Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy | Magazine (Sep 23, 2025)

Podcast: Hoy por Hoy
Host: Àngels Barceló (plus team)
Date: September 23, 2025
Episode Theme: From the transformation of a neighborhood high school into a national reference in education, to an intimate portrait of cult film actress Lone Fleming, gardening curiosities, and a review of Spain’s “most talented youth” – This episode offers a sharp, entertaining, and critical look at education, culture, society, and lifestyle in Spain.

Main Theme Overview

The episode is a rich magazine-style edition that moves through four major themes:

1. Transforming Public Education: Deep dive with José Antonio Expósito, a head teacher who led the dramatic and inspirational turnaround of IES Las Musas, a high school in Madrid’s San Blas neighborhood.
2. The Musa of Fantaterror: Intimate and humorous profile of Lone Fleming, actress and icon of Spanish horror cinema ("fantaterror").
3. Jardinería (Gardening) Section: Practical and entertaining segment on the hibiscus and the "arbusto de las mariposas" with expert Eduardo Barba.
4. Pop Culture & Society: Debrief of social chronicle topics, including Spain’s "most talented youth" (Hola magazine), celebrity gossip, and current legal scandals.

Segment Summaries & Key Insights

1. Education as Social Lift: Transforming IES Las Musas

[03:14 – 23:19]

Main Points

• The Physical and Ethical Transformation:
  José Antonio Expósito, who led the school from 2015 to 2024, recounts how aesthetics and environment were prioritized for educational renewal, arguing that “beauty educates the spirit.”
• The Power of Teachers’ Will:
  Expósito points to historic moments in Spanish education where major improvements didn’t come from legislation, but "from the drive and vision of passionate teachers" ([09:14]).
• Institutional Hurdles:
  Critique of bureaucratic burden on teachers, lack of societal investment in education, and the missed opportunity in not updating school infrastructures.
• Community Involvement:
  The transformation was possible thanks to committed teachers, engaged families, and making the school a source of local pride.
• Innovation through Partnerships:
  Partnerships with national research centers (CSIC, CIEMAT, etc.) led to outstanding student projects, sometimes presented alongside professional scientists.

Notable Quotes

• On the importance of aesthetics:

  “La estética educa el espíritu de los adolescentes. Por la estética vamos a la ética, por un camino pedagógico muy abierto.”
  — José Antonio Expósito [04:16]

• On systemic problems:

  “A los profesores se les cortan las alas y no se les da la libertad que necesitan para enseñar. Cuando se supedita el profesorado a la ley, ese es el error más grave, creo.”
  — José Antonio Expósito [10:06 / 40:45]

• On generational change:

  “Esta generación es mucho mejor que la nuestra, pero infinitamente mejor. Han viajado más, han visto más cine, han escuchado más idiomas... Quizá lo único en lo que les aventajábamos es que nosotros hemos leído más.”
  — José Antonio Expósito [13:44]

• On society’s lack of priority for education:

  “La sociedad ama el fútbol, ama otras cosas, pero no la educación... España es un país que no invierte, no llega al 5% del PIB en educación... Y de ahí derivan todos los males.”
  — José Antonio Expósito [14:58]

• On recognition by the neighborhood:

  “Seguid así, sois el orgullo de todo el barrio, no hay premio más hermoso que ese.”
  — Letter from a mother to the school [19:01]

Memorable Moment

• Reencounter with the Mentor:
  A moving story where Expósito, upon arriving at Las Musas, discovers that his former literature teacher (the one who inspired his love of poetry) is teaching there:

  “Fue un encuentro mágico... Compartir esos últimos años suyos como docente en el mismo centro.”
  — José Antonio Expósito [07:34/84:02]

2. Lone Fleming: The Icon of Fantaterror

[24:05 – 38:58]

Main Points

• Adventurous Early Life:
  Danish-born Lone Fleming details her restless youth, leaving school at 14 due to undiagnosed dyslexia, and traveling across Europe (as an au pair, working odd jobs, escaping risky situations).
• Arrival and Career in Spain:
  Accidentally settles in Spain, begins acting career via fotonovelas, and works her way up in Spanish film during the dictatorship era—requiring even a "marriage of convenience" to obtain Spanish nationality for work.
• Film Achievements:
  Becomes a genre figure in “La noche del terror ciego,” participates in boundary-pushing scenes (e.g., cinema's first lesbian scene under Franco), and continues active creative work, developing her own scripts and short films.
• Humor & Resilience:
  Throughout, displays wit about life’s difficulties, including marriages, film industry obstacles, and her ongoing career at 80.

