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 unpacks the latest Gen Z discourse: is it unprofessional to drink iced coffee in a job interview? And James Ball asks whether internet hustle culture is getting out of hand…

Gen Z iced coffee:

https://www.tiktok.com/@hopeyoufindyourdad/video/7688085006572326157?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7629351219308676630 (first 20 seconds)

https://x.com/CuriousBunnie12/status/2102147885995278440?s=20 

https://x.com/4LeafOddity/status/2101781791707398502?s=20 

https://x.com/chloeevansj/status/2102218640254722133?s=20 

https://x.com/chrryboyhunter/status/2101121452992876739?s=20

https://x.com/shipsposting/status/2102037310913098013?s=20

Hustle culture:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005012927775589.html

https://www.thegoldbullion.co.uk/buy-gold-bars/credit-suisse-gold-bars/credit-suisse-1-oz-gold-bar/

https://www.tiktok.com/@abbysellsss/video/7668217142084390157 

https://www.sellmeapen.net/

Presented by James Ball and Lucy Reade

Produced by Matt Withers

OFFER: 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/

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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 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/3mv4z6ycoks2r

https://bsky.app/profile/stejormur.bsky.social/post/3mvdjiy32pc24

Books:

https://x.com/bookslattess/status/2096580249232269563?s=20 

https://x.com/diatribadism/status/2097211649073545583?s=20

https://x.com/stargirlBaird/status/2097316740749234649?s=20

https://x.com/hexprax/status/2097192722767700087?s=20

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQy1X5A/

Presented by James Ball and Lucy Reade

Produced by Matt Withers

OFFER: 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.

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 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=1788852477246

https://www.tiktok.com/@sisters.uncensored/video/7673872121063394574?q=lindsey%20clancy%20husband%20conspiracy&t=1788852477246

https://x.com/NickJFreitas/status/2094843531718262973?s=20

https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/2095963187422056854?s=20 

https://x.com/DeepBlueCrypto/status/2095500027166699983?s=20

https://x.com/Bdubs1776/status/2096958652976365815?s=20 

https://x.com/CGroyper12400/status/2095904656396337548?s=20

GLP-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 Reade

Produced by Matt Withers

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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 discusses right wing pick me influencers, and Lucy Reade dives into dating app discourse. 

Pick me influencers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBenSXzMqyM

https://archive.ph/q1j7q

https://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-g2cxxsfs3

https://x.com/graveair/status/1862142683260551365?s=20 

https://x.com/SchrodingrsBrat/status/2093075305799791097?s=20

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 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=20

https://x.com/search?q=from%3Agregthesorcerer%20dobby&src=typed_query

https://www.tiktok.com/@arielleblack9/video/7627889810245504274?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7629351219308676630

Love 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 Reade

Produced by Matt Withers

OFFER: Subscribe to The New World for just £1 for your first month.

https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/touchinggrass/

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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 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=20

https://x.com/souljagoyteller/status/2085398957375582220?s=20

Presented by James Ball and Lucy Reade

Produced by Matt Withers

OFFER: Subscribe to The New World for just £1 for your first month.

https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/touchinggrass/

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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 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=20

https://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 Reade

Produced by Matt Withers

OFFER: Subscribe to The New World for just £1 for your first month.

https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/touchinggrass/

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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 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/3mrgdqigcrc27

Gold digger links:

https://x.com/aspenn_colorado/status/2079745872645284176

https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/dating-car-uber-ella-freimann-9p33hh2pl

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DY9yJQAN6Os/?igsh=MXBnYjJ6amdxbzB0bA%3D%3D

https://x.com/FindomCentral/status/2070476166113206508?s=20

Presented by James Ball and Lucy Reade

Produced by Matt Withers

OFFER: 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.

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 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=20

https://x.com/RealAlexJones/status/2018281925488631853?s=20

https://x.com/OliLondonTV/status/2077320379748790543?s=20

Make 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 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 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=20

https://x.com/metajiini_klen/status/1983676664354669054?s=20

https://www.tiktok.com/@zahra.earthh/video/7640892713721679117?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7629351219308676630

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.