UnHerd with Freddie Sayers

• Kathleen Stock: Should we morally condemn Bonnie Blue?

  Philosopher and UnHerd writer Kathleen Stock joins Freddie Sayers to discuss one of the strangest and most revealing cultural moments of the year: the rise of Bonnie Blue, the OnlyFans pornstar at the heart of a new documentary that's turning heads and raising questions about sexuality, morality, and the future of sex.Stock — a former professor of philosophy, a leading critic of gender ideology, and a regular UnHerd contributor — agreed to watch the Bonnie Blue documentary at a screening and return with her reflections. In this wide-ranging conversation, she and Freddie delve into the deeper meaning behind the phenomenon: What does Bonnie Blue say about us? Is this just porn, or is it something more — a symptom of a culture in moral decline?They explore the lasting wisdom of Roger Scruton, whose warnings about the separation of sex from beauty and meaning now feel prescient. They also consider the implications of the Online Safety Act, censorship, the state's role in regulating sexual content, and whether we’ve lost the language for intimacy, mystery, and erotic imagination. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Lawrence Krauss: The new war on science

  Freddie Sayers interviews renowned physicist and author Lawrence Krauss to explore how culture wars and ideological issues threaten science and his new book The War on Science—an anthology of essays from leading scientific thinkers including Jordan Peterson, Richard Dawkins, and Peter Boghossian, examining how academia and scientific institutions are increasingly under siege from within.Krauss lays out how “woke” ideology, DEI policies, and campus cancel culture are eroding the foundations of open inquiry, with contributors offering alarming insights from across disciplines—from medicine and biology to physics and philosophy. He discusses high-profile incidents like the recent antisemitism scandals at Harvard, arguing they reflect a broader intellectual crisis gripping universities.The conversation then shifts to the political backlash, particularly on the American right. With Donald Trump and other conservative figures now sceptical of academia altogether, Krauss raises concerns that the pendulum may be swinging too far the other way—threatening funding, trust in scientific institutions, and the space for real reform.From ideological capture in the lecture hall to political overreach in Washington, Krauss and Sayers dissect what’s driving this war on science, why it matters, and what’s at stake if both sides keep escalating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Patrick Christys: Is Britain facing a 'summer of riots'?

  Freddie Sayers, UnHerd’s Editor-in-Chief, sits down with Patrick Christys, GB News journalist, fresh from his reporting on the ground in the Calais migrant camps, to probe their volatile dynamics and the escalating UK migration crisis.Christys recounts his experience posing as a migrant to expose how, reportedly, easy it is to contact people smugglers orchestrating illegal Channel crossings, revealing a hostile environment rife with confrontations, a charity he says is allegedly facilitating crossings, and the stark accessibility of trafficking networks, raising urgent concerns about French authorities’ inaction and the role of NGOs in this chaotic situation.Turning to the UK, Christys unpacks the mounting tensions surrounding migrant hotels – with officials calling the situation a “powder keg” and government fearing of a “summer of riots”. With protests flaring, most recently in Epping and Canary Wharf, and public frustration growing over strained resources, he examines the deepening divide fuelled by polarised rhetoric and distrust in political leadership. From Calais camps to British streets, Christys highlights why the migration crisis risks sparking widespread unrest, what’s at stake if tensions erupt, and what can be done to stop it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Philosopher Todd McGowan: Can Superman save our dying culture?

  UnHerd’s Florence Read sits down with Todd McGowan – philosopher, film theorist, and author of Pure Excess, Capitalism and the Commodity – to dissect the new Superman film and its deeper political, philosophical, and psychoanalytic currents.As Hollywood leans heavily on superhero franchises, and remakes and adaptations of all sorts, they question whether Superman embodies a "stuck culture," where studios’ risk-averse, profit-driven strategies stifle cinematic innovation. Todd probes whether this trend signals a decline in bold, original art, contrasting it with the provocative visions of directors like David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Spike Lee, and Martin Scorsese, the latter of which criticised superhero films as “not cinema”, they explore if genres, like horror, have taken up the mantle, delivering the confrontational, cathartic experiences superhero films often lack.Todd finds merit in the new Superman, praising its execution and thematic depth, and reveals why superhero films reflect broader cultural tensions, what’s at stake for cinema’s future, and whether bold auteurs can still break through the noise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Helen Thompson: Rare earths - the next war?

  Freddie Sayers, UnHerd’s Editor-in-Chief, sits down with Helen Thompson – Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University and author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century – to dive into the high-stakes geopolitics of rare earth elements.As China tightens its grip on the global supply of these critical minerals—vital for everything from electric vehicles to military tech—the West scrambles to catch up. Helen unpacks how China’s dominance, built through strategic foresight and control of refining, has left the US and Europe vulnerable. From trade wars to green energy ambitions, they explore whether the West can break free from China’s chokehold or if a rare earths crisis is looming.Helen reveals why rare earths are the hidden battleground of global power, what’s at stake if the West loses, and whether the moon holds the keys to the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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