What’s your plan for when the bunker goes down?James, Portugal
Loads of books to get through, amazing food, and a dodgy doctor with a serious stash of interesting pills. The moment that bunker door shuts, the doors of perception swing wide open.
Will Reform UK gain more support by the next election and genuinely split the right-wing vote?Natasha, London
They won’t split it evenly, but they could pull a bit more from Reform’s right flank. Nigel Farage is looking shaky. In the Woody Allen film Deconstructing Harry, Robin Williams plays an actor who literally goes out of focus. Once sharp and clear, his nervous system is so wrecked that he becomes a blurred, imprecise version of himself. Metaphorically, something similar has happened to Farage in recent months.
Who do you think is this generation’s young Hugh Grant (i.e., witty, funny, sexy, intelligent, and gorgeous)?Anna, New Zealand
It’s being handled as a job share between Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer.
Are the men of the manosphere right about anything?Kate, London
I saw Clavicular say, “My life is a horror story,” which feels about right.
I’ve noticed a more serious tone in your columns this year. Given recent events at home and abroad, are you finding it harder to keep your sense of humor?Tim, London
No. Sorry, I must have been tired when I wrote those. It’s always more effort to be funny than serious.
If you met Andrew Tate, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump at a dreadful dinner party, how would you greet and say goodbye to each?Becky, Bristol
“You must try the beef bourguignon. I hear our hostess foraged the mushrooms herself.”
What would you have said to Margaret Thatcher’s face if you had two whole minutes alone with her?Eamon, Ireland
So much is known and written about her that fresh angles are hard to find. But I’d have liked to get her to open up about how she felt being the object of so many men’s crushes—both those around her and, as Norma Desmond put it, “all those wonderful people out there in the dark.” She knew, of course, and surely had private thoughts on it. Still, building the trust to draw those out in just two minutes would be tough.
Why are journalists failing to convince the public that right-wing figures like Nigel Farage, Richard Tice, and Stephen Yaxley-Lennon are dishonest, self-serving, and not very bright?Alexis, Kent
I don’t think most people pay direct attention to journalists at all. There are still some hardcore Corbyn supporters who’ll imply that a couple of critical columns I wrote about their hero had something to do with him losing his second straight general election in 2019. My reply would be: “Yes, dear, I’m sure they talked of little else but my columns on the doorsteps of the ‘red wall.’ But if we humor your idea that the whims of some silly cow in London make even a tiny difference, how come I wrote 937 critical pieces about Boris Johnson and he still won by a landslide?” On the right-wing front, though, I’d note it’s journalists—not anyone else—who’ve been exposing, say, the financial dealings of Farage, Tice, and Yaxley-Lennon, and I’m grateful for their work.
Your column citations have led me down some shady rabbit holes I’d never have found otherwise. How much of your research happens in corners of the web you’d rather avoid? And do you have a therapist?!Ian, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Hahahahaha. Someone once told me they learned about edging videos from something I wrote on Theresa May’s endlessly inconclusive Brexit votes…. in the Commons. I can only apologize. Personally, I love that I get to spend my days digging into the more obscure corners of modern culture, and if anyone spots me, I just say, “It’s for my WORK?” As for the last part of your question, no, I don’t have a therapist. I know it’s terribly unfashionable, but I have to admit I’m a big believer in just pushing it all down. Yes, I know—I always notice the looks of disapproval when I tell people that. But I’m just offering a different viewpoint.
Your articles usually take on those in power. Have you ever been afraid of the consequences?
Chris, near Brighton, East Sussex
The most credible politically motivated threats I’ve faced have come from the far right and the far left—and always from supporters, never from any publicly known figures. But—so far!—I’ve found the bigger danger tends to be lone men who develop obsessions of one kind or another.
Do you work on building resilience?
