Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs

Idiocracy

In this post-US election episode, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva are talking about the 2006 Mike Judge comedy film, Idiocracy, called by some 'a documentary' and others (ie. Masha) 'the worst film I've ever seen'.
This film imagines a future in which intelligence has been bred out of the human race, with chaotic social and political consequences. In our discussion, we critique the use of stereotypes and depiction of lower social-economic classes in terms of stupidity and hedonism, and how this might impact our discourse on Trump's election victory.
We look at the satire on a society in which anti-intellectualism and inane television and film are thriving. We consider the depiction of consumerism and the power of corporate monopolies. We parallel the use of manipulation and misinformation with the situation in US politics. We also look at the film's depiction of homophobia and misogyny, and how these speak to a negative attitude to education.
In this episode we referred to the following resources:
Men and white people vote differently based on education
Poorer voters flocked to Trump — and other data points from the election
https://jacknicastro.substack.com/p/thoughts-on-idiocracy-2006 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u8_fp1TtJE 
 
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American Psycho

In our Halloween special, and 25th episode, Clare and Masha are discussing the 2000 film American Psycho and the 1991 novel by Brett Easton Ellis on which it was based.
In our analysis, we approach American Psycho as a dystopia in which Patrick Bateman represents the everyman of 1980s Wall Street, and his construction of his identity is mimetic and post-modern, just like the complex genre of the film and novel.
We discuss the allegations of that the film is misogynistic, on the one hand, and the claims for its feminism on another. We consider the place of constructed and empty concepts of masculinity, and the modern equivalent among followers of Trump, widely featured in the text, and Andrew Tate or his ilk.
We consider the film's critique of consumerism with respect to aesthetics, music, restaurants, and political views. We also look at the nature of the text as satire and its use of parody.
Among other secondary sources, the following were of particular influence on our ideas:
Eldridge, David. “The Generic American Psycho.” Journal of American Studies 42, no. 1 (2008): 19–33. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40464237.
Moore, Casey. “We’re Not Through Yet: The Patrick Bateman Debate.” The Comparatist 36 (2012): 226–47. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26237305.
Rogers, Martin. “Video Nasties and the Monstrous Bodies of ‘American Psycho.’” Literature/Film Quarterly 39, no. 3 (2011): 231–44. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43798793.
Schoene, Berthold. “SERIAL MASCULINITY: PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND OEDIPAL VIOLENCE IN BRET EASTON ELLIS’S ‘AMERICAN PSYCHO.’” Modern Fiction Studies 54, no. 2 (2008): 378–97. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26287627.
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Society of the Snow

In Episode 24 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva are discussing Society of the Snow [La Sociedad de la Nieve], the 2023 film dramatizing the events of the Uruguayan plane crash of 1972 and the subsequent survival of 18 victims in the Andes. We also make comparisons with the 1993 film Alive.
Our themes include surviving in inhospitable landscapes, including reliance on anthropophagy, the consumption of the flesh of the dead. We discuss the responsibilities of rescue services and the survival strategies of the individuals.
We talk about human resilience, teamwork, friendship between men, and mutual support in the face of extreme trauma. We also consider the role of faith and religion in the survival of the crash victims.
We discuss the ethics of survival and wider attitudes to anthropophagy, colonialist impact on the taboo of cannibalism, and the rights of the dead, with particular focus on the place of consent in the case of the deceased.
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The End We Start From

In Episode 23 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva are discussing the 2023 film, The End We Start From, starring Jodie Comer.
Our discussion explores flooding and the climate crisis, and how prevalent these issues already are, especially in the global south, but also worsening in Europe and some parts of Britain. We talk crisis response, prevention, and the need for more beavers.
We look at the depiction of motherhood, family, and women's friendships. We talk about societal responsibility, the role of the state, and abnegating responsibility. 
Let us know your thoughts about the ethics of the choices Jodie Comer's character makes, Joel Fry's character and how he reacts to trauma, and the depiction of the commune.
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Gattaca

In Episode 22, Clare and Masha are discussing the amazing 1997 film, Gattaca. 
In our conversation we look at the science and ethics of gene editing, including the advocacy for an update in the law to eliminate hereditary disease.
We explore the fascinating theories of genetics and the impact on us of our DNA, with particular reference to Robert Plomin's book, Blueprint, as well as passing reference to Robert Sapolsky's work on free-will.
We link this with ideas of meritocracy and social mobility, and cite ideas and statistics from Michael Sandel's books, Justice and The Tyranny of Merit.
If you have ideas to add to our discussion, please do contact us. You can find all our links in the link-tree on our Instagram.

