Richard Herring's Objective: Episode 2, Series 1
Richard Herring Audio Book

In this BBC Radio 4 series, Richard Herring attempts to reclaim objects that we've grown to fear and hate because of what they symbolise. Via stand-up comedy, vox pops and interviews, he tackles a selection of things that have been given a bad name. In this episode, he looks at the hoodie. How has a tracksuit top with a hood attached come to inspire fear in modern Britain and is it actually used as an excuse to demonise the young? Are the country's teenagers all out of control knife-wielding, drug-taking, promiscuous trouble-makers or are they mainly quite pleasant, if somewhat self-obsessed, easily bored and angst-ridden individuals? And is a hood actually any scarier than a pair of mittens? Richard explores what our fear is really all about, and interviews both a criminologist who has studied the moral panic about hoodies and the organisers of a hoodie festival.Written by and starring Richard Herring. Produced by Tilusha Ghelani.