AntiSocial
BBC Radio 4
Peace talks for the culture wars. In an era of polarisation, propaganda and pile-ons, AntiSocial offers an alternative: understanding, facts, and respect. Each week, Adam Fleming takes on a topic that's generating conflict on social media, blogs, talk shows and phone-ins and helps you work out what the arguments are really about.
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Top 10 AntiSocial Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best AntiSocial episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to AntiSocial for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite AntiSocial episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Asylum seekers and the far right
AntiSocial
02/24/23 • 54 min
Thousands of asylum seekers are currently housed in hotels around the UK as they wait for their claims to be processed. The government has a huge backlog and are spending millions of pounds a day on the accommodation.
Local residents have started to mount protests near the hotels, prompting claims from commentators and counter-protestors that they are 'far right'. What does that term mean? Are these protestors really 'far right'. And to what extent is the extreme right on the rise across the country?
Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Lucy Proctor, Phoebe Keane, Ellie House and Octavia Woodward. Editor: Emma Rippon
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Body positivity and fat
AntiSocial
03/03/23 • 53 min
The word 'fat' has been removed from a new range of Roald Dahl books. It's a sign our conversation about obesity and body image has become increasingly sensitive.
Many body positivity activists have reclaimed the word 'fat' while promoting more diversity in the body shapes and sizes we see in our media. But some accuse the movement of denying the health risks associated with being overweight. Is it true we can be healthy at any size? Where did the body positivity movement come from? And should we be worried about the return of size 0 fashion?
Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Lucy Proctor, Phoebe Keane and Ellie House. Editor: Emma Rippon
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Nudity - the great cover up?
AntiSocial
02/21/25 • 53 min
How comfortable are we with nudity and why does the naked body still have the power to shock?
This month we’ve seen Bianca Censori break the internet after her red carpet appearance in a transparent dress and artists in north London upset about their life drawing class being moved. What actually happened and why were people so censorious about Bianca? Also, what is the history of nudism in the UK? To discuss the power of the naked body Adam is joined by Dr Victoria Bateman – an economist and author of Naked Feminism: Breaking the cult of female modesty and Stephanie Murray , a freelance journalist and contributing writer for The Atlantic.
Presented by Adam Fleming Produced by Emma Close, Beth Ashmead and Clare Williamson Studio manager: Annie Gardiner Production coordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Penny Murphy
What is ‘queering’ a museum collection?
AntiSocial
08/22/23 • 5 min
Josh Adair, Professor of English at Murray State University, explains what is meant by the term ‘queering’ and gives the background to how museums and historians can ‘queer history’. He explains they reinterpret their collections to include LGBT stories or histories of people who don’t fit the typical gender roles of the time.
Man vs Bear
AntiSocial
05/07/24 • 5 min
A hypothetical question, asking women whether they would rather be stuck in the woods with a man or a bear, has gone viral on TikTok. It’s got people talking about gender-based violence, sexual assaults, and men’s mental health. But where did this thought experiment come from? The BBC’s Ellie House talks Adam Fleming through the thought experiment’s origins and evolution.
What is a Central Bank Digital Currency?
AntiSocial
11/21/23 • 5 min
There’s been a debate on social media about whether Central Bank Digital Currencies pose a threat to our privacy and some even fear it could give governments power over our spending. Former Bank of England economist Dan Davies explains what a CBDC actually is.
A potted history of the nudist movement
AntiSocial
02/24/25 • 6 min
This month Bianca Censori, rapper Kanye West’s wife, broke the internet after appearing on a red carpet in a transparent dress. Meanwhile, artists were upset about their life drawing class being moved in North London. This prompted a conversation about public nudity and by extension, nudism. Professor Annebella Pollen is from the University of Brighton and author of Nudism in a Cold Climate, she explains the history and significance of the nudism movement in the UK.
Coconuts, race and hate speech
AntiSocial
09/20/24 • 53 min
Is it racist for a person of colour to call someone a coconut? Should it be a crime?
A teacher was put on trial after she was pictured at a pro-Palestinian march holding a placard that showed then prime minister Rishi Sunak and then home secretary Suella Braverman as coconuts. The term “coconut” can be used to suggest that someone who is brown on the outside is white on the inside - that they are somehow acting in a way inconsistent with their ethnicity. The prosecution called “coconut” a “racial slur”; the judge said the placard was “political satire” and found the teacher not guilty. How did the case play out in court? What’s the history behind this use of the word coconut and others like it? And what does the law say about when speech becomes criminal?
Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Simon Maybin, Ellie House, Elliot Ryder Production coordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Richard Vadon
What is Nature?
AntiSocial
02/04/25 • 6 min
As politicians weigh up what trade-offs with the natural world they’re willing to make in pursuit of growth, we look at how our understanding of our role within (or alongside) nature has shifted over time. Dr Andy Flack from the University of Bristol talks Adam Fleming through the various influences, changes and discoveries that have altered how we view our natural environment.
White privilege and schools
AntiSocial
07/01/22 • 53 min
This week, parents are voicing concerns about the way the concept of white privilege is being taught in schools.
How did the conversation about white privilege go mainstream in the UK? Where did it come from?
The BBC's Home Editor Mark Easton shares some data on the experiences of different ethnic groups in Britain. And a teacher grapples with whether you can tell poor pupils that they're actually privileged.
Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Lucy Proctor & Simon Maybin Researcher: Ellie House & Octavia Woodward Production coordinator: Brenda Brown Studio Manager: Hal Haines Music: Oskar Jones Editor: Emma Rippon
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FAQ
How many episodes does AntiSocial have?
AntiSocial currently has 110 episodes available.
What topics does AntiSocial cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on AntiSocial?
The episode title 'Asylum seekers and the far right' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on AntiSocial?
The average episode length on AntiSocial is 35 minutes.
How often are episodes of AntiSocial released?
Episodes of AntiSocial are typically released every 3 days, 16 hours.
When was the first episode of AntiSocial?
The first episode of AntiSocial was released on Jun 17, 2022.
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