The Prospect Interview

Why do some women like tradwife videos? And why does it even matter?This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by writer Sarah Manavis to discuss the small but significant group of women who promote anti-feminist values online—and why so many others watch their videos.Sarah argues that the success of right-wing young men with large social media followings has distracted from a boom in similarly reactionary gen-Z women. Lifestyle influencers—from the overtly political to the unassuming—are using social media to championing a return to traditional gender roles.Sarah reported on the story for the most recent issue of Prospect magazine. While researching her article, she spoke with academics to analyse why so many women gravitate towards making and consuming this brand of content online.Is this harmless escapism, or a form of radicalisation? What about the paradox of self-made women making their careers out of promoting domestic lifestyles? And in the aftermath of Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris, Sarah discusses what trends on social media tell us about the US more broadly.

For the first time, Ellen and Alona host a special Q&A episode, recorded with a live audience. They’re joined by Jill Abramson, former executive editor of the New York Times, who has been has been covering the presidential election for Prospect.Jill describes how this American election compares to what she’s seen in the past, and answers listeners’ questions. What’s the mood in the US? Can we trust the polls? And what might happen between now and election day to move the dial?To watch this episode, head to the Prospect magazine YouTube channel.

As Halloween approaches, Ellen and Alona are joined by journalist Gabriel Gatehouse to discuss his plunge into the world of conspiracy theories, QAnon and the extreme fringes of US politics.What have witches in the dark ages got to do with American democracy? How has the internet destabilised state power? And what does that mean for this November’s election?Conspiracy theories about satanic cabals took off in America after the 2020 election—and 41 per cent of Americans now believe that the politicians they elect aren’t actually the people governing the country. To many, the truth seems increasingly murky.Gabriel’s reporting has taken him deep into the rabbit hole of this strange and eerie world. On the podcast, he shares the stories that went into his most recent book, The Coming Storm: A Journey into the Heart of the Conspiracy Machine, based on his BBC Radio 4 series of the same name.Listen to this spooky episode—or watch on YouTube—to find out about America’s old ghosts, new superstitions, burgeoning evil and unravelling reality.The Coming Storm is available here.

This week, Ellen and Alona look ahead to COP29, the annual climate summit, hosted this year in Baku, Azerbaijan.They are joined by Isabel Hilton, Prospect’s contributing editor who shares her experiences at COP, and Sam Alvis, a policy advisor and director of energy and environment at Public First.25 out of the 35 key “planetary vital signs” are out of bounds, and biodiversity is rapidly dwindling. At the same time, a growing culture war means consensus about action is increasingly contested in the political space. Last year, a government minister left the conference early to vote on the Rwanda scheme—now, is Labour doing any better? Isabel and Sam discuss the government’s climate plans and rank its performance out of ten. But why do leaders struggle to make progress? And, amid growing climate-related anxiety, how can we avoid a sense of paralysis?

This week, Ellen and Alona talk to investigative journalist Peter Geoghegan. Peter is the former editor-in-chief of the award-winning website openDemocracy and is the author of Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics.Public faith in democracy has been undermined by hidden influence and undisclosed donations—but how susceptible is the new government to this?In an entertaining conversation, spanning from Mongolian wrestling to Keir Starmer’s glasses, Peter shares his journey doing investigative work, the corrosive impact of what he calls “dark money”, and what Labour is getting wrong.To watch this interview and others—including with Baroness Warsi and Jon Sopel—search for ‘Prospect Magazine’ on YouTube.

This month, our columnists are busy with new difficult tasks. Sarah Collins, our Mindful life columnist, boards the emotional rollercoaster that comes with preparing to live abroad, while Anglican Priest Alice Goodman composes her first carol. Farmer Tom tries to rescue seven baby pheasants, while Alice Garnett is moving out of her shared house and navigating London’s rental hellscape. 

Baroness Warsi, former Conservative cabinet minister and lawyer, joins Ellen and Alona to talk about her new book Muslims Don’t Matter, about “the silencing, stereotyping and stigmatising of Muslims by the British press and political parties.”Politicians, media outlets, think tanks and even the entertainment industry have poisoned public discourse about Muslims, culminating in this summer’s riots. She describes how Islamophobia, which she calls “Britain's bigotry blind spot”, not only passes the “dinner table test”, but has been enacted into policy.In a moving conversation about her journey in the public eye, she talks about her lifelong effort to challenge racism and why she’s finally resigned the whip.Muslims Don’t Matter is out now: https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/sayeeda-warsi/muslims-dont-matter/9780349136486/Her podcast with David Baddiel ‘A Muslim and a Jew go there’ is available to stream: https://shows.acast.com/a-muslim-a-jew-go-there

This week, Prospect’s commissioning editor Emily Lawford joins Ellen and Alona to discuss a dark side of the internet: the “manosphere”.Emily spent months reporting “The incel trap” for this month’s issue of the magazine, meeting with self-proclaimed misogynists in real life. On the podcast, Emily shares what she learned about why young men are radicalised—including the role of mental health—and how online hatred is connected to violence against women in the "real world".Plus, silent discos and maternity pay gaffes—is the Tory party conference a “banger” or a “dud”?To read Emily's piece, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/philosophy/gender/67935/the-incel-trap