Matt Smith
Matt Smith started his career in radio in 2000, after it became clear that his geography degree was much less interesting than he originally thought (which, to be truthful, was not very interesting at all).
Since then he’s managed to freelance for many major radio stations between Newcastle and Melbourne, writing commercials, editing content, panel operating and providing silly voices on demand. He is also the author of several radio plays, including Pharaoh: Walking in Memphis, which won an award from the BBC World Service.
He currently works at La Trobe University as their chief podcaster, and teaches in the Media Studies program. His amusing radio plays can be found at Nightlight Productions (http://www.nightlightradio.net) and you can follow Matt on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nightlightguy
Articles by Matt Smith
Welcome to a continent with a real immigration problem
Barely a week goes by when the problem of asylum seekers and boat people hits the headlines in some fashion.…... Read more
A Logie award should be a valuable prize
Voting is now open for TV Week’s Logie Awards, have you got your vote in? No? That’s not surprising. I’m…... Read more
New rollout of Knockout is a sellout and a copout
Every now and then, you might come across a disaster of some kind and have the inexplicable urge to stare…... Read more
Selling the Dalai Lama experience at $5000 a pop
The Dalai Lama’s most recent tour of Australia is in full swing, and it’s taken a slightly strange direction this…... Read more
They’re red. They’re angry. They’re birds.
That’s it. Pull back, aim, let go. Repeat a billion times. The game’s objective is to guide a bird with…... Read more
How many times can you reinvent the wookiee?
I feel like I’ve been the subject of George Lucas’ booty calls for way too long now. I was too…... Read more
Live from Planet Earth now dead and buried
Ben Elton’s Live From Planet Earth has been cancelled after three episodes. The regular broadcast was delayed by Channel 9…... Read more
HE SAYS: At least I can use an Allen key
Young Australians have often been labelled as lazy and lacking many crucial skills, leaving many older Australians to worry about…... Read more
The dawning of the Age of Ridiculius
If you’ve ever woken up on the wrong side of bed and thought your stars weren’t in alignment, it turns…... Read more
A fruitless search for the romance in modern travel
On the course of a trip home for Christmas from Melbourne to the Central Coast in NSW, I had ahead…... Read more
U2 isn’t exactly practicing what it preaches
U2’s 360 degrees tour has touched down in Australia and is in full swing. Much like the main feature of…... Read more
Trendsetters aren’t the only fashion victims
Occasional exposure to Beauty and the Geek has highlighted a few things to me. One is that there’s no level…... Read more
The monstrous shark and other myths of the sea
Fact: You are more likely to be bitten by a New Yorker than by a shark. Summer is a matter…... Read more
Where to cash in on the strong Aussie dollar
If you looked at the value of the Aussie dollar as a sign of our economy strength, things have never…... Read more
The Net is already censored, and not by the government
Depending on which way you look at it, Australia can indeed be considered ‘the lucky country’ when it comes to…... Read more
With airline travel like this, I’d rather swim
No one ever said it was easy being a multi-billion dollar airline provider. The rise of low-cost airlines has lead…... Read more
#isanybodyoutthereupfora realfacetofaceconversation
Apple released its newest incarnation of music management software last week, and unsurprisingly dubbed it ‘iTunes 10’. Flaunted amongst the…... Read more
Ambassador for the Australian mentality
During the recent election campaign, any significant attention to our place in the world and foreign policy was lost amongst…... Read more
Goodbye naughty chair, it’s time to bring out the Latham
It took a brave (and bitter) kind of former politician to stand in front of the camera on 60 minutes,…... Read more
The news we want versus the news we get
Did you hear the news about the stripper from the Gold Coast whose breast implants exploded while wrestling a crocodile?…... Read more
Fair Dinkum pollies, enough with the slang
With the election running faster than a ‘roo on the hot desert’, the Australian slang and euphemisms have been coming…... Read more
Filling the Masterchef void
I was spending some quality time with channel 10 the other night. It was blathering on about how good it’s…... Read more
Old Spice - old news
Look at your ad. Now look at mine. Now look at your ad. Now. Look. At. Mine. Sadly, this is…... Read more
Scientific proof Mel Gibson is no longer Australian
Mel Gibson may have had a few bad times recently, but let’s not forget that he’s still Australian. Let’s set…... Read more
The Doctor is in, but the storyline is hard to find
Doctor Who has just finished its most recent series, with what could be classed as “pretty good ratings for the…... Read more
Hey, Hey, where did everyone go?
Were you one of the 637,000 or so people who watched Hey Hey it’s Saturday this week? No? How about…... Read more
Searching the web for the real Julia Gillard
Just in case you haven’t realised, Australia has a new prime minister. Very few of us were prepared for this…... Read more
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Up to the minute Twitter chatter
@TheStalwart an analyst in Sydney said it was a "sad day" http://t.co/vh4Yu4OgDD. I think he was just exhausted and gave up analyzing
RT @NASA: Amazing views from the International Space Station of Pavlof Volcano erupting in Alaska. http://t.co/vqBkkiOful
US Google Doodle features a girl's touching depiction of her father's return from Iraq http://t.co/4LiRFOntTY
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
