FOLLOW US: Not a Rich Kid - Instagram Educating Rita: Class, Education, and Finding Yourself

The hosts of Not Rich Kids Discuss review Educating Rita, outlining its origins as Willy Russell’s 1980 play and Lewis Gilbert’s film adaptation starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters. They summarise the story of working-class hairdresser “Rita,” pressured by husband Denny to have a baby, who pursues Open University literature tutorials with the jaded, alcoholic tutor Frank Bryant; her passion renews his purpose as she navigates class anxiety, snobbery, and a sense of being “in between.” They contrast the film’s authentic desire for self-betterment with the Australian film Peterson, discuss Russell’s and Walters’ working-class backgrounds, and praise the film’s warmth, humor, nuanced characterisation, unobtrusive passage of time, and platonic teacher-student bond, while noting some convenient plotting and distracting synth music. All three rate it five stars.

00:00 Welcome and Film Intro

01:12 Plot and Themes Overview

02:10 Willy Russell Background

03:13 Julie Walters Connection

04:23 Meet the Panel

04:36 Reviews and Class Nuance

06:06 Comparing to Peterson

08:21 Rita Meets Frank

11:10 Marriage and Motherhood Pressure

13:14 Denny and Patriarchy

17:12 Snobbery and Curiosity

20:49 Open University and Mentorship

22:19 Choosing Yourself Not Romance

23:51 Pub Song and In-Between Life

26:22 Working Class Directness in Essays

28:23 Dialogue and Lasting Impact

28:35 Why It Hits Home

29:20 Hairdresser To Writer

29:51 Populism Versus Critics

31:27 Rita Heart And Humor

34:28 Bohemian Housemate Trap

37:31 Keeping Your Voice

38:50 Education Snobbery Rant

42:51 Macbeth Essay Moment

44:17 Music And Time Jumps

47:24 Convenient Plot Gripes

49:00 Five Star Wrap Up

50:53 Final Thanks And Credits

Get in touch:

Are you a working class person who wants to pursue a creative career but don't know where to start? Get in touch via instagram - we'd be happy to give you some advice.

Tell us who you would like to hear from. Is there someone we should invite on the podcast? Let us know!

The Not a Rich Kid Team:

• Kath Dolheguy
• Frankie Kanatas
• Sarah Ryan-Linstrom

Post audio - Mike Tillbrook

Theme song: ‘Barry Michael Takes a Train’ by Sand Pebbles - Written & performed by Ben Michael and performed and mixed by Murray Ono Jamieson.

Not a Rich Kid would not be possible without the support of:

• VCA who provided studio space
• City of Melbourne Arts Grants

Supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants

FOLLOW US:

Not a Rich Kid - Instagram

Class Therapy: Working-Class Mental Health, Power, and the Limits of “Therapy Speak”

Kath Dolheguy interviews Nell Ash, a psychotherapist and creator of the Instagram project Class Therapy, which shares accessible, compassionate, class-informed mental health insights. Nell explains how counseling training felt shaped by middle-class sensibilities and “professional neutrality,” and how nearby 2024 race riots involving men she knew underscored that conventional therapeutic frameworks wouldn’t reach many working-class people. They discuss barriers to class-aware therapy, including cost, being read through stigmatising labels, power and surveillance dynamics, and clients spending paid time educating therapists about working-class life. The conversation critiques shallow social-media “therapy speak,” attachment theory, CBT’s individualism, and grift-y relationship/wellness culture, emphasising context, community, grace, and practical tools. Nell’s writing is becoming a toolkit-style book planned for 2027.

