Severance & the Critique of Late Capitalism in Media

[@Meromorphic]

I have removed the bit about the Stanford Prison Experiment. After doing some more reading on the subject, I didn't think it was right to use as an example for my talking point. Thanks to everyone who pointed that out!

[@jackbellmyp]

Thank you for doing this, I really enjoyed your video and it shows real integrity to have made this change. Can’t wait to see what you make next!

[@NuanceOverDogma]

Late stage capitalism is such a cringe phrase. Crony capitalism run by corrupt oligarchs. They create a “Brave New World “ dystopian society while Marxist oligarchs create a 1984 dystopian society. History proves this. This narrator is blinded by his own biases. It’s typical mid brain syndrome training by our current corrupt educational system not trained to question the oligarchs narrative created through the mainstream media they own.

[@Lindsay-Makes-Videos]

I'm curious - can someone fill me in on how you used the experiment, why it didn't fit, and what research motivated you to make the change? Haha I know, big ask, but if anyone can sum it up 🤣🤣

[@judgemental9253]

@@Lindsay-Makes-Videosgot outed as fake by people inside the experiment, results were made up, and have never been replicated

[@ineptwizzard]

I work for Apple and quite frankly, Severance hit pretty close to home. I don't know what to do with the fact that Apple produced it.

[@oasntet]

Capitalism has this trick where it co-opts anti-establishment sentiment and countercultural signifiers and packages them up for re-sale. It makes them money, and it also provides catharsis for those who share the sentiment. The writers and producers may legit want to encourage changes in society and might even think they pulled off something here by getting it made, but the Apple exec that greenlit it did so because dystopian sci-fi is very on-brand. See also: the 1984 ad.

[@33up24]

Something something capitalism commodifies the idea of change something something

[@borger99]

probs what employees at amazon feel about the Boys.

[@jerodwolf5582]

Times are real fucking shit when the largest corporation in the world is self-aware of the misery that it causes on the world, and doesn't give a fuck

[@piccalillipit9211]

@@jerodwolf5582 - More people have died of heart attack induced by dehydration in Amazon warehouses than were killed by Jeffrey Dahmer. The mistake Jeffrey Dahmer made was not to kill people in pursuit of profit...

[@petekwando]

One of the things I loved the most about Severance is how this silly book became so important to the innies. In one sense it's funny, but in a way it's also profound. They are so deprived of meaning, any outside thought is revolutionary.

[@CurtisBond]

100% agree. It also kind of illustrates just how childlike and innocent the innies are because they have no real life experience outside of the severed floor. You kind of see that when innie Mark is absolutely fanboy-ing over Ricken during the reading, as if he'd just met his childhood hero.

[@juliettedemaso7588]

“They are so deprived of meaning that any outside thought is revolutionary” Bingo. “The problem was literature itself” Think of the Stanford Electroshock experiment. The illusion of agency and consent in the presence of power and authority. And legacy, “provenance”… We are trapped in a wrote, self referential fish-bowled system, crafted by institutions to maintain their own ever increasing exclusivity, via a permanent exploitable underclass. This would never work without propaganda, manipulating language and the perception of reality, by claiming a unique relationship with rationality. reinforced by hierarchies like the courts, govt, business, law enforcement, property ownership, competitive spectatorship, binaries, corporate entertainment media, marketing, psychology and corporate medicine, academia, gatekept and passing itself off as uniquely rational, capable and learned. But everything in these systems was crafted by people who benefit from it. Institution will never educate you how to overthrow it.

[@supekele]

It's also worth noting that while the book is written with clichéd shmock, the actual material discussed has strong hints of Marxist materialism. Turning attention to systems and their consequences, themes about alienation of labour... it's all there, between the lines of ultra cheesy bs. So it's literal revolutionary material, just written very badly. Not surprising it spurs the innies to action!

[@russellhowson9565]

I think that says a lot about how we've gotten to the point of extreme divide in the U.S. where people can literally live in an alternate reality based on the media they consume. If we're too busy struggling to survive and fighting each other to survive, the big issues around governing the country are too complicated to process and it makes it really attractive to accept the opinion of someone whom I can identify with saying things that make some kind of sense and gives my frustration an outlet I otherwise don't have because capitalism.

[@marcusaurelius5149]

When Mark S meets with the doctor who was reintegrating Petey she said that Mark's innie is "like a baby." The laughably infantile Ricken wisdom is perfect for innies, who unironically need it the most.

