AntiSocial

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.

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

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.

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.

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