Idiocracy

Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs

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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