Wokewash

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Writer and satirist Heydon Prowse turns his attention to corporate Wokewashing.

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Wokewash: Race

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BBC Radio 4 - Wokewash, Race

Satirist Heydon Prowse delves into brands who are trumpeting their opposition to racism

When George Floyd died in 2020, companies rushed to post black squares and proclaim their support for BLM. Comedian and satirist Heydon Prowse asks did anyone really mean it?

Satirist Heydon Prowse offers a tongue-in-cheek investigation into how companies embraced race as the next social justice bandwagon to flaunt their woke credentials. 

After the murder of George Floyd organisations suddenly tweeted and posted support for a movement they had never seemed to care about, rushing to be the first to be seen to make donations. CEOs took the knee in the office, a toy company paused its marketing of its police themed range. 

Heydon himself was in a panic – should he post a black square with the hashtag #blackouttuesday in support of Black Lives Matter? If he did, he feared the profoundly performative act of solidarity that required zero effort was wokewashing, if he didn’t wouldn’t he look like a full blown racist.

To discover who did it right and who did a facepalm, Heydon meets:
Enes Freedom, former NBA star whose career came to a sudden halt when he chose to protest an issue beyond BLM
Podcaster Zubi, who wonders if wokewashing is a brilliant con to subdue the left 
Marketing guru Katie Martell, who hails the advert that got people setting fire to their trainers 
Comedian Kae Kurd, who ponders if Pepsi or Dr Pepper is the best drink for a protest
Judd Legum who unearthed financial hypocrisy, and academics Lily Kunda and Francesca Sobande who discuss what, if anything, has changed as a result – and a favourite ice cream. 

Producer: Sarah Bowen
Assistant Producer: Oliva Sopel

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