[@SincerelyFromStephen]

This is quite eerie. I’m watching this video while working (I have a remote job) and a message popped up in the department Team’s chat that we will be having a 2 minute St. Patrick’s Day dance party

[@frozennorth3426]

at least it’s not a waffle party

[@davidpachecogarcia]

☠️☠️☠️

[@TheNicoliyah]

Damn!!!!😮😮😮

[@nicole-ls4jb]

This statement of fact made me literally laugh out loud.

[@reinajalana]

Ew.

[@flerp]

One of my favorite things in the show is that the instant Dillon tasted life outside the office he immediately realized that the trinkets they've been giving him were utterly meaningless compared to the rewards of a true life. He was with his son for seconds and it was enough to destroy his cope.

[@AbrahamLure]

That honestly broke me the hardest seeing his cope just shatter like that

[@reinajalana]

Omg YES!!!! And all the office "perks" mentioned throughout this series were probably what both boiled me and tickled me the most.. like, I was constantly triggered.. b/c WHO TF WANTS TO TRADE IN WORKING FROM HOME REGULARLY FOR A FREAKING WEEKLY "FREE ICE CREAM" DAY??!!??!? The insults on ADULT intelligence is infuriating. And it's even more maddening that it in one way or another seems to often work (for many). 🥴😐🔫

[@SergeKulyk]

It will be such a twist if it's revealed that he choose severance because he was done with his family obligations holding back his performance at work.

[@skakirask]

I disagree with your assessment of Mark. He does come off as a little more company faithful in the beginning, but, through his interaction with Helly, you can tell he's mostly just "along for the ride" while at work, trying to balance knowing what he's doing is BS with trying to not rock the boat and attracting the negative attention of supervisors.

[@Meromorphic]

That's fair. I can see your point. Especially given him taking the fall for Helly the first time. What I was trying to get across was that he actively tries to keep Helly within the company knowing full well how much she wants to leave. Even if he is trying to keep her out of the Break Room, it's not his decision to make. Eventually, though, he does turn the corner and realize that his attempts weren't right.

[@skakirask]

@@Meromorphic That makes sense. Helly does indeed call him a "bootlicker" at one point but I do think he's mostly in a "just doing my job" frame of mind. Thanks for the reply!

[@ElderStatesman]

@@skakiraskand sadly, so many Americans are a bit like Mark. They know how BS their jobs are, but are scared of stepping out of line lest they lose their wages, lose their livelihoods, or even slip back into a depressive state stemming from past trauma as the characters are "escaping" from by having their personalities split.

[@ElderStatesman]

@@skakiraskI too also have a lot more sympathy for Mark considering he doesn't want to fall into the pit of grief over his wife's death. That he was radicalized by a pro-worker/socialist manifesto disguised as a "self-help" book. We have to remember, in the universe of the show, Lumon effectively carved out their own state (hence the "PE" in the addresses of certain letters or items. I'd wager PE means "Province of Eagan."). So it's possible that Lumon Industries has effectively suppresses the freedom of speech & press in their territory/state. That the only way to reach into the minds of those who are severed is to hide your message in the most mundane thing possible.

[@lynxminx4]

@@Meromorphic But he knows she will be tortured if she continues to resist management. It's so weird to say 'it's not his decision to make'. No, but he's also her manager and he will also be tortured for her misbehavior.

[@mrapollo13]

As soon as you realize how much closer you are to the homeless man than you are to the millionaire it becomes an easy choice which side you are on

[@aidanaldrich7795]

Nigga what?

[@TheNicoliyah]

100%!!!

[@micosstar]

@@TheNicoliyahfacts

[@173Eli173Eli]

Monetarily yes, mentally no as the majority of homeless suffer from addiction and mental illness, your privilege might be closer to a millionaire than a homeless person, as in, the social tools you have to participate in society.

[@Electroshk]

Billionaire* even most millionaires are still being exploited at this point.