Mary, Dublin
Not particularly consciously. But I do value it highly. The older I get, the more I see it as an endlessly useful kind of freedom. But that’s easy for me to say, because I’m so fortunate. The resilience required to be, say, a woman in Afghanistan or a little girl in Congo is utterly beyond my comprehension. I fundamentally believe that everything I have, and everything I’ve achieved, is overwhelmingly down to luck and good fortune, and has nothing to do with any kind of exceptional talent.
If you had to spend a month on a desert island with a group of footballers, politicians, or celebrities, which would you choose and why?
Charlie, Switzerland
Hot footballers, let’s face it.
Will Andy Burnham’s plan for a “No 10 North” in Manchester be a stroke of genius or his undoing?
Patrick, LaSalle, Canada
Neither (the most versatile answer in politics).
Clearly, politicians are worse than useless. Who would you pick as prime minister?
Eric, Newton Abbot, Devon
JK Rowling.
View image in fullscreen
‘He’s funnier than me’: Hyde co-hosts The Rest Is Entertainment podcast with Richard Osman. Photograph: Goalhanger Podcasts
What’s always off-limits to critique? And what would feel important enough to make you reconsider your own boundaries?
Josh, Palm Springs, US
In general, I think everything can and should be written about, as long as you strike the right tone. Anything involving children is always what I’d be most cautious about.
Do you have a writing routine?
Michael, Gijón, Spain
I try to be at my desk by 5am, because I’m definitely a morning person. Something that takes me five minutes at 5am will take me an hour at 5pm. So the morning is definitely my best writing time. As for column-writing, I tend never to start with the first sentence. I just jot a few things down in a Word document and shuffle them around until some kind of column starts to emerge from the chaos. Mostly, I don’t know what I think until I’ve gone through the process of writing about it, so the conclusion can often be as much of a surprise to me as to anyone kind enough to read it.
Which ludicrous situation involving a UK PM has made you laugh the most during your career?
Richard, NSW, Australia
Tony Blair having someone at the Foreign Office during the Iraq war whose official, ask-at-reception job title was “head of story development.” That was quite a mirthless laugh, obviously. David Cameron? Either leaving his daughter in the pub during a “troubled families” initiative week, or the shagging-the-pig’s-head thing. Theresa May calling a general election and the exit poll coming out at 10pm showing she’d lost her majority. Boris Johnson hiding from the media in a big fridge. Liz Truss spending her entire career going on about the infallibility of free markets, then getting her arse handed to her by them in about 10 minutes. Rishi Sunak calling th……the election in the pouring rain, and then not realizing that skipping the Normandy D-Day commemorations for a media interview would backfire. Keir Starmer calling for the return of the Gaza sausages. Andy Burnham: still to be confirmed, but it’s coming, I assure you.
The 1970s were a time of revolution, with so many groups up in arms. I sensed the same energy at June’s Dublin Dyke March: outrage, we’ve had enough… Do you think young people today have revolutionary energy?
Ger, Dublin
Not at all, I have to say. I think as long as people have smartphones in their hands, they’ll be too numb to rebel. There’s a kind of dropout energy in a lot of young people, which is as understandable as it is sad. I really feel for them.
What is your favourite meal?
Douglas, Germany
Honestly, my next one. At home, I make a huge amount of schnitzel in all kinds of ways. And multiple types of apple pie. Very pleased (and culinarily jealous) to be giving this answer to someone based in Germany.
Celebrity culture and AI promise a world where some people are valued and others deemed worthless. What human qualities do you most value?
Sean, Swinford, County Mayo
Compassion, tolerance, wisdom, kindness, bravery, strength of character. And a good sense of humour.
Across your articles and podcasts, I note you consume a huge amount of news and media. How on earth do you find the time? And do you have to take comprehensive notes in case you need to make connections between people or events at a later date?
Simon, Windsor, Berkshire
I love the idea of notes, but, no – I have never taken any! Maybe I need to get Stacey Solomon to do an episode of Sort Your Life Out in my memory palace. The truth is my brain just works quite associatively, so something in politics will always remind me of something in sport or music, and it often ends up feeling more illuminating to me that way.
