

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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 3, 2024 • 42min
Dangers to women: man vs bear
Women online debate if they'd feel safer in a forest with a man or a bear. Social media erupts with discussions on gender-based violence. Unpacking misconceptions about men vs. bears in society. Exploring gender-based violence data and perceptions. London's violence issues and evolving terminology on violence against women.

Apr 30, 2024 • 7min
When do you become an adult?
Marriage, kids, and the history of our ideas about adulthood.Laura Tisdall, lecturer in modern British history at Newcastle University, explains the shifting milestones of adult life.

Apr 26, 2024 • 54min
Are ‘kidults’ a problem?
Harry Potter actor Miriam Margolyes discusses the trend of 'kidults' and challenges adult fans of franchises to grow up. The podcast explores the concept of 'Disney adults', societal pressures on young adults, delays in traditional adulthood milestones, and the evolving definitions of adulthood based on responsibilities rather than age boundaries.

Apr 23, 2024 • 7min
The Highway Code
Cyclists and motorists can clash on our roads, often about who has priority, but what does The Highway Code say? Louise Gardner, from the law firm Hugh James, talks Adam Fleming through the key points and latest updates in the UK’s road safety guide.

Apr 19, 2024 • 54min
Should cyclists stay in their lane?
Cyclists shaming drivers online, fights over bike lanes, and the politics of pedal power.
TV and radio presenter Jeremy Vine posts a video of a car failing to give way to him while he’s riding a penny farthing. Cue angry comments hurling insults and telling him he’d be safer in a car - and sympathetic responses from fellow cyclists. What does the Highway Code actually say about priorities on the roads? What are the stats on cyclists and safety? And how and why has cycling become such a toxic topic?
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Maybin, Simon Tulett, Nathan Gower
Editor: Richard Vadon

Apr 16, 2024 • 7min
What is “minority stress theory”?
Social psychology professor David Frost from University College London explains the theory that people in stigmatised minority groups experience unique forms of social stress.

Apr 12, 2024 • 54min
Homosexuality and "sin"
The clash between the rights of LGBT people and freedom to express Christian views.An employment tribunal is set to rule on whether a mental health charity in Leeds was right to withdraw a job offer from a Christian social worker who thinks homosexuality is a sin. How can employers - and our legal system - balance the sometimes competing rights of different minority groups? How Christian is Britain these days anyway? And what is “minority stress theory”?Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Ellie House, Jameel Shariff
Editor: Penny Murphy

Apr 5, 2024 • 53min
Racism and the countryside
Rural parts of the UK have recently been described as 'colonial', predominantly white spaces, where members of ethnic minorities feel unwelcome, sparking a debate about whether the countryside is racist. Data shows that the rural population is 97% white, much more so than in towns and cities, so might that be an explanation for some people feeling out of place? Why has a prominent museum rehung some of its paintings, adding context about the nationalist sentiment some of them might evoke? And how did this debate start in the first place? We track its evolution and the contested evidence at the heart of it. Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Tulett, Ellie House, Arlene Gregorius and Ajai Singh
Editor: Richard Vadon

Apr 2, 2024 • 8min
A history of Eurovision and politics
Amidst conflict in the Middle East, some people have been calling for Israel to be banned from the Eurovision Song Contest. Now that Israel’s participation in the 2024 competition has been confirmed, critics are vowing to boycott the event in protest.
Eurovision’s organisers say that the song contest is “a non-political music event and a competition between public service broadcasters”, not between governments. But over the years, Eurovision has found itself caught up in controversy and geopolitics.
Adam Fleming charts this history with Dean Vuletic, historian and author of ‘Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest’.

Mar 29, 2024 • 54min
Eurovision and Israel
One of the UK’s biggest Eurovision parties has been cancelled in protest at Israel’s inclusion, so how worthwhile is a boycott of the event as a response to the war in Gaza? The song contest’s organisers say the event is non-political, but this isn’t the first time global events have had an impact on participation and even lyrics - we chart the key moments. And it’s not the first time Israel’s participation has sparked debate - a Eurovision expert talks us through the ups and downs of its long association with the event. We’ll also hear about the controversy around Israel’s song this year and how it’s changed, plus the view from the Middle East on what Israelis and Palestinians are saying. Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Ellie House and Paige Neal-Holder
Editor: Penny Murphy