[@PrinceSnot]

This video found me at the right time. Im reaching my breaking point frustrated at how much of my life is spent doing shit that profits people ive never met, and having all these corporate bootlickers trying to gaslight me into thinking im crazy for hating it. This normalization of employee exploitation needs to stop

[@DevinParker]

Job seeking really drives home a lot of those feelings, as well. You're continually putting yourself out there, asking corporate representatives for a paying job, jumping through their hoops-which at this point involves registering not only your personal information but also signing up for an account on every one of their websites, re-entering information that's already on your resume, writing cover letters despite not having any reason to know anything about their company, going through the entire process not knowing if it's really a company that intends to interview you or just some sort of front operation for a spammer, etc. All for the possibility of getting a job doing something I'll have no deeper sense of satisfaction doing because it's essentially just moving numbers around like on "Severance." But I have no choice except to do this if I want to pay my bills. And at every turn it feels like our government representatives are on the side of corporations and the rich instead of workers. The coercion of capitalism feels pretty strong right now.

[@randyjax09]

It’s like they keep squeezing us tighter & tighter. Our productivity is never enough for them.

[@paz1514]

I really hate this whole "anyone who disagrees with me is a bootlicker" stance you're taking. Get some self respect and take control of your life. I'm self employed and loving every moment of it. You can do it too.

[@GlaciateHD]

@@tj92834 not even close to being true

[@PrinceSnot]

@@paz1514 i really didnt ask

[@nailati]

It's not so much that the labor in Severance is menial; menial labor can still be satisfying. It's that the labor is _alienated_

[@RobinHerzig]

🎯 Bingo!

[@cyano3d]

Damnnnn

[@pantera29palms]

*alienating

[@jamesowuor6572]

Karl Marx alienation of the factory worker

[@caymuscairns6845]

and exploitative.

[@akasakikawasaki1890]

I never thought of Mark as drunk on power. I saw him as aware of the futility of fighting back and just wanting Hallie to find contempt in her weird substandard living conditions. Mark didn't have fire to fight against the whole system, he never thought of that possibility until he read the book and got caught up in Hallie's personality and struggle.

[@ElderStatesman]

This is coupled with the fact that Mark takes the fall for Helly by accosting the security chief when she attempts to bring a written message with her and Mark gets himself tortured in the "Break Room" in her stead. He's trying hard to fulfill the role he's given so he doesn't get fired from the company. Being too afraid to step out of line lest he lose his livelihood. An all too common trait of American workers who feel they have no other choice but to play the cards they're dealt. So if Mark is a "bootlicker piece of shit," it's only because of the fear of being un-severed, losing his income, losing his housing and being forced to cope with his wife's death in poverty. The socialist manifesto hidden as a mundane "self-help" book was the catalyst Mark needed to be more supportive of the idea that their work is meaningless, and to support his colleagues' efforts in dismantling Lumon from the outside in. This show is a brilliant way to get people to rethink their role in society and begin pursuing a more equitable workplace where their pay can allow them to live a comfortable life with a healthy balance between their work & their lives.

[@cynicaltheastrocreep4504]

I agree 100%. And it seems like he really cares about his employees. Not just on some "they're my underlings" kind of way, but they're his family. And he doesn't want them to suffer, but that means putting up with being enslaved.

[@Meromorphic]

I basically said this in a similar comment, but... That's a fair assessment. I can see your point. Especially given him taking the fall for Helly the first time. What I was trying to get across was that he actively tries to keep Helly within the company knowing full well how much she wants to leave. Even if he is trying to keep her out of the Break Room, it's not his decision to make. Eventually, though, he does turn the corner and realize that his attempts weren't right.

[@SaintBrick]

When push comes to shove, Mark takes the company line and runs with it, to the point of being an asshole to Helly. There is some degree to which he might be doing it for "her own good" He certainly cares about her. But at the end of the day he tries to enforce company policy, even when it compromises his own values.

[@cynicaltheastrocreep4504]

@@SaintBrick it's like being in a prison where you're also supposed to help imprison your other prisoners. Nazi concentration camps actually did this.

[@RabbiRabbit87]

I hate how nobody knows about this show so fucking brilliant gives new meaning to to kafkaesque. I’ve seen it three times. Honestly this and season 1 of true detective are probably in my opinion the two best shows made in my life time

[@AnMuiren]

One of the best written shows of 2022. With an ensemble cast that really delivered. Can't wait to see season 2. Just discovered your channel and subscribed. Thanks

[@Meromorphic]

Agreed! I'm glad you liked the video. More to come!

[@60oh]

do you have any show recommendations? i honestly think this was the best show ive seen in years and im craving something as good and cohesive as severance.

