Barry's Economics
Barry’s Economics is about explaining the economy without the jargon. Using humour, storytelling, and behavioural science, Barry explores wealth, power, inequality, and the hidden forces shaping everyday life.
Episodes
The Real Reason For The Zombie Boom? Follow The Money - Barry's Economics
For seventy years, the world barely made zombie films. Then, right around the turn of the century, that changed, and we haven't stopped since. The biggest Franchises of all time: The Walking Dead. The Last of Us. Game of Thrones. World War Z. 28 Days Later. Why now? Why all at once?This isn't a video about horror - it's why millions of people, with no coordination between them, started
What Banksy Shows Us About Power - Barry's Economics
Filmed in front of over 20 original Banksy works across London and Bristol.This is a video about what Banksy keeps showing us, how he actually works, and why (after all this time) he's still relevant and properly revolutionary.And the answer isn't actually "because his prints sell for a lot." In fact it's almost the opposite of that.Most people know Banksy as a street artist.
Elon Musk: A Predictable Tragedy - Barry's Economics
Elon Musk. Tesla. Spacex. Cybertrucks. Solar Power... not your normal supervillain origin story. But the neuroscience explains everything.Do you remember when we all kind of liked Elon Musk?Electric cars. Space travel. Solar panels. He felt like the closest thing we had to a real-life Tony Stark.And now he's... this.Nobody's asking the right question. Not "what did he do?" but &q
The Wealth Tax Debate Is A Trap - Barry's Economics
The Wealth Tax Debate Rages OnBack and ForthUp and DownBut what does it miss?And Why Is It Always so Circular and Never Ending?I’m Barry Ferns, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift
Change Is Possible Here's How - Barry's Economics
This is the only comedian in the world who has actually changed tax law. (as far as I know)Not highlighted it - Changed it. With jokes, a mahogany buffet, and a few hundred letters from members of the public.On Barry's Economics, we spend a lot of time talking about what needs to change; inequality, taxation, who owns what, who decides what. Mark Thomas spent decades actually doing it.This con
Why Politicians Keep Getting It So Wrong - Barry's Economics
Every Political and Economic debate about poverty and inequality goes the same way. Left says redistribute. Right says grow grow grow. Round and round.Why is it so endlessly circular - and why does nothing ever actually get fixed? One reason could be that there's an entire category of evidence that never makes it into the roomWe account for bias in medicine, law, and aviation. We just don'
We Treat Billionaires Like Oracles. Here's Why That's Wrong - Barry's Economics
We often treat extremely wealthy individuals as if they have a deeper understanding of how the world works.But there is a structural reason to question that assumption.As wealth increases, people become less exposed to many of the constraints and trade-offs that shape everyday life.Research in behavioural science suggests that people rely heavily on their own experience when forming judgments.At t
The Manosphere Isn't About Men. Or Women - Barry's Economics
Everyone has a take on the manosphere.This isn't one of them.Because the debate you've been watching - the one about men, women, masculinity, feminism, Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson - isn't actually about any of those things.It's about something else entirely. Something far more boring and far more profitable.The science on this is extraordinary. And nobody is talking about it.Resea
The Economy Needs You To Feel Like A Failure - Barry's Economics
You live in the wealthiest civilisation in human history. And yet - it's not enough, right?That's not a character flaw. It's the system working exactly as designed.This video is about what happens when the right answer becomes the wrong one. And why the neuroscience, the psychology, and the data all say the same thing: beyond a certain point, growth stops converting into wellbeing. Tha
I'm Being Trained and So Are You - Barry's Economics
