Clear as Mud

The Clear as Mud podcast, launched in 2022, looks at the funny side of bad communication, and the serious implications it has for the media, marketing, industry, government and politics. Clear as Mud calls out breakdowns in communication and try to understand why it’s so hard for people to get their message across.

There are lots of podcasts on the latest digital marketing trends and what’s working well in today’s marketplace, there are plenty of useful lessons to be learned from failure. While there’s so much unhelpful criticism flowing online today, there’s a place for not just being negative but exploring failure and trying to understand what went wrong and how we can all avoid it in the future.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, shake your head and maybe even learn something as we explore communication breakdowns. Subscribe at Apple Podcasts or Spotify and check out the episode links below.

26 – Artificial intelligence is STILL 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 topic of the moment, artificial intelligence. With the cooperation of Radio 107.3 2SER, we've reproduced the full interview for a special episode of Clear as Mud.

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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 singularity? You'll have to listen to find out.

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24 – 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 goblin mode to discuss words of the year, worrying TikTok trends and the only thing that is keeping up with inflation.

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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 job!)

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22 – Christmas is clear as mud

Oops – this episode got pinged because we included a few bars of Bruce Springsteen’s version of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ – who knew that anyone was listening to us?

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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 get straight through to the emotional part of someone's brain, so your communication is NOT clear as mud!

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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 rock aficionado?

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19 - Donald Trump and the 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 the free world and how he continues to hold sway over so many people, Ray speaks to the woman who wrote the book on Trump’s use of rhetoric and language, Professor Jennifer Mercieca at Texas A&M University. We dive into her book Demagogue for President and discuss the method behind Trump’s seemingly rambling rhetoric, and how he managed to take over the Republican party. And yes, Hitler gets mentioned, though not exactly as you might think!

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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 up a long-forgotten comedy routine that pre-dates the carbon footprint debate.

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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 stage.

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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 of their ambit in the 21st century, and suggests Ray is suffering PTSD from his journalistic-inspired efforts at research. He just might have a point!

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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-addicted teenager to become a publishing sensation. Served with a chaser of LinkedIn self-congratulation!

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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 when talking about a global pandemic!

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13 - 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 episode.

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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 on screen and the power of stranger music.

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11 – The slow death of journalism, virtual singers, shrinking chocolate and shrinking politicians’ 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 the fact that old rockers need to turn themselves into living holograms, debate the health benefits of shrinkflation and explore the relationship between Sigmund Freud and George W. Bush.

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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, it's not pre-loved influencer togs.

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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 ‘clear as mud’ gun culture and bemoan the fact that even virtual influencers are making more money than we are!

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Episode 8 – How to fight newspeak, gambling’s election gateway drug, karaoke for profit and Trivago’s muddy algorithm

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 unsuspecting voters, the success of carpool karaoke and how a record fine for being clear as mud still turns a profit for Trivago.

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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 contestants.

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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 us believe what they have to say.

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Episode 5 – Celebrities and influencers behaving badly, beet as beef, connected commerce cock-up and a Super Bowl steal

In which we explore the perils of modern fame with celebrity journalist Cynthia Wang, as well as Burger King being clear as mud with its plant-based patties, grumpy Bob Hoffman and the Connected Commerce Council and how Volvo conquered the Super Bowl without spending a cent. And of course, our gratuitous Kardashian reference of the week!

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Episode 4 – The writer, his lover and the returned Pulitzer

In which we speak with acclaimed writer Mike Sager, who was at Ground Zero for a key moment in the history of fake news – the Janet Cooke Pulitzer Prize scandal. This story has it all: sex, drugs, rock and roll, politics, profanity – and a real-life cameo role for Ray! In this American-themed episode, Ray and Lawrence also discuss how Fox News viewers can be redeemed for $15 an hour, the worst car launch of all time, and America’s stupidest murderer.

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Episode 3 – Why reality shows conquered TV, how foreign cars conquered the US market, and how hamburgers helped Russian women conquer the World Cup.

In which Ray and Lawrence examine their own failure to communicate through game shows and Hyundai’s Super Bowl triumph, as well as editing fails on Married at First Sight (as if the unedited bits weren’t bad enough!). We uncover Russia’s plot, years before their current invasion, to build their national soccer team by sleeping with the enemy. We also speak with the godfather of reality TV research, Graeme Turner, and try to uncover why so many people like to watch ‘ordinary people’.

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Episode 1 - Putin, Big Brother, deepfakes and (shock horror) lying politicians

We kick things off by exploring SpecSavers' 'clear as mud' billboard campaign, discussing how deepfakes are influencing modern warfare and fact-checking Australia's Prevaricator-in-Chief. Meanwhile, Orwellian professor Mark Satta describes how Vladimir Putin is mirroring the techniques of the original Big Brother from 1984.

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Episode 2 - How we learned to love influencers, laughing at death and advertising saves democracy

In which Ray and Lawrence examine how a late-night TV advertising campaign toppled the Pinochet government, why the Australian government thinks it can stop Facebook from running fake celebrity endorsement scam ads and how dancing jellybeans made death likeable. We also speak with influencer scholar (is that a contradiction in terms?) Nataly Levesque to discover why influencers have taken over the world.

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