[@Meromorphic]

@@60oh check out Barry, Ted Lasso, and Kevin can Fuck himself. All great genre-bending comedies

[@musiqtee]

My take: 1: Severance & Squid Game top the streaming charts. 2: We (most of us) are so depoliticised that we don’t act on our insights from those shows. I’m one of those boomers who’s generation should carry all the blame. But I also willingly failed as an individual to adhere to my generation’s gathering of wealth. In their view (and of my government) I’ve failed. In my view I simply stand with today’s young against the narrative I was given, and once voted for. Please, differences aside, we have many common problems across all the borders of law and nation states we uphold. We can’t solve any of them against one another. Find common ground for common change! 👍

[@TESkyrimizer]

A lovely sentiment. Unfortunately the nature of power is that it is more powerful when concentrated. The few, even with cumulatively less power, can organize much more effectively than the masses such that they will almost always have the local numerical superiority in terms of media, government influence. I don't know. It all seems so hopeless sometimes. A young man sent to Vietnam has no choice but to fight and die because what else can he do? What else can he do? If mankind was a hivemind perhaps we would have more equality. But as such it is hard enough to find 10 ppl to eat dinner with. The rare instances where labor resists capital seem few and far between, which is why they are all the more exceptional. I sound so defeatist. Im just tired. The phrase from Gangs of New York echoes always in my head: "You can always pay one half of the poor to kill the other." And often you don't even have to pay them. You just have to convince them that they're socialists, or they have a different skin color, or a different religion, or a different sex, or just doesn't think that discriminating based on any of those categories is fair. We are divided because many of us choose to be. Working class solidarity is impossible when half of us are near blinded by ignorance.

[@musiqtee]

@@TESkyrimizer I really appreciate your thoughts, because there’s always hope as insights like these are shared. Ece Temelkuran’s book “Together” is (was to me) a turning point. I warmly recommend it, if not already known to you or anyone else reading this. All the best! 🔥👍

[@musiqtee]

@@tj92834 Sorry, forgot to say that I don’t consume fictional media anymore, haven’t for years. Ironic, since I’ve worked im broadcasting and other media since analog. I study from empirical sources, correcting for bias. Getting things wrong at times is an important human feature, not a bug. So I don’t claim “truth”, nor should our prevailing ideology. That’s what started the idea of a public internet, but I digress… I say “we” because we could choose to own our societal challenges collectively, and change course. Not doing so, is a collective “bug”, or obviously (i.e. census data, financial growth) a feature for very few individuals. We clearly fall (individually, sorry) for a general policy of individualisation of failure. Thanks, neoclassical economics… 🤓👍

[@avinashreji60]

@@tj92834 sorry but you are dead wrong, these are all political choices, our whole system is. Your attitude is what they need to keep it running

[@mdl9224]

​@@tj92834 What deal would you take in order to be sure you and your family will not go hungry? This are the decisions some people are making. Doesn't sound like a fair negotiation to me.

[@RichardServello]

The strangest thing about Severance to me is that the procedure seems like an extreme form of NDA...but they don't even know what they are doing. So why do it?

[@Arenuphis]

I guess if they didn’t have it and the heavy separation of departments, staff might chat about their job on or off the clock, and piece together what they’re actually doing, and put that knowledge to some use the company doesn’t like The ndaish nature of it also goes the other way They can’t use outside information to contextualize what they see at work, or thus do much with it that the company doesn’t like The fact that they don’t know what they studied before this, or what job they signed up for, is a big part of why it’s such a black box

[@corylarsen5788]

Never could understand that NDAs are allowed to exist given the cherished right to free speech

[@kiiyll]

Why do the 'outies' get the procedure? They don't have to experience working, and get paid to live their lives outside work. Why does Lumen do it? It's not about protecting company secrets. It's a way to get obedient slaves(well, until they decide to revolt).

[@RichardServello]

@@corylarsen5788 and they are insane about them. I got a cease and desist letter once for a movie I worked on saying there was more cg in it than you would guess.

[@micosstar]

@@corylarsen5788i believe it’s something along the lines of you can freely give speech away if it’s free, also a major part is the law system (i.e. common law and contract law), but i am not an expert on that; just providing pointers

[@singular9]

Severance is a must watch. Its one of the most thought provoking shows in a very long time.