I’m intrigued by your somewhat startling animus towards Andy Burnham. What is driving this?
Ricardo, Carshalton, south London
Listen, I’ve been hurt before. Meet you back here in two years?
How posh are you?
Rob, New Zealand
I guess I can hold my own.
What’s the worst thing about working with Richard Osman on The Rest Is Entertainment?
Katie, Dublin
He’s funnier than me. Also, he only pretends to support Fulham. That second one might not be true – I just wanted to say something in a public forum that would incense him but where he wouldn’t be present to reply. (Try writing to the letters page, Richard – see how you get on.)
Are you still on X? If so, why?
Caroline, Switzerland
Yes, I am. I don’t use it much at all as I find social media a massive time-suck. I hear Bluesky is truly ghastly, but have never visited.
What’s your favourite Brooklyn Beckham career?
Martin, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
2042 chairman of the Federal Reserve.
You often draw equivalence between Labour and the Tories: “They’re all as bad as each other.” Do you ever worry that you’re contributing to an anti-political climate that is one of the factors rendering Britain ungovernable?
Shaun, Punta del Este, Uruguay
I hope I’ve never used that phrase, Shaun. However, when any side falls short of the standards we should expect in public life, it massively undermines trust in all politicians. That’s happened a lot since the turn of the millennium. But I don’t think Britain is ungovernable, and I fundamentally believe that politics is still the best way we have of making people’s lives better.
Will art save us?
Steven, London
Unclear. Still, what a way to go.
What usually drags you out of bed in the morning?
Peter, Perth
Insomnia’s pretty helpful. But I’ve usually got lots to do and I loveA new day. Does anyone actually care whether Prince Harry is in or out? Are people ahead of the papers on this one?
Paul, London
I definitely think stories about him and Meghan generate a lot of traffic, which is why he gets so much coverage. I suspect many people claim they’re not interested at all, yet still read a huge amount about him. I’m like that with The Rock’s various business ventures. Couldn’t care less about them, but I’ve read 23 articles about them this week.
What makes you feel hopeful and optimistic?
Pauline, Bristol
Love, human creativity, and listening to pop music.
What’s your favorite word in the English language?
Rick, Manchester
Cocktail hour. What a Time to Be Alive! Scenes from a Strange Age by Marina Hyde will be published by Guardian Faber at £20 on 24 September. To support the Guardian, order your copy for £15 at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the premise of Marina Hyde answering reader questions on these specific topics
General The Column
1 What kind of column is this
Its a satirical advice column where journalist Marina Hyde answers reader questions using her signature wit usually focusing on politics media and class
2 Is Marina Hyde a real therapist
No she is a columnist and author The answers are humorous and opinionated not professional medical or psychological advice
3 How do I submit a question
Usually the newspaper runs a callout for questions on her weekly column Keep it short funny or provocative to get noticed
On the Specific Questions
4 How posh are you What is she actually asking
Shes asking you to define your class background in British terms Its about your accent schooling and social connectionsnot just your income Hyde often uses this to point out how the British elite talk about class
5 How should I answer the posh question
Be brutally honest If you went to state school and call it dinner youre not posh If you went to boarding school and call it lunch you probably are The joke is that posh people often pretend not to be posh
6 Do you see a therapist Is this a trick question
Not really Its a modern question about selfcare Hydes answer usually pivots to how the political class is driving the rest of us to need therapy rather than a simple yes or no
7 What is the best way to answer the therapist question
Honesty is best Say Yes and its great or No but I probably should given the news cycle The point is to destigmatize it and not be defensive
8 What would you say to Trump if you met him at a party Is this a serious political question
Its a serious question wrapped in a silly scenario It tests your ability to be polite in person while staying true to your principles Its about social diplomacy versus personal outrage
9 What is the worst answer to the Trump party question
Launching into a 10minute political rant