The Science Used to Control Your Behaviour....Last week I posted a video abotu Diary of a CEO that got 250,000 views in two days. Last Month I posted a video that now has HALF A MILLION VIEWSAnd the first thing my brain did was whisper: do it again.This video is about the business model of every major social media platform on earth and what that does to viewers (your scroll is not random), what it
Diary Of A CEO Is Making You Less Successful - Barry's Economics
Diary Of A CEO podcast has 50 million listeners. Any of these Success podcasts - the Steven Bartlett or Chris Williamson types all promise you the secrets, strategies and frameworks of the world's most successful people. How to be Successful.Here's the problem: The science says it can't deliver on that promise. And not only that - if you look closely you can see that the business model
The War In Iran Is A Message And It's Aimed At You - Barry's Economics
Everyone is arguing about whether the war on Iran was justified.That might not be the most important question.The deeper question is what happens when powerful actors publicly demonstrate that the rules of the international system don’t apply to them.Rules can feel frustrating. They slow decisions down and constrain power. But they also play a critical role in stabilising cooperation between socie
Social Media's Dirty Secret: They Don't Use It - Barry's Economics
The people who built social media often don't let their own children use it.These aren't worried parents who don't understand the technology.They're the engineers and executives who built the platforms and saw the internal data.And many of them made the same decision.Not my kids.So why isn't that the end of the argument?This episode looks at why that fact keeps getting ignored
Why The Epstein Economy Needs You To Feel Hopeless - Barry's Economics
Why does the system feel too big to fight?In this final episode of the Epstein Economy series, Barry explores the neuroscience of learned helplessness.Featuring research from:– Maier & Seligman– Damon Centola– Christakis & FowlerLarge systems don’t just concentrate wealth.They concentrate perceived power.But your brain may be underestimating how much influence coordinated action actually h
The Story You Care About Is The Distraction - Barry's Economics
This video is about the gap between - what you feel about Epstein and what you feel about other, bigger news stories - and why it's not a moral failure. It's neuroscience.Featuring research from Paul Slovic (psychic numbing),Robin Dunbar (the Social Brain Hypothesis), Siddharth Kara (cobalt mining), and Shoshana Zuboff.This is the third video in the series. The first two:1 - Your Brain Won
Your Brain Won't Let You See What Epstein Really Was - Barry's Economics
Why are we so addicted to hunting monsters - and what does that addiction protect?In this video, I explore the neuroscience and psychology behind our obsession with the Epstein scandal. And how the structure that created Epstein remains invisibleThis is part 2 of a series. Part 1: "Epstein Isn't an Aberration. He's an Inevitable Outcome" Part 3 coming next Sunday.Research Discuss
Epstein Isn’t an Aberration. He’s an Inevitable Outcome - Barry's Economics
The Epstein Scandal Should Be Called "The Billionaire Scandal"Everyone thinks Jeffrey Epstein was an aberration. The science says he was inevitable.This video breaks down the neuroscience, psychology, and economics that explain how extreme wealth concentration doesn't just create inequality. but manufactures monsters. I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failur
The Prejudice That Links Race and Class, Gary Stevenson and Desmond Tutu - Barry's Economics
Your accent isn't just how you sound.It's how you're judged.Within seconds of hearing someone speak, we make snap judgments about intelligence, trustworthiness, class, and competence.And we pretend we don't.What happens for you when Gary Stevenson's working-class voice has a posh accent?Why received pronunciation makes people sound more trustworthy (even when they're lying)
How Money Turns Good People Bad - Barry's Economics
There's a story running in the background of your mind right now. You didn't start it. You didn't agree to it. And it's ruining your life.That story has a headquarters: Wall Street. A place where the myth that "greed is good" isn't just believed, it's acted out, every single day.But here's what most people don't know: stories aren't just entertainment.