Notable Quotes

• On breaking into horror cinema:

  “Amando de Osorio me quería ver... Entré al despacho y me quedé mirando los cuadros de las películas. Me dice: ‘Perdona, señorita, estoy yo aquí, el director’. Empezamos a hablar, y el papel es tuyo.”
  — Lone Fleming [33:47]

• On career opportunities and the Franco era:

  “Tenías que tener la nacionalidad española. Y entonces, para hacerlo corto, me busqué un marido… le pagué igual que Naduska. Pero yo lo hice bien.”
  — Lone Fleming [30:37]

• On pioneering film scenes:

  “Rodé casi la primera escena lésbica en el cine español. Amando vino y nos dijo: ‘Ahora tenéis que hacer la escena lésbica’. Tomamos vino y salió muy bonito…”
  — Lone Fleming [35:16]

3. Jardinería: Hibisco & Arbusto de las Mariposas

[43:01 – 59:08]

Main Points

• Hibisco (Hibiscus) & Rosa de Siria:
  Discussed as traditional, “out of fashion” but resilient Mediterranean garden staples. Clarification on which species truly bear the name "rosa de Siria."
• Arbusto de las Mariposas (Budleja):
  Its role as an “invasive” nectar haven for butterflies, common along train tracks across Europe, but now available in non-fertile, safe-for-urban hybrids.
• Cultivation Advice:
  Both plants thrive with abundant sunlight and moderate care; hibiscos and budlejas are perfect for home gardens and terraces.
• Environmental Ethics:
  Eduardo Barba discusses the balancing act between garden innovation (new species) and ecological responsibility with respect to invasive species.

Notable Quotes

• On nostalgia and fashion in gardening:

  “Estos arbustos son como los cócteles de gambas en las bodas… viejunos pero están volviendo.”
  — Eduardo Barba [44:13]

• On plant resilience:

  “Con sol y más sol, con un punto de humedad… van a estar súper bien y van a prolongar floración durante meses.”
  — Eduardo Barba [45:16]

• On environmental dilemma:

  “La jardinería es de lo humano más… antiecológico que hay. Pero no siempre es así, hay que intentar ser cuidadoso.”
  — Eduardo Barba [50:34]

4. Pop Culture & Society Digest

[60:09 – 75:50]

Main Points

• Spain's "50 most talented youth":
  Critical breakdown of Hola magazine's list, which elevates socialites and “hijas de” to “new talents,” sparking debate on privilege versus merit.
• Media & Gender:
  Dissection of media coverage, from the “duel” between Victoria Federica and Bárbara Rey, to persistent machismo in the treatment of Mar Flores.
• Legal Scandals:
  Large damages suit from Genoveva Casanova after paparazzi photos with the Danish prince sparked royal controversy.
• Royal Visits:
  Briefs on the Spanish royal couple’s state trips and their muted social critique amid complex diplomatic contexts.

Notable Quotes

• On inherited privilege:

  “Quédense con la palabra talento. El talento de Victoria Federica consiste en haber sido hija y nieta de quién es. Este es el talento.”
  — Àngels Barceló [60:46]

• On media machismo:

  “Las teles reproducen lo que se hizo hace 30 años… todo en un tono repugnante.”
  — Martín Bianchi [71:36]

Memorable (and Satirical) Moments

• Duelo televisivo:
  “Ganó Bárbara Rey bailando rumba en audiencia. El público es sabio.” [65:46]
• Royal contradictions:
  “Son las bellas contradicciones en las que vivimos todos.” [75:50]

Memorable Quotes Recap (with Timestamps)

• “La estética educa el espíritu de los adolescentes... Por la estética vamos a la ética...”
  — José Antonio Expósito [04:16]
• “A los profesores se les cortan las alas y no se les da la libertad que necesitan para enseñar.”
  — José Antonio Expósito [10:06 & 40:45]
• “Amando de Osorio me quería ver... Empezamos a hablar, y el papel es tuyo.”
  — Lone Fleming [33:47]
• “Quédense con la palabra talento. El talento de Victoria Federica consiste en haber sido hija y nieta de quién es.”
  — Àngels Barceló [60:46]
• “Estos arbustos son como los cócteles de gambas en las bodas... viejunos pero están volviendo.”
  — Eduardo Barba [44:13]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Comando Norte / Story Lead-in: 00:22 – 03:14
• Education & IES Las Musas with Expósito: 03:14 – 23:19
• Lone Fleming Interview: 24:05 – 38:58
• Gardening with Eduardo Barba: 43:01 – 59:08
• Celebrities, “Talented Youth,” and Society with Martín Bianchi: 60:09 – 75:50

Closing Thoughts

Hoy por Hoy’s September 23, 2025, episode stands out for its thoughtful blend of earnest debate (public education reform, the ethics of teaching, social mobility) and light, incisive cultural commentary (film icons, gardening, fame, and societal contradictions—served with characteristic wit and sharpness).
Listeners are left with actionable insights, poignant anecdotes, and more than a few laughs—all delivered in the magazine’s accessible, honest, and entertaining style.