Last Light

In Episode 21 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare and Masha are discussing the miniseries Last Light. 
We focus on responses to the climate crisis, the difference between eco-activism and eco-terrorism, the role of disruption and violence in social justice and driving change, and how we can bring about an end to fossil fuels.
In this episode, Masha talks about Alain de Botton on the media. Clare quotes Mikaela Loach discussing the hero narrative in climate activism and Hannah Ritchie's positive vision of change in Not the End of the World.
We also reference a number of articles on the efficacy of disruptive action, including Damien Gayle in the Guardian, Hanan Badr in the Diplomatic Courier, and Kevin A Young & Laura Thomas-Walters in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.
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Joker

In our 20th episode, Masha and Clare are discussing the 2019 film Joker, looking at its presentation of societal impact on mental health, its depiction of the consequences of wealth disparity, and how it reflects ableism in our society.
In this episode, we draw on some of the ideas in Daraiseh and Booker's 2020 article: 'Jokes from Underground: The Disintegration of the Bourgeois Subject and the Progress of Capitalist Modernization from Dostoevsky to Todd Phillips’s Joker'.
We critique some of the arguments in Justin Edgar's 2019 article: 'Joker makes great disability art by letting its hero bite back'.
We also use the definition of the neoliberal creed from Monbiot/Hutchison's The Invisible Doctrine, and statistics on wealth inequality from The Equality Trust.
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Fallout

Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs is back! Masha and Clare have returned from our summer break, and we have a new episode out for you on the tv drama Fallout (Amazon Prime). 
In this episode, we discuss depiction of post-nuclear apocalypse, and the formation of societies within this.
We talk about the Golden Rule vs immoral lawlessness, and whether trust and community can survive societal destruction.
We are especially interested in the show's depiction of war-profiteering, late capitalism, privatization of government projects, and the power of corporations.
Also dogs: dogs feature quite a lot.
Among other references, in this episode we recommend the new book by George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison, The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism (& How It Came to Control Your Life).
If you enjoy this podcast, you may be interested in our project Being Society. You can donate to support our work, or you can support us by sharing our Substack or following us on Instagram.
Thanks for listening!

The Truman Show

In Episode 18 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare and Masha are discussing the iconic and much-beloved 1998 film, The Truman Show.
In this episode we discuss the appeal of reality television and what it says about our society.
We look at how The Truman Show posits Seahaven as a 'utopia' and the price that Truman is made to pay for his so-called safe and comfortable existence, with reference to the social contract. We also consider what is 'utopian' about the constructed reality of the show.
We look at the character of Christof, in particular, as creator, protector, god-figure, and megalomaniac. We discuss the parallels with freedom within or beyond religion, the prisons we make or accept for ourselves, and the extent to which we are the produce of our social environments.
We reference the following books and articles in our discussion:
Simone Knox, Reading "The Truman Show" Inside Out
Alex Fitch ‘Dark City and The Truman Show: Surveillance and the Destabilization of Identity’  FILM CRITICISM
Peter Marks ‘6 Identities’ Imagining Surveillance: Eutopian and Dystopian Literature and Film 
Tony E Jackson, Televisual Realism: "The Truman Show"
Keeping a Sense of Wonder: Interview with Peter Weir
Slavoj Žižek  ‘Welcome to the Desert of the Real!’ Cultures of Fear: A Critical Reader, 2009, pp. 70-78 
Christopher Falzon ‘Peter Weir’s The Truman Show and Sartrean Freedom' in Existentialism and Contemporary Cinema: A Sartrean Perspective 
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Threads

In this episode of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare and Masha are discussing the incredible yet harrowing 1984 film, Threads, a graphic depiction of the aftermath of nuclear attack, set in Sheffield (where Masha lives!).
Content warning: violence and sexual violence; still-birth
In this episode we discuss the impacts of nuclear attack on infrastructure and human bodies, along with the history of nuclear weapons. We look at the documentary style of the film, and its human-eye view, as well as the realism and horror that the film-makers managed to achieve.
We look at the humanizing of the experience of disaster through the story of Jimmy and Ruth, and how they are representative of real people in the world today and their disenfranchisement from global affairs. At the same time, we consider the role of governments including the use of gaslighting, the failure of government and law and order in such a catastrophic situation, and the ultimate breakdown of society.
We compare Threads with the extraordinary graphic novel When the Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs, the contemporary impact of the film, and its relevance today when the Doomsday Clock stands at 90 seconds to midnight.
Within the few days between us recording this episode and posting it, we can also report that the Traffic Warden has been found, so our public service announcement is sadly redundant!
We reference a number of articles, books, and interviews offering commentary on the film, and you can find these here:
Discover the post-apocalyptic nightmare of this landmark social drama
How we made the nuclear apocalypse TV drama Threads | Culture | The Guardian
Threads served up a bleakly British depiction of our impending nuclear doom
Threads – remembering an influential moment in that 1984 film
Here come the bombs: the making of Threads, the nuclear war film that shocked a generation
Toni A Perrine (1998) Film and the Nuclear Age: Representing Cultural Anxiety
Dorian Lynskey (2024) Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World