We're Measuring the Wrong Economy - Barry's Economics
Your rent is up. Your bills are unpaid. But the government says the economy is FINE. Why?The answer is one of the simplest mathematical illusions in politics: GDP and averages.GDP was invented in the 1940s to measure wartime tank production. It doesn't care about your quality of life. It doesn't care who gets the money. It just measures "busy-ness" - and billionaires walking into
Why the Science Says Rory Stewart Is Wrong - Barry's Economics
This video isn’t about attacking Rory Stewart, or about bad faith, stupidity, or intent.It’s about something more uncomfortable... and much more common.Some of the biggest mistakes in modern politics and economics aren’t made by extremists or idiots.They’re made by intelligent, well-meaning people who all make the same mistake at the same time, and don’t notice it.Decision science has a word for t
Why Traitors and Billionaires Always Look Like Geniuses - Barry's Economics
We like to believe that extreme success comes from brilliance.That the people who win - whether in a game, a market, or an economy must be smarter, sharper, more deserving than everyone else.That story is comforting.Because it makes outcomes feel fair.But here I'm going to look closely at that storyIt’s about how stories protect systems — and why asking the right question matters more than adm
Why The Powerful Never Need To Argue - Barry's Economics
Why do the people with the most power so rarely get challenged?While watching The Traitors, something clicked for me about how inequality actually works — and why so many debates about wealth, power, and redistribution never go anywhere.This video isn’t just about the TV show. It’s about information asymmetry, silence, and how systems protect power without anyone needing to conspire.This video loo
Toxic Economics - Barry's Economics
We hear them all the time — “Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” “If you’re not growing, you’re dying,” “Losers blame the system.”They sound harmless — even motivational — but these phrases carry the logic of toxic economics: ideas that protect inequality by making it feel “normal.”In this video, I break down the hidden psychology behind everyday money talk — and why language itself can be one
Is this Even Capitalism? - Barry's Economics
This is an attempt at re-framing rather than absolute economic analysis.(For any 100% Capitalism Absolute Haters out there)But if we can change the story we can change the path IMO....You’ve been told that if you dislike inequality, monopolies, and rigged markets, you must “hate capitalism.”When people defend today’s economy, they often point to Adam Smith — the “father of capitalism.”But Smith wh
Dickens Was An Economist - Barry's Economics
We’ve misunderstood A Christmas Carol for 180+ years.Everyone thinks it’s about kindness, redemption, or personal transformation……but Charles Dickens was doing something deeper.Analysing the effects of wealth on both the Economy and the Human Mind.This is a fresh interpretation of A Christmas Carol — not as a moral fable, but as a story about economics, bias, inequality, and the psychology of weal
The Part of Being Poor That Breaks You - Barry's Economics
When people talk about poverty, they usually talk about money.Low wages. High rent. No savings. No safety net.But that’s only half the story.The most corrosive part of inequality isn’t just material hardship — it’s humiliation.It’s the quiet, daily experience of being ignored, talked over, looked down on, or treated as if your life matters less.This video looks at what inequality does psychologica
What Slow Horses Gets Right About Power - Barry's Economics
Why Slow Horses Is About You (Not Spies) Because Slow Horses Isn’t Fiction — It’s How Power Really WorksSlow Horses isn’t just a spy show — it’s one of the most accurate portraits of modern power, bias and inequality on TV.Here’s what the rejects of Slough House can teach us about who actually sees the truth… and why the “polished elite” so often get it wrong.In this video, I break down the psycho
Why Growth Is Over - Forever - Barry's Economics
Why isn’t the economy growing anymore? Because it can’t.We’re not in the “Cowboy Economy” of endless expansion — we’re on Spaceship Earth, a closed system with finite resources.Economists were warned about this in 1966… and ignored it.In slow-growth economies, inequality explodes, billionaire wealth takes off, and everyone else feels squeezed.This isn’t a glitch — it’s the new normal.Sources &
The Psychology Used to Silence You - Barry's Economics
Why you're not wrong:In this video, I break down the psychological and social mechanisms used (often unconsciously) to silence people when they talk about a Wealth Tax or Capital Taxation.Key social-psychology theories & studies referencedEMOTIONAL DISMISSAL / INVALIDATIONKatz & Gottman (1999) – Emotion dismissing vs emotion coaching.Defines emotional dismissal as minimising or reframi
The BBC Is Biased - Barry's Economics
