Candy-Colored Totalitarianism, Gender, and Margaret Thatcher (The Happiness Patrol)

In this (slightly-delayed) episode, Shana and Daniel are joined by a first-time guest, Josh from The Web of Queer. It's a wide-ranging conversation that doesn't even begin to cover the story completely, but touches on issues of depression and music, enforced frivolity, the horror of the Thatcher years, and the nature of top-down authoritarian rule. Also: the aesthetics of the Kandyman and some discussion of set design. And whether or not Shana ships Ace with Susie Q. The answer may shock you, but probably not. Main Topic: The Happiness Patrol. "Way to make a super-sexist joke, husband." With special guest Josh from Web of Queer. Not nonagenerian. Introducing Josh. Simple Happiness Patrol. Horrible Margaret Thatcher. Not wholly Thatcherite. "That we know of." Surveillance state. "But dude that hair defies physics!" Queering the discussion. Section 28. Promoting homosexuality. Robert Palmer's Happiness Patrol. Makeup. Standard in the 80s. Helen A's force of personality. Flipping everything. Slippery Slope. Ace gets privilege. The Friends of Earl Sigma. Solidarity. Castes. The Jews alone. Enforced normativity and self-denial. Fifi. Cutest little killer ever! Humanized dictators. Trevor Sigma. Waiting rooms. Ace sideyes. Each wig is different. Susie Q. Daniel references Atwood. Following the characters. "The pointy nosed bitch, and chick with the hard lines on her jaw, and the chick who has mostly blush..." Gender coding of costumes. Big picture opinions of The Happiness Patrol. The Kandyman can.... The poisoning of Earl. Gluing and ungluing. The Fondant Surprise has no fondant. Why this episode was a month late. Stage production. Disneytown. Accurate 1984. Daniel is wrong about the snipers. Wrapping up. "Left leaning people in the BBC?" Josh wasn't prepared for the political conversation. State-run television. "I should be protesting shit!" Music. Depression.  Find Josh at his regular podcast The Web of Queer here, and find him on Twitter here. Find all of Daniel and Shana's regular content (at least going forward) at oispaceman.com.