Touching Grass
The New World
0
In online culture, to tell someone to touch grass is an encouragement to get off their screen and get back in touch with reality. In this podcast, The New World's Gen Z-er Lucy Reade and Millennial James Ball try to explain what's happening on the internet to people with much healthier lives - and each other. Expect confusing discourse, culture wars and bizarre influencer scandals.
Епизоди
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Aella, and why BookTok has changed how people read 15.09.2026 47минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week James Ball inflicts upon us a strange cocktail of Aella, AI doomerism and Harry Potter fanfiction. Meanwhile, Lucy Reade discusses why BookTok has changed how people read and… also gets on to the topic of Harry Potter fanfiction.Warning: this episode contains material of an adult nature!Aella:https://x.com/Aella_Girl/status/1763383809284731208 https://bsky.app/profile/bluser12.bsky.social/post/3mv4z6ycoks2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/stejormur.bsky.social/post/3mvdjiy32pc24Books:https://x.com/bookslattess/status/2096580249232269563?s=20 https://x.com/diatribadism/status/2097211649073545583?s=20https://x.com/stargirlBaird/status/2097316740749234649?s=20https://x.com/hexprax/status/2097192722767700087?s=20https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQy1X5A/Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to The New World and get a free copy of Paul Mason's new book Reds. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
The tragic case of Lindsey Clancy, and are GLP-1 drugs fascist? 08.09.2026 56минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week Lucy Reade discusses the tragic case of Lindsey Clancy and the horrendous internet reactions it has spawned on all sides of the debate. James Ball, meanwhile, asks the age-old question: are GLP-1 drugs are inherently fascist?Lindsey Clancy:https://www.tiktok.com/@truecrime_central/video/7668324431713864991?q=lindsey%20clancy%20husband%20conspiracy&t=1788852477246https://www.tiktok.com/@sisters.uncensored/video/7673872121063394574?q=lindsey%20clancy%20husband%20conspiracy&t=1788852477246https://x.com/NickJFreitas/status/2094843531718262973?s=20 https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/2095963187422056854?s=20 https://x.com/DeepBlueCrypto/status/2095500027166699983?s=20https://x.com/Bdubs1776/status/2096958652976365815?s=20 https://x.com/CGroyper12400/status/2095904656396337548?s=20GLP-1s:https://x.com/thestustustudio/status/2096379112093016241 https://x.com/kane/status/2096836146802085966?s=46 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/20/john-goodman-weight-loss-drugs-ozempic-fat-people-cannot-win Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Right wing pick me influencers and dating app discourse 01.09.2026 52минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week James Ball discusses right wing pick me influencers, and Lucy Reade dives into dating app discourse. Pick me influencers:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBenSXzMqyMhttps://archive.ph/q1j7qhttps://youtu.be/W-N6XRhqXf0?si=lkRE5N4Cz8LqoOYN&t=1261 https://youtu.be/W-N6XRhqXf0?si=aZfdDgeJ3RdE5jKQ&t=1332 Dating app discourse:https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/sex-relationships/article/is-it-inappropriate-to-use-linkedin-as-a-dating-app-i-do-g2cxxsfs3https://x.com/graveair/status/1862142683260551365?s=20 https://x.com/SchrodingrsBrat/status/2093075305799791097?s=20Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Dobby's grave and problematic internet boyfriends 18.08.2026 54минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week Lucy Reade unpacks the latest discourse over Harry Potter fans, whilst James Ball tells us about the strange world of boyfriend simulator games.Harry Potter and Dobby’s grave links:https://x.com/kennixonette/status/2086887412433625294?s=20https://x.com/search?q=from%3Agregthesorcerer%20dobby&src=typed_queryhttps://www.tiktok.com/@arielleblack9/video/7627889810245504274?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7629351219308676630Love and Deepspace links:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qpkgenf7XtJWJLCnWrW1VN6_AFR2bn22MBBzHcuOJTg/edit?usp=sharing https://www.themarysue.com/love-and-deepspace-is-a-period-tracker-really-necessary-in-an-otome-game/ https://www.reddit.com/r/LoveAndDeepspace/comments/1uihl89/i_dont_think_valko_climbing_through_the_window_is/ https://x.com/ByteStix/status/2071599339068170662 https://www.polygon.com/love-and-deepspace-backlash-new-love-interest-valko-canceled/ https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/im-boycotting-love-and-deepspace-for-killing-my-virtual-boyfriend-and-so-are-251-000-other-loyal-widows/ Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to The New World for just £1 for your first month.https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/touchinggrass/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