THE BBC IS BIASEDEveryone shouts about BBC bias:The Left says it’s protecting billionaires.The Right says it’s woke propaganda.What is the truth?Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.- https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomics- https://ko-fi.com/barryseconomics- https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsFollow and Subscribe for future videos!More about
What Gary Sees (that others don't) - Barry's Economics
The difference that sets Gary Stevenson apart isn't solely his trading success, his hard economics, or even his communication skills. It’s the perspective he brings — a perspective almost completely missing from the UK’s media and political class.In this video, I break down:• why Gary’s background lets him see the 50th percentile clearly• why wealthy commentators struggle to understand inequal
Why the Budget Never Changes Anything - Barry's Economics
Britain’s Budget isn’t an economic plan — it’s a ritual designed to shape your perception of how the country is doing.The Red Briefcase. The solemn walk. The shouting in the Commons. The “Winners and Losers” newspaper spreads.None of this is accidental. This video breaks down how the Budget uses three powerful psychological biases — Authority Bias, Status Quo Bias, and Anchoring — to make us feel
The Growth Fantasy That’s Breaking the Economy- Barry's Economics
In this video, I break down why treating wealth as a non-zero-sum game lets governments tax the poor while protecting the rich — and why it keeps the status quo firmly in place.I use a pie (yes, an actual pie) to explain how we confuse total growth with who actually gets the benefits of that growth… and why saying “we just need the economy to grow” is often a distraction from taxing the people mos
Why Millionaires Say They Can’t Afford Tax - Barry's Economics
You’ve probably heard people say they’re “asset rich but cash poor.” Usually, they’re millionaires arguing they can’t afford a wealth tax.In this video, I look at that idea — and why the same people who call that “unfair” are fine with people having to sell their homes to pay for end-of-life care in the UK.Because when it’s us, it’s “responsibility.”When it’s them, it’s a “tragedy.”If we can make
The Jacob Rees-Mogg Illusion: Why the Rich Think They’re the Victims - Barry's Economics
Jacob Rees-Mogg made a video arguing against a mansion tax… from inside his mansion.So today I’m breaking down the psychology behind it: the confidence, the blind spots, the anchoring bias, and the strange belief that a “struggling family” is one living in a £2 million house with “a vast number of children.”In this analysis I look at:– why the wealthy frame taxes as “punishment”– anchoring bias an
Why the Left and Right Are Both Wrong About Wealth - Barry's Economics
The Left says the rich should share their weath. The Right says they earned their wealth.They’re both wrong — because wealth isn’t individual, it’s collective.In this episode, I explain why a wealth tax isn’t political — it’s about fixing an error in the perception - in the way we see the world culturally.Because wealth doesn’t come from nowhere. It depends on public infrastructure, education, sta
Why Governments Tax the Poor and Ignore the Rich - Barry's Economics
Governments tax what’s easiest to see — not where the real money is.We tax income because it’s under the streetlight, while real wealth hides in the dark.(And If this makes sense, share it — the algorithm rarely taxes attention.)In this episode, I explore The Streetlight Effect — a bias that shapes everything from science to economics.We look for solutions where it’s comfortable, familiar, visible
Billionaires Take Risks? - Barry's Economics
This one was sparked by a chat I had with someone in the audience at my comedy club — they mentioned retrocessionaires (yes, that’s a real word), which got me thinking about how much risk the rich actually take for their massive gains.We’re told that the rich are “risk-takers” — brave visionaries who deserve their success. Is that entirely true?I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey a
Politics of ENVY - Barry's Economics
Are the poor just pure jealous, envious of the rich - is that what a wealth tax is about?People sure talk a lot about "The Politics of Envy"I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and belie
The Inequality Feedback Loop - Barry's Economics
Why does inequality keep repeating itself — even when everyone can see it’s broken?It couldn't be clearer - and in fact even the rich-owned news media know there's a problem. But no-one can seem to agree on what the problem actually is, or how to fix it?Why is that - because most people at the bottom can see clearly what the problem is - that there's a huge underclass of people who don
Are the Super-Rich Gods? – Barry’s Economics
The Bill Murray comedy club isn’t named after the actor — it’s named after Sir William Murray, the first Earl of Dysart, who was Prince Charles the First’s official “whipping boy.” When the young royal misbehaved, Little William Murray took the punishment on his behalf.It’s a strange bit of history — but also a perfect metaphor for today. In our hyper-capitalist system, everyday people end up play