00:00 Content Warning

00:19 Meet Nell Ash

02:12 Class Therapy Origins

04:42 Growing Up

07:28 Becoming Class Aware

09:32 Therapy Titles Explained

10:46 Frameworks Built for Flanders

13:36 Therapy Speak and Capitalism

15:57 State Surveillance and Survival

21:15 Class Barriers in Therapy

26:39 Masking and Professionalism

30:20 Pushback and Accessibility

32:32 Lived Experience Before Theory

35:24 Class as Kaleidoscope

36:16 Creativity Returns

36:57 Dating Culture Grifts

38:39 Class and Feminism Today

39:45 Tradwives and Choice

41:59 Divine Feminine Myths

43:38 Boundaries and Repair

44:44 Selfhood to Burn

47:21 Aspirational Media Pressure

49:06 Bodies and Supremacy Ideals

51:04 Codependency Labels

54:11 Soft Strings Framework

57:53 Book Toolkit Preview

59:43 Best and Worst Jobs

01:00:57 Art That Reflects Class

01:03:40 Working Class Icons

01:05:12 Closing Thanks

Get in touch:

Are you a working class person who wants to pursue a creative career but don't know where to start? Get in touch via instagram - we'd be happy to give you some advice.

Tell us who you would like to hear from. Is there someone we should invite on the podcast? Let us know!

The Not a Rich Kid Team:

• Kath Dolheguy
• Frankie Kanatas
• Sarah Ryan-Linstrom

Post audio - Mike Tillbrook

Theme song:

‘Barry Michael Takes a Train’ by Sand Pebbles - Written & performed by Ben Michael and performed and mixed by Murray Ono Jamieson.

Not a Rich Kid would not be possible without the support of:

• VCA who provided studio space
• City of Melbourne Arts Grants

Supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants

FOLLOW US:

Not a Rich Kid - Instagram

Not Rich Kids Discuss Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights”: A Hate-Watch Review

On Not Rich Kids Discuss, the hosts – Kath Dolheguy, Dr. Alan Woodruff and Dr. Frankie Kanatas review Emerald Fennell’s newly released “Wuthering Heights,” outlining the novel’s basic plot and themes (including class) and contrasting it with Andrea Arnold’s 2011 adaptation. They describe Fennell’s version, starring Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, with Hong Chau as Nelly and Shahzad Latif as Edgar, as aesthetically ornate but narratively incoherent, emotionally empty, and driven by provocation, marketing, and TikTok-ready images rather than character motivation or cause-and-effect storytelling. They argue the film removes or flattens class and race elements, criticise the dialogue, soundtrack choices, and “performative” sex scenes and food imagery, note perceived whitewashing of Heathcliff alongside colour-blind casting, and ultimately rate the film a “big fat zero,” predicting it will still make money.

00:00 Cinema Excursion Setup

00:33 Bronte Background

01:05 Wuthering Heights Plot Recap

02:13 Past Adaptations and Cast

03:57 Spoilers and Hate Watch

04:41 Why This Film Exists

08:18 Aesthetics Over Substance

09:36 Erasing Class and Race

11:46 Horny Hype and Sound

17:23 Cohesion and Character Issues

19:51 Tone Dialogue and Soundtrack

22:42 Marketing Hype Machine

23:14 Chemistry Expectations Crash

25:28 Why Sex Scenes Matter

26:43 Gen Z Prudishness Theory

27:51 Juvenile Food Metaphors

28:44 Chaste Leads Kinky Revenge

32:09 Montage Fatigue and Emptiness

35:33 Soundtrack Doing the Work

37:45 Casting and Whitewashing Debate

41:18 Final Ratings and Farewell

Get in touch:

Are you a working class person who wants to pursue a creative career but don't know where to start? Get in touch via instagram - we'd be happy to give you some advice.

Tell us who you would like to hear from. Is there someone we should invite on the podcast? Let us know!

The Not a Rich Kid Team:

• Kath Dolheguy
• Frankie Kanatas
• Sarah Ryan-Linstrom

Post audio - Mike Tillbrook

Theme song:

‘Barry Michael Takes a Train’ by Sand Pebbles - Written & performed by Ben Michael and performed and mixed by Murray Ono Jamieson.

Not a Rich Kid would not be possible without the support of:

• VCA who provided studio space
• City of Melbourne Arts Grants

Supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants