The End of the World with Michael and Stu
The Apocalypse is Everywhere. The End of the World with Michael and Stu is a (hopefully) insightful and (hopefully) humorous exploration of the rise of apocalyptic news, apocalyptic thinking and apocalyptic culture. Each week, we’ll be looking at a work of art, a piece of media, or an historical event related to the (hopefully not) impending End of the World.
The End of the World with Michael and Stu
96: I'm as Mad as Hell and I'm not Going to Take This Anymore
This week we are considering Sidney Lumet's 1976 classic Network. Written by acclaimed screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky and featuring an all-star cast, the film examines the breakdown of the supposed objectivity of the news media in an age of hyper-capitalism. A prophecy of things that would come to fruition decades after it was first released, Network remains relevant today for its extremely cynical depiction of the corporate media landscape as well as for its anticipation of the way religious values have been transposed onto media properties. We, while finding much to like, also discovered much to criticize in this ambitious but flawed film.
We open the episode with a sad note of memorial for Stu's late cat, Zimbra, who passed away over the weekend.
This episode contains spoilers for Network.
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