not genuine? Have you come across a faker? And we don't want to name names, we don't want to get you into like a TikTok beef or anything. That's not what we're here for. You know, for someone that maybe is listening to this, how do you know?
Speaker 1:How do you know? How do you know someone's faking it? Yeah, that's it. I have never seen an account or I've got questions about, like, why they're doing it. But then again, I guess I'm very trusting and very, probably very naive in that way. Not every disability is presented the same, so I feel like that would be really hard to like judge or not judge, but kind of like police, if you will. Yeah yeah, it would be hard.
Speaker 2:I've definitely come across some fakes, but that's more been around people faking seizures and I think if you've seen a lot of seizures before you can sort of tell when you go.
Speaker 2:I don't know if that one's real or not and you don't know, because a seizure could look like anything. To be honest, it really could. But some you look at like, specifically, if someone puts their phone on films themselves and then immediately has a seizure, you go. Generally, people who are about to have a seizure don't put their phone on. Look, it might happen. I don't want to say definitely it's not.
Speaker 2:And some of these accounts, a lot of these accounts that I've seen before, are no longer there. So, and some of these accounts, a lot of these accounts that I've seen before, are no longer there, so something happened and those accounts are dilligant. There you go. I'm not going to name any accounts. I think it can be hard unless you know someone. You have a bit of lived experience. Maybe that's where representation really does matter, you know. So you can start to see if we have more honest portrayals of disability. People can start to see it when people are faking it, people of disability. People can start to see it when people are faking it. People fake everything, don't they? People fake being rich, people fake being a whole bunch of stuff online, don't?
Speaker 1:they.
Speaker 2:That's true, that's very true. All right, so what do you hope for the next 10 years in terms of media representation? What, for you, would be an ideal world, and what do you think that would mean to the younger generation coming through?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a good question. Actually, I would just love to see you know more diversity in panels and news reporting and just out on the field as well would be really cool. Weather reporter obviously you know when it's flooding and you're in a wheelchair. That would not be ideal.
Speaker 2:We'll put some floaty stuff around it. You'll be fine Making a little body.
Speaker 1:Yeah, love that. Yeah, there you go. You know you mentioned a few UK people with disabilities before. Yeah, and I think the UK do it really, really well. They have. Obviously the UK is like so much bigger than Australia and they have a lot more people. The UK is, like so much bigger than Australia and they have a lot more people. But whenever we watch, you know, in a UK show, at least one person has a disability. Yeah, I think we have a lot to take away from the way that they have done it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so and isn't that interesting, because now you say that I'm just thinking I'm remembering Adam Hill and I can't believe I didn't think of him before. Oh shit, adam Hill, right. So spics and specs, he's got a prosthetic leg. He's got a show called the last leg in the UK, which almost every guest has a a disability of some kind. So Rosie's on there. There's also a couple other guys as well whose names escape me. We did our research so well. I can't believe I didn't think about him. Yeah, you're right. Like it's weird that he went over to the UK to do that show and didn't do it in Australia. And I wonder if it's just that we as Australian people are not ready for that show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, honestly, that wouldn't surprise me. So yeah, I think 10 years from now it would be great. Just like I said, just more visual differences, not just white people on a panel who think they know about everything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they do Ask them. You're talking more about so not just in like fictional films and big Hollywood films and things You're actually talking about like sort of professional roles. You want to see more people in reporting positions. You know you want to see more people on the news and lawyer positions, and it's not just about media. So in that respect, I do feel like we still have some work to do oh, definitely.
Speaker 1:I know I mentioned dylan all cop before, but he's the one who is often on news panels. You can actually see the wheelchair. It's not like you know he's sitting in another chair. He's actually sitting in his wheelchair at the panel desk. So, yeah, he's on it very often because he's probably got a million other things to do. I think it's starting, but, like we obviously have, a long way to go, like we've said.
Speaker 2:So it sounds like he's not behind the desk now hiding the chair, and that's what's important to you is that we shouldn't be hiding those parts of a person.
Speaker 1:Exactly. Is that right A hundred percent? Because I think you know when you're out in public, younger kind of kids stare because they haven't been. I guess not everyone has. You know someone in their life who has a disability, whatever that may be. Having someone in the media, a news reporter you watch every day, that your parents turn on, or whatever, is a great thing to see, Not just for a kid who has a disability, but just any other kid, just to kind of see that it's. You know, that they can work, that they can contribute to society and that they are, you know, intelligent people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely Absolutely, and not just the one-off special case that Stephen Hawking was. You know what I mean. He was sort of like the guy kind of thing, the token dude. So it's nice to see that it's opening up a little bit more. What can we as listeners do to help? Is it just about sort of getting on and supporting young actors and artists coming up in the space who fill in that diversity space a little bit more? What do you think is the next step for mainstream audience?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would honestly say just be more open to those people who are willing to put themselves out there. I can't speak for being an artist like a singing artist, I'm sure like that takes a lot of courage to. You know, get on stage, step out of your comfort zone, but to add a visible difference when people are watching you perform with that, just imagine how much more difficult that would be for the individual. I can only imagine. I've never sung in front of anyone. I mean, if I sang in front of you, you are a lucky one, or unlucky, if you want to say it, you're directing the podcast.
Speaker 2:Try and get Sam to sing.
Speaker 1:Oh, we're like, oh, that we will lose, but yeah, I think that's important. Yeah, I think that's an important thing just be accepting, be open-minded to the individual who is putting themselves out there.
Speaker 2:Don't scroll past. When you're doom scrolling and you see someone with a visible disability, don't just automatically scroll past Hashtag. Don't scroll past. A hashtag is still a thing.
Speaker 1:It depends who you listen to. Okay, yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:So old people is a thing, right? Yeah, depends who you listen to, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know. So old people is a thing right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, true, is that what you're saying? Is that what you're saying? Maybe I am not sure I've ever hashtagged anything in my life, so whatever, I don't think the world is worse off without hashtags.
Speaker 1:Nah, I don't think so. I think it's something we can lose. It's fine. Yeah, I reckon we can.
Speaker 2:That's two problems solved today. Look representation and hashtag Tick, tick baby.
Speaker 1:The first episode back.
Speaker 2:we are naming I personally listen to this podcast purely for its efficiency. That's my main jam here, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Love that, but no, it's been so great to record this episode with you, joel, being back for 2025. Hopefully we just bring out some, like we said on the last episode, final One for 2025. Hopefully we just bring out some, like we said on the last episode, final One for 2024, this year we've got some big episodes coming, so they're still coming.
Speaker 2:Hell yeah, 2025 is the year of Joel and Sam baby.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Let's get it in. We did an episode Yay.
Speaker 1:Yay, yay. Thanks for listening to this episode. We really hope you enjoyed it. If you want to stay up to date, please follow a really good chat on instagram where I post the latest, and make sure you're following the podcast on your streaming platform. That's all for this episode. Stay safe, everyone.
