The Week Unwrapped: political insults, gig academics and dating doubts

Guest host Arion McNicoll and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters.

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In this week’s episode, we discuss:

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Political insults

A German minister is facing ridicule after filing a complaint about a tweet calling him a “dick” that resulted in a police raid. The so-called Willygate row has triggered fresh debate about how to deal with online hate speech, as the UK government also plans tough new laws for the policing of social media following the murder of MP David Amess. But will these protections work – and at what cost to free speech?

Academic poverty

While universities are well known to be struggling with stretched finances, the predicament of some academic staff has received less attention. According to The Guardian, nearly half of the undergraduate tutorials for which Cambridge University is famous are delivered by precariously employed staff without proper contracts. And In one extreme case, an English lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, resorted to living in a tent for two years after a rise in rent made her housing situation untenable

Online dating

New research has found that divorce rates are six times higher in the early years of marriage for couples who met online compared with those who met at university or through friends and family. The suggestion seems to be that people who are less socially bonded come unstuck more easily. And with a rise in lockdown divorces – as well as post-pandemic dating – now is the time to study the odds.