Ill Conceived

THIS IS A PREVIEW OF A BONUS B-SIDE EPISODE. For access to the full length version of this and every other biweekly bonus B-side, go to Patreon.com/illconceived

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The Financial Times has published an article that sees falling birthrates as a form of social contagion. We're talking about it, plus reading your letters from the World Famous Mailbag about:

The status of trans healthcare, both government-sanctioned and DIY HRT, in the UK

How James Orr's project at Cambridge reflects the German nationalistic fraternal order known as the Burschenschaften

The official legal status of the city (not town!) of Winchester

Our babies stay winning!

It's Brit Week here on Ill Conceived and the subject is the born-again Christian, recently deposed Reform UK policy head, and long-time friend of J.D. Vance known as James Orr. From his meteoric ascendance at Cambridge University and Reform UK to his equally precipitous recent crashout (and probable crimes), Josh and June try to figure out how Orr's attempt at bringing American-style Christian nationalism to the UK failed in the short run and discuss what the longer-term project might look like.

***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!***

***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com***

EPISODE ART: James Orr speaking at a convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

AUDIO CLIPS:

24:22 – A church service at Holy Trinity Brompton from March 15, 2026

45:56 – James Orr talking about how governments can raise birthrates on John Anderson's podcast

50:22 – James Orr talking about the liberal concept of individual rights, also on John Anderson's podcast

54:59 – James Orr talking about the importance of a strong ethnic majority in a GB News interview

SOURCES:

“Two Reform officials step down after undercover donations report” by Ewan Somerville and Joe Pike (BBC, September 4, 2026)

“Former student of suspended Reform official reopens bullying case against Cambridge University” by Ben Quinn and Rowena Mason (The Guardian, September 17, 2026)

“James Orr and the gospel of the new British right” by Helen Warrell and Ramsay Hodgson (FT Magazine, September 3, 2026)

“J. D. Vance is the future of MAGA” by James Orr (The Spectator, August 20, 2025)

“Radical Islam, Depopulation & Identity Politics: The UK In Crisis” with James Orr (John Anderson Media, December 22, 2025)

“Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations” (Channel 4, September 3, 2026)

“James Orr on England's immigration crisis” (GB News, July 10, 2025)

“Nigel Farage tells BBC he 'wasn't listening' during foreign donor talks filmed undercover” by Laura Kuenssburg (BBC, September 6, 2026)

“The 'National Conservative' who grew up in Belgium — and won J.D. Vance’s ear” by Dylan Carter (The Brussels Times, June 22, 2025)

“Meet JD Vance’s English philosopher king” by Peter Snowdon and Anne McElvoy (Politico, September 19, 2024)

“James Orr: JD Vance is just a normal guy who likes his beers” by Robert Crampton (The Times, August 15, 2025)

“Palantir Co-Founder Peter Thiel and Reform UK’s Cambridge University Recruitment Pipeline Project Revealed” by Nafeez Ahmed and Peter Jukes (Byline Times, July 9, 2026)

“An English Benedict Option” by Rod Dreher (February 22, 2025)

“What are the allegations Reform UK is facing on illegal donations as police launch probe” by Millie Cooke (The Independent, September 9, 2026)

“The Burnham bounce: Is Labour gaining ground against Farage’s Reform?” by Edna Mohamed (Al Jazeera, September 30, 2026)

“UK police widen criminal probe into Reform UK over new allegations” (Reuters, September 9, 2026)

“Shock and Orr: Meet the Farage-Supporting ‘Philosopher King’ of British Authoritarianism” by Iain Overton (Byline Times, August 26, 2026)

“Reform’s new ‘kingmaker’: The theologian friend of JD Vance” by Poppy Coburn (The Telegraph, October 19, 2025)

“James Orr is Reform’s new Head of Policy” by James Heale (The Spectator, February 17, 2026)

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Website: illconceivedpodcast.com

Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com

Tumblr: @illconceivedpod

FOLLOW JOSH:

Website: joshboerman.com

Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world

Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Stream: Traditional Scrench

FOLLOW JUNE:

Bluesky: @junlper.beer

Other podcast: Kill The Computer

Writing: June's Substack

ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

THIS IS A PREVIEW OF A BONUS B-SIDE EPISODE. For access to the full length version of this and every other biweekly bonus B-side, go to Patreon.com/illconceived

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A report from this past June found that South Korea's birthrate and marriage rate both appear to be on the rise. Slutcon has unveiled its full schedule and final lineup of presenters. We're talking about it all, plus reading your letters about:

The similarities between 4B in South Korea now and radical separatist lesbianism in the United States in the 70s and 80s

The propaganda function of billboards

How the Mennonites and Amish consolidate political power

Military and e-sports culture in South Korea

Over the course of the past decade or so, South Korea has become a country where men and women occupy completely different political perspectives and landscapes. It's also one of the countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world. This week, June and Josh look at how South Korea's history of patriarchy and male conscription have collided with a restive and extremely online female populace to create a massive breakdown in gender relations.

