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, 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=20

https://x.com/inherentvibes/status/2063752210358685791?s=20

Links 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 Reade

Produced by Matt Withers

Subscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CONTENT 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=20

https://spectator.com/article/bonnie-blue-and-the-truth-about-the-pro-life-movement/

Presented by James Ball and Lucy Reade

Produced by Matt Withers

Subscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome 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=46

https://x.com/signalxsoul/status/2058171068133654862?s=46

https://x.com/groksbride/status/2017130525664956424?s=46

https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/s/oepRe3Zd2o

https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/s/0tpWm91Q4x

https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/s/tpajWPaRKU

Links 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=1779781665478

https://bsky.app/profile/jamesrball.com/post/3mmheaz2qhk2u

https://bsky.app/profile/youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com/post/3mm4rkh3q3k2h

https://bsky.app/profile/youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com/post/3mm4rrxgmic2h

Presented by James Ball and Lucy Reade

Produced by Matt Withers

Subscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.