The Psychosemantic Podcast EP 135: Fascism February Flashback VDC It Can't Happen Here/Brazil
(According to the internet) This episode delves into the dystopian worlds of Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" and Sinclair Lewis's novel ‘It Can't Happen Here’ The hosts and guest Jeffery X Martin analyze how the film's brutalist architecture and bureaucratic absurdities, combined with the book's prescient depiction of a fascist takeover in America, serve as urgent warnings. They explore the disturbing parallels between these works and current political realities, prompting a discussion on complacency, resistance, and the frightening speed of democratic decline.
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Originally VD Clinic Pod EPISODE 10 – It’s Fascist February 2018 ! Vanessa & Daeron are joined by author/ podcaster Jeffery X Martin to discuss Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil” & the Sinclair Lewis novel “It Can’t Happen Here.” We talk fascism, bureaucracy, & lots of anxiety.
Episode Chapters:
Subscribe and Listen to the PsychoSemantic Podcast:
https://psychosemantic.legionpodcasts.com/subscribe
Originally VD Clinic Pod EPISODE 10 – It’s Fascist February 2018 ! Vanessa & Daeron are joined by author/ podcaster Jeffery X Martin to discuss Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil” & the Sinclair Lewis novel “It Can’t Happen Here.” We talk fascism, bureaucracy, & lots of anxiety.
Episode Chapters:
00:00:00 - Flashback to Fascism February
00:04:09 - Welcome to Fascist February
00:06:12 - Debunking Voter Fraud Myths
00:09:14 - Election Chaos and Name Origin
00:13:08 - Introducing Terry Gilliam's Brazil
00:15:14 - Brazil's Dystopian Vision and Cast
00:17:22 - Gilliam's Aesthetic and Bureaucracy
00:21:26 - Visuals of Oppression and Style
00:26:01 - Propaganda, Absurdity, and Unsettling Visuals
00:29:22 - Soul-Crushing Office Realities
00:31:25 - Government Infallibility and Dark Humor
00:33:29 - Subverting the System and Little Man
00:37:22 - Writing, Giants, and Michael Palin
00:39:19 - Palin's Villainy and Dystopian Despair
00:42:47 - Imagination, Dreams, and Studio Battles
00:45:52 - Gilliam's Visual Genius and Budget
00:47:34 - Classism, Resistance, and Gilliam's Frame
00:52:24 - Maternal Influence and Sam's Rebellion
00:54:31 - Internal Subversion and Forms
00:56:50 - Brazil: Comedy to Terrifying Reality
01:00:06 - Bleak Reality and Political Resurgence
01:04:51 - Fascism, Orwell, and Dystopian Parallels
01:06:43 - A Warning and Call to Resist
01:09:15 - Film Recommendations and Gilliam's Trilogy
01:13:16 - Jeffrey X Martin's Podcast Farewell
01:17:01 - Podcast Promos and Political Themes
01:19:12 - Introduction to It Can't Happen Here
01:21:08 - It Can't Happen Here: Plot Summary
01:22:48 - Disturbing Political Parallels
01:26:37 - Resistance, Fake News, and Ideological Shifts
01:29:08 - Realistic Terrors and Dark Satire
01:31:37 - Family Division and Rights Stripped
01:34:55 - Historical Echoes and Swift Decline
01:37:18 - Rapid Fascist Ascent and Complacency
01:41:29 - Modern Parallels to Militias and Coups
01:44:08 - False Promises and Populist Rhetoric
01:47:31 - Eerie Echoes in Modern Politics
01:50:15 - Book's Visual and Concise Writing
01:53:46 - Audiobooks and Unraveling Gilliam's Threads
01:56:36 - It Can't Happen Here: A Must-Read
02:03:19 - Podcast Wrap-up
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