The Sex Purge Movie, and catching predators 11.08.2026 45минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week James Ball discusses the very silly film that the internet has dubbed The Sex Purge Movie, whilst Lucy Reade dives into the controversial world of To Catch a Predator. One Night Only links:https://bsky.app/profile/dinfontay.com/post/3msdym6unbk2s https://bsky.app/profile/annabower.bsky.social/post/3msfvhd36tk2r https://bsky.app/profile/jessehawken.bsky.social/post/3msjm5cggzs2p https://bsky.app/profile/thenumbers.bsky.social/post/3msld7r7pf22e https://bsky.app/profile/discussingfilm.net/post/3msjtq2bbn225 https://bsky.app/profile/luxalptraum.com/post/3mshfk5akdc2w https://bsky.app/profile/spavel.bsky.social/post/3mskwcskjvs22 https://bsky.app/profile/gregpak.net/post/3mskax4mdb22p To Catch a Predator links:https://x.com/airbagg3d/status/2085467442491326737?s=20 https://x.com/TheJakeChristie/status/2085387796282249343?s=20https://x.com/souljagoyteller/status/2085398957375582220?s=20Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to The New World for just £1 for your first month.https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/touchinggrass/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Panopticons and the fall of the Magaverse 04.08.2026 43минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week Lucy Reade discusses the infamous ‘kissing lawyers’, our world of constant surveillance and trial by internet. Meanwhile, James Ball dives into how and why the influencers behind the ‘Magaverse’ are quietly losing their audiences.Kissing lawyers links:https://x.com/CasterNL/status/2080321741222518893?s=20https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN8dPE8EJ/https://nypost.com/2026/07/30/us-news/lawyer-caught-canoodling-in-central-park-stands-to-lose-millions-as-lucrative-job-offer-reneged/https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/gen-z-age-gaps-relationships-dating-opinion-5HjdZZx_2/Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to The New World for just £1 for your first month.https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/touchinggrass/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Deal or No Deal, and should men pay for everything? 28.07.2026 45минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week James Ball emulates Noel Edmonds and takes us through how choosing between £50,000 or a 50% chance of a million is actually very political. Lucy Reade meanwhile unpacks High Value Womanhood, the new genre of girls demanding men pay for everything in relationships. £50,000 v a million links:https://bsky.app/profile/zachrabiroff.com/post/3mrgdqigcrc27 https://bsky.app/profile/nicholasgrossman.bsky.social/post/3mrg6f4mtk22x https://bsky.app/profile/jlray.bsky.social/post/3mrnf4jlza22g https://bsky.app/profile/zachrabiroff.com/post/3mrgdqigcrc27Gold digger links:https://x.com/aspenn_colorado/status/2079745872645284176https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/dating-car-uber-ella-freimann-9p33hh2plhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DY9yJQAN6Os/?igsh=MXBnYjJ6amdxbzB0bA%3D%3Dhttps://x.com/FindomCentral/status/2070476166113206508?s=20Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to The New World for just £1 for your first month.https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/touchinggrass/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
The worst Odyssey reactions and the Washington Post’s very bad YouTube channel 21.07.2026 42минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week Lucy Reade unpacks the very worst online reactions to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and James Ball introduces us to the Washington Post’s very bad YouTube channel.Odyssey posts:https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/2079385765402833029?s=20https://x.com/RealAlexJones/status/2018281925488631853?s=20https://x.com/OliLondonTV/status/2077320379748790543?s=20Make it Make Sense:https://www.youtube.com/@mimsshow https://bsky.app/profile/bencollins.bsky.social/post/3mqx6j3d2gc2r https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuxVLumbP5U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk9U88GJuSE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slYGWyliHJ4 https://x.com/JeffBezos/status/1894757287052362088 