How the Rich Hijacked Evolution — Barry’s Economics
This video started with a simple phrase that I realised I never questioned: “Survival of the fittest” — a phrase used to justify a lot of "Market Forces" and economics — And I just presumed it was true and actually Darwin’s.So I looked into it - and this is what I found...It also shows how status quo bias, confirmation bias, and motivated reasoning have helped to keep that story alive to
The Billionaire MeToo Movement is on its way - Barry's Economics
This video is about why today’s staggering inequality and obscene billionaire wealth are way way worse than we think - and why there's a reckoning a-comingI’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour,
Why inequality gets ignored - Barry's Economics
In this episode I dig into why massive inequality so often gets brushed aside or minimised — even when it’s staring us in the face. From the way the media frames wealth taxes as “punishing success,” to how politicians and journalists overwhelmingly come from privileged backgrounds, to the psychology of the bystander effect and system justification bias — there are powerful forces that keep inequal
GARYS ECONOMICS, BARRYS ECONOMICS and SALLYS ECONOMICS - Barry's Economics
In this episode I talk about why SALLY'S ECONOMICS (And Larry's and Gareths, and Sarah's and Molly's) are hugely important. And how the bystander effect and authority bias affects how we face talking about this huge issue and joining together to tackle inequality— and how to shape the wealth tax debate. I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessne
The Disturbing Bias In The Rest Is Politics - Barrys Economics
Why isn't Inequality being addressed despite it being clear and visible - why are the voices of those who are raising it are getting ignored?It can be incredibly confusing when the evidence of inequality is all around us and yet it is ignored by people in power. Sometime the reasons can be in in plain sight but hard to truly see - but when I saw this interview with Gary Stevenson on The Rest i
Wealth Tax Smokescreen | Barry's Economics
WARNING! Wealth Kills (Other People)We've been in this situation before - we know it's bad. Lets just put warnings on boxes of Billionaires.Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.- https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomics- https://ko-fi.com/barryseconomics- https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsFollow for future videos!You can also follow me
Tax is Ozempic for Billionaires - FACT | Barry's Economics
This episode does what it says on the Tin: Tax is Ozempic for Billionaires. I explain it in 6 minutes of exquisite detail. It's not a metaphor. It's a Fact.(It is actually a metaphor - but don't tell anyone)I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.Support Barry’s
The Future Of House Prices - Barrys Economics
In this episode I present "The future" (Or lets face it, the present) where owning a home drifts further out of reach, but the spin keeps getting shinier.I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behavi
Why We Stay Poor - Barrys Economics
In this episode I look at the psychological quirk that keeps us poor - it's a bias, a way our brain has evolved to accept the world as we find it - but it keeps us trapped, keeps us poor, and keeps the rich rich. And recognising it is a key part of making a new story, a story that makes a Wealth Tax an absolute no-brainer.I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, hom
Why is Elon Musk Like Batman? - Barrys Economics
This episode I share some standup comedy I did on why I think Elon Musk is a real-life Batman!I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves a
Wealth Warps The Mind (FACT) - Barrys Economics
In this episode, I discuss how wealth can tend to warp the mind of the beneficiaries in our society. I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ours
How Billionaires Control You? - Barrys Economics
In this episode, I discuss the idea of authority bias and how it affects the way we see billionaires in society. I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories
The Truth About Minimum Wage - Barrys Economics
In this episode, I share a piece of standup comedy which I think highlights the truth about minimum wage. I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell
Barrys Economics - The Joke Version
Some of you might be wondering whether what I am doing is a piss take. I can assure you all that it is not! But if it was - it would look something like this. I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour,
Welcome To Barry's Economics!
I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us s
Why Am I Doing "Barrys Economics"?
I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.About this video:In this video, I