***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. We also occasionally release other stuff, like this week's dramatic reading of part 2 of the Zootopia abortion comic. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!***

***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com***

EPISODE ART: Yoon Suk Yeol, the 13th president of South Korea. Yoon ran for president in 2022, winning an overwhelming share of the young male vote on an anti-feminist campaign that heavily emphasized young men's grievances. In 2024, with his popularity declining, Yoon attempted to self-coup by declaring martial law, leading the National Assembly to pass emergency impeachment and removal measures. In 2026 he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

LINKS:

Josh's episode of Informed Attraction about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Last of Us

AUDIO CLIPS:

39:04 – Michael Knowles and Katie Miller discussing how women now outnumber men in the American workforce on The Katie Miller Podcast

SOURCES:

National Geographic, Korea, and the 38th Parallel

Country Studies: South Korea

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT ACT

The role of social solidarity in the rise and decline of the South Korean student movement in the 1970–1990s

Why South Korea’s young men are turning conservative

South Korea’s misogyny problem

A new global gender divide is emerging

Gender politics and right-wing politics clash in South Korea

Megalia: Feminists of South Korea

4B movement

Understanding antifeminist backlash in the South Korean context: Remnants of militarism and patriarchy

'Because women aren't wearing bikinis'? Gaming industry faces renewed 'feminism verification' controversy

'I got death threats when men thought I put feminist gesture in video game'

The Fight Over Gender Equality in South Korea

Anti-Gender Politics, Economic Insecurity, and Right-Wing Populism: The Rise of Modern Sexism among Young Men in South Korea

Random murder in the middle of Gangnam Station: 'Women ignored me'

"Not a 'random' crime, but a 'misogyny' crime"… Women in their 20s stage protest performance, lying on the ground

Labor force by gender | South Korea | Male

Boycotting Men? How the 4B Feminist Rebellion is Taking on Patriarchy

What is South Korea's 4B movement and could it take off in the West?

The Necessary Paradigm Shift for South Korea’s Ultra-Low Fertility

I’ve Covered Women in the Workplace for 15 Years. Something Alarming Is Happening.

Blowback Podcast: S3 Episode 1 - “Stop Me Before I Kill Again”

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Website: illconceivedpodcast.com

Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com

Tumblr: @illconceivedpod

FOLLOW JOSH:

Website: joshboerman.com

Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world

Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Stream: Traditional Scrench

FOLLOW JUNE:

Bluesky: @junlper.beer

Other podcast: Kill The Computer

Writing: June's Substack

ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

We’re cooking up a super-sized serving of Ill Conceived goodness for next week, so in the meantime we decided to dig back into the World Famous Mailbag to read and answer the stuff you’ve been wondering about but we haven’t found space to cover on the main show or the B-sides, including:

Personal experiences with Aporia’s Noah Carl

Parsing the hypocrisy of female right-wing talking heads

The conservative Catholic propaganda mill known as Franciscan University of Steubenville

How conservative Christian communities tend to privilege parents over non-parents

The effects of being forced to be a caretaker in your family

The exclusion of queer families from natalist communities

***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!***

***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com***

EPISODE ART: It's the pig.

SOURCES:

"Northwestern’s African Studies Program Loses Research Status but Will Continue" by Olivia Sanchez (Inside Higher Ed, August 18, 2026)

Franciscan University page about the Portiuncula

Franciscan University page about the Tomb of the Unborn Child

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Website: illconceivedpodcast.com

Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com

Tumblr: @illconceivedpod

FOLLOW JOSH:

Website: joshboerman.com

Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world

Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Stream: Traditional Scrench

FOLLOW JUNE:

Bluesky: @junlper.beer

Other podcast: Kill The Computer

Writing: June's Substack

ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)