https://x.com/davejorgenson/status/1478840095499247621?s=21 Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Minions, God and AI climate anxiety 14.07.2026 39минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week James Ball manages to link the new Minions movie to questioning the meaning of God, and Lucy Reade discusses how climate anxiety around AI might be more of a moral panic than we think.Minions links:https://x.com/raissaverso/status/2052464875356532743 https://www.polygon.com/minions-questions-do-minions-reproduce-can-they-die-did-they-work-for-hitler/ https://x.com/EndymionYT/status/2072809128918213119 https://www.instagram.com/p/DalTgM2mPAK/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D AI links:https://x.com/rayxkilli/status/2074958811874418989?s=20https://x.com/metajiini_klen/status/1983676664354669054?s=20https://www.tiktok.com/@zahra.earthh/video/7640892713721679117?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7629351219308676630Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Taylor Swift's wedding and the latest BookTok drama 07.07.2026 45минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week Lucy Reade and James Ball talk about the highly controversial wedding of global megastar Taylor Swift, as well as the latest BookTok drama.Taylor Swift links:https://www.dailymail.com/tvshowbiz/article-15956673/Taylor-Swift-tacky-wedding-Travis-Kelce-insiders-buffet-Alison-Boshoff.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_mailonlinehttps://x.com/baaulp/status/2073588363668451332?s=46https://x.com/kissmarrykill13/status/2073938886217134523?s=46BookTok links:https://youtu.be/R0TMtY_xdgU?si=XsALiawu9A_rfFFZ&t=173 https://youtu.be/R0TMtY_xdgU?si=FyLQfxaXCsktWEbd&t=313 https://youtu.be/R0TMtY_xdgU?si=kFod1gnFkc4IagZ3&t=631 Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Chargebacks and time blindness 30.06.2026 37минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. In this week’s episode, James Ball delves into the terrible TikTok advice on how to commit credit card fraud via chargeback, and Lucy Reade unpacks the internet discourse surrounding whether perpetual lateness is a moral failing or a disability.Chargeback links:https://www.tiktok.com/@carrington.fisk/video/7501457984606899502https://www.tiktok.com/@scrunchieluxe/video/7605450123618962708 https://bsky.app/profile/sesmith.lol/post/3mp4ri524n52x Lateness links:https://x.com/dilrhubarb/status/2069348621208948746?s=20https://x.com/ShayWoulahan/status/2070019497809854697?s=20https://x.com/privatebirb/status/2070179903786655762?s=20https://x.com/Brien_Jackson/status/2070284553046884474?s=20https://www.tiktok.com/@chaotic_philosopher/video/7255063782970445098?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcPresented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Starmtroopers over here, Looksmaxxers over there 23.06.2026 33минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week, Lucy Reade tells us about the cult of the Starmtroopers and how they’re coping with the prime minister’s departure, while James Ball discusses why the online Looksmaxxers need some serious lessons in biology.Links to Starmtrooper posts:https://x.com/NondescriptRed/status/2069016131419914646?s=20https://x.com/ChristianHeiens/status/2069204137191825571?s=20https://x.com/fortnitebigboss/status/2068987930853380444?s=20https://x.com/orm0nde/status/2068017037507514483https://x.com/mikeysmith/status/2069118961149460740?s=20 Clavicular post:https://x.com/Clavicular0/status/2069045565766185289Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks herea2bd228003020aad53894489b1cccb203bc94e39 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Should the UK government be banning social media for under-16s? 16.06.2026 44минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week is A Very Special Episode ™️, as Lucy Reade and James Ball discuss the recent UK government announcement that social media will be banned for under-16s.Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Phone bans at concerts, and Pattie Gonia v Patagonia 09.06.2026 45минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week, Lucy Reade and James Ball argue over phone-free concerts, as well as discuss the age-old story of the evil multinational corporation taking on the plucky independent creator… or is there more to the story than meets the eye?Links to Tiktok and X: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRvpx1Qu/ https://x.com/alexasversionn/status/2062924867108753783?s=20https://x.com/inherentvibes/status/2063752210358685791?s=20Links to Pattie Gonia v Patagonia: https://business.cch.com/ipld/PatagoniaEntrepreneurEnterprisesComplaint20260121.pdf https://bsky.app/profile/kathryntewson.bsky.social/post/3mnbattd6x22e Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Crying on LinkedIn and the latest Bonnie Blue controversy 02.06.2026 45минCONTENT WARNING: The second half of this podcast contains content of an adult nature - you may want to switch to headphones if listening in a room with children.Welcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week, James Ball explores the latest LinkedIn phenomenon: people publicly sharing videos of them crying about their jobs. Meanwhile, Lucy Reade unpacks the newest Bonnie Blue controversy, which has sparked fresh debate around the pro-life movement.Links to LinkedIn and TikTok: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anthony-parkinson_laid-off-you-are-not-alone-25-years-in-ugcPost-7448445900340846592-DCPW/ https://www.tiktok.com/@aimeesmalex/video/7563361266299948310 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/makenna-schumacher_leadership-marketing-corporateculture-share-7384716788393074688-QKS3/ https://bsky.app/profile/yougov.co.uk/post/3mnag6xppjk2h Links to Bonnie Blue interview and Spectator piece: https://x.com/LBC/status/2060378646993383918?s=20https://spectator.com/article/bonnie-blue-and-the-truth-about-the-pro-life-movement/Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Can you fall in love with AI, and the great UK v US food debate 26.05.2026 39минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to those sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week, Lucy Reade unpacks what happens to people in love with AI when their chatbots’ coding is changed, and the rise of AI relationships among younger generations, while James Ball has accidentally waded into the great UK vs US debate on food and the weird politics which accompany it.Links to X and Reddit posts and Telegraph article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/25/schoolboys-ai-girlfriends/https://x.com/boundandwoven/status/2058238387472216304?s=46https://x.com/signalxsoul/status/2058171068133654862?s=46https://x.com/groksbride/status/2017130525664956424?s=46https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/s/oepRe3Zd2ohttps://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/s/0tpWm91Q4xhttps://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/s/tpajWPaRKULinks to Tiktoks and Bluesky food discourse: https://www.tiktok.com/@kjordyyy/video/7548881266955947287?q=british%20seasoning&t=1779781821401 https://www.tiktok.com/@emhdder/video/7137731683268267265?q=british%20seasoning&t=1779781821401 https://www.tiktok.com/@harrisonpawluk/video/7548059143551356178?q=british%20food&t=1779781665478https://bsky.app/profile/jamesrball.com/post/3mmheaz2qhk2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com/post/3mm4rkh3q3k2h https://bsky.app/profile/youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com/post/3mm4rrxgmic2hPresented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
The fascist video game row, and why are teens obsessed with New Labour politicians? 19.05.2026 40минWelcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week, James Ball dives into the debate over whether video games can be fascist, while Lucy Reade unpacks the baffling teen obsession with New Labour politicians – and their love lives. Links from the episode:Links to full Mass Effect thread: https://bsky.app/profile/machineiv.bsky.social/post/3mksstm3vss2u Links to Tiktoks: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRtaYvwn/ https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRtaURon/https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRtaF1m2/Presented by James Ball and Lucy ReadeProduced by Matt WithersSubscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Touching Grass - Coming Soon 15.05.2026 1минWelcome to Touching Grass, the new podcast on online culture from The New World.Telling someone to 'touch grass' means they need to get off their screen and get back in touch with reality - an insult which has been levelled many times at Lucy Reade and James Ball. This podcast is essentially two people who spend way too much time on the internet trying to explain what's going on there to people with much healthier lives.James provides the Millennial perspective. Lucy explains what Gen Z are up to. Expect confusing discourse, culture wars and bizarre influencer scandals. They'll try to explain why you should care about any of this - and also, sometimes, why you shouldn't. It's 2026, after all - there's no escaping the internet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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