In this episode, we wade into the swampy, sensational, deeply unserious world of The Sun, a British tabloid so notorious that calling it a "newspaper" feels like an insult to both news and paper. What started in the 1960s as an optimistic, politically neutral publication meant to reflect "the age we live in" quickly devolved into a right-wing chaos machine famous for Page 3 girls, fabricated scandals, culture-war tantrums, and front-page headlines bold enough to make even WhatsApp forwards blush. It's the perfect playground for our brand of comedy commentary, because honestly, The Sun makes parody redundant.

We dig into the history behind its rise and rot. And because this tabloid never met a boundary it didn't want to violate, we also explore its long list of invented stories, sexist attacks, the Hillsborough disaster, Elton John libel cases, and that one deranged Meghan Markle column that genuinely made the whole country break character. The Sun has delivered decades of material that proves offbeat learning doesn't always have to be wholesome. This is the story of a paper that shaped a nation, ruined a few reputations (and its own), and is now slowly being outlived by memes.

If you love random topics wrapped in skepticism, humour, and just enough outrage to keep things spicy, this deep dive into Britain's most infamous tabloid is very much your episode.

Important links:

1. Link to Kapow's IGT episode - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQiyGceDK3V/?igsh=MW9ya29jZXhraHZybw==

2. About The Sun's "coverage" of the Hillsborough tragedy – https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/why-the-sun-is-hated-by-liverpool-fans--banned-in-many-places/2hrhnj5tch2r1ae7tllvac6fb

3. YouGov UK survey on trust on media – https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-audience-and-business-data/uk-newsbrand-trust-rankings-sun-least-trusted-bbc-ft-most/

4. 'Historic Newspapers' about The Sun – https://www.historic-newspapers.com/en-in/blogs/article/sun-newspaper-history?country=IN

5. The pre-fucked version of The Sun – https://moneyweek.com/408160/15-september-1964-the-sun-newspaper-is-launched

6. 'The Conservation' speaking about the change of ownership of The Sun – https://theconversation.com/at-60-the-sun-hasnt-set-but-the-tabloids-light-is-fading-238126

7. Wikipedia of The Sun – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sun_(United_Kingdom)

8. BBC's coverage of The Sun swinging from the Left to the Right and back repeatedly – https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-16996844

9. The Guardian's coverage of The Sun being its sexist, disgusting self – https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/jan/14/pressandpublishing.politicsandthemedia

10. 'Press Gang: How Newspapers Make Profits from Propaganda' book – https://archive.org/details/pressganghownews0000gree/page/n9/mode/2up

11. The Sun's sexist attack on Meghan Markle – https://apnews.com/article/prince-harry-meghan-sexist-column-sun-c880a9d5ac0ed2cc300fc3a0fcb56cdd

Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all.

Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week.

Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!

In this episode, we dive into the mysterious, manipulative, and occasionally unhinged world of the New York Times Bestseller List, that shiny sticker every book seems to have, even the ones that read like rejected BuzzFeed headlines. What starts as casual airport doomscrolling quickly unravels into a full-blown investigation: Who actually decides this list? Why is the methodology secret? And is it really possible to buy your way onto it? (Short answer: lol yes.)

It's comedy commentary meets publishing nerdery, packed with quirky insights about how the book world really works, plus the kind of offbeat learning and lighthearted education that only comes from three people realising the entire system might be held together with vibes and Excel sheets from 1997. If you've ever wondered why every acquaintance suddenly claims to be a "bestselling author," this episode finally explains it, or at least makes you laugh through the confusion while we pretend to understand the NYT's secret sorting hat.

Important links:

1. What does #1 NYT Bestseller even mean - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqE_3CQpQf4&list=PLR34x9VMByzz98U_IitcV338ayr6W8-YX&index=4

2. The quintessential Wikipedia page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list

3. NYT's 'secret methodology' - https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/methodology/

4. Another viewpoint on the NYT Bestseller list - https://www.novlr.org/the-reading-room/the-new-york-times-bestseller-lists-explained/

5. NYT Bestseller list explained - https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a42189320/the-new-york-times-best-seller-lists-explained/

6. Some shady truths about the NYT Bestseller list - https://booklaunch.com/the-truth-about-the-new-york-times-and-wall-street-journal-bestseller-lists/

Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all. Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week. Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!

In this episode, we dive into the wild, worldwide PR machine known as Hasbara, Israel's official strategy to shape global opinion, rewrite narratives, and "explain" things that probably shouldn't have to be explained. What starts off as a lesson in public diplomacy quickly turns into a crash course in how coordinated messaging, mass disinformation, and a whole lot of lobby money can bend reality in real time. Somehow, all of this still makes room for quirky insights, offbeat learning, and the kind of comedy commentary you'd expect when three confused people attempt to decode one of the most sophisticated propaganda machines on the planet. It's messy, infuriating, and unexpectedly educational. If you've ever wondered why the same talking points echo across headlines, think tanks, comment sections, and your uncle's WhatsApp forwards, this episode might finally explain.

Important links:

1. Wikipedia talking about Hasbara – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasbara

2. The New York Times article on Hasbara – https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/06/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-to-help-israel-improve-public-relations.html

3. The wonderful ad man, Carl Spielvogel – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Spielvogel

4. About the baby cosplaying a suicide bomber – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2075072.stm

https://www.dawn.com/news/45235/argument-over-baby-s-picture

5. Haaretz article on the baby photographed – https://web.archive.org/web/20051206195110/http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=181370&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0

6. Jewish Voice for Liberation explaining how Hasbara works – https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/hasbara-a-long-running-strategy/

7. Israel's new funding into Hasbara – https://www.972mag.com/hasbara-funding-foreign-agents/

8. To volunteer with Tech for Palestine – https://techforpalestine.org/volunteer

9. Kapow's Instagram handle – https://www.instagram.com/itskapowtime/

Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all. Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week. Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!