[@peter-peterpumpkineater4982]

I watched this video 3 days ago and binged the series and I'm coming back to the video. Thank you so much for suggesting this- how is this series not even more popular??? How is your video not even more popular??? Crazy.

[@ellen4956]

Because most people don't have Apple TV or even know about it. If it was on Netflix everyone would have seen it by now.

[@fishy490]

​@@ellen4956 if someone else wants to watch it amd doesn't have apple TV definitely don't look for the series on soap 2 day

[@dubogo]

the findings of the Stanford prison experiment weren't just controversial, they were manufactured by the researchers and haven't been repeated elsewhere.

[@Meromorphic]

Yeah... So between yours and other comments on the subject, I went back and did some more reading on the topic. I decided to remove that section from the video. Thanks for your comment

[@aidanaldrich7795]

The study CANT be repeated elsewhere, lol. Many experiments, like that one, wouldn't fly nowadays

[@filiprochette7793]

One thing is for sure.. every employee is more susceptible to wage theft if they have never discussed salary to their collegues.

[@randyjax09]

Story of my life. I worked at a veterinary clinic for ten years. In the end, I was second in seniority among the vet techs. I busted my ass for that place and was everyone’s go-to person to solve problems. One day I went and asked for a raise to $14/hr (sad right?) and the manager declined. A few months later, the manager left our payroll spreadsheet up on the computer and the entire staff found out what everyone made. Out of 10 techs, I was the lowest paid one. And I’d given them 10 years of my life. Lesson learned.

[@aidanaldrich7795]

​@@randyjax09You only get underpaid if you don't understand or appreciate your own value. Seems like you didn't, which is why your employer declined the raise

[@miugirl24]

@@aidanaldrich7795 Ever heard of information asymmetry and power imbalance? She knew her worth in relation to other employees but to quantify that value is much more difficult when you don't know how much each of you is earning. She tried to ask her boss for a raise and he denied her, knowing she isn't aware the full extent of her exploitation and isn't in the position to bargain. Whereas he has full knowledge and a secure position as manager.

[@ANTIStraussian]

​@@aidanaldrich7795 That's funny, our ceo gets giant bonuses whether our company does well or bad.

[@tomchloroquine1167]

@aidanaldrich7795 It's unbelievable that that's your conclusion, especially under this type of video. The person said that they asked for a raise - obviously that means they saw the value in their work. Victim blaming when people talk about their experiences is malicious because you're validating the actions of bosses that exploit their workers.

[@Peter-qe1yh]

"Capital has the ability to subsume all critiques into itself. Even those who would critique capital end up reinforcing it instead." Whenever I see videos about Severance I think of this quote from Disco Elysium.

[@DANKKrish]

Thirdly, a whole generation has passed since the collapse of the Berlin Wall. In the 1960s and 1970s, capitalism had to face the problem of how to contain and absorb energies from outside. It now, in fact, has the opposite problem; having all-too successfully incorporated externality, how can it function without an outside it can colonize and appropriate? For most people under twenty in Europe and North America, the lack of alternatives to capitalism is no longer even an issue. Capitalism seamlessly occupies the horizons of the thinkable. Jameson used to report in horror about the ways that capitalism had seeped into the very unconscious; now, the fact that capitalism has colonized the dreaming life of the population is so taken for granted that it is no longer worthy of comment. It would be dangerous and misleading to imagine that the near past was some prelapsarian state rife with political potentials, so it’s as well to remember the role that commodification played in the production of culture throughout the twentieth century. Yet the old struggle between detournement and recuperation, between subversion and incorporation, seems to have been played out. What we are dealing with now is not the incorporation of materials that previously seemed to possess subversive potentials, but instead, their precorporation: the pre- emptive formatting and shaping of desires, aspirations and hopes by capitalist culture. Witness, for instance, the establishment of settled ‘alternative’ or ‘independent’ cultural zones, which endlessly repeat older gestures of rebellion and contestation as if for the first time. ‘Alternative’ and ‘independent’ don’t designate something outside mainstream culture; rather, they are styles, in fact the dominant styles, within the mainstream. No-one embodied (and struggled with) this deadlock more than Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. In his dreadful lassitude and objectless rage, Cobain seemed to give wearied voice to the despondency of the generation that had come after history, whose every move was anticipated, tracked, bought and sold before it had even happened. Cobain knew that he was just another piece of spectacle, that nothing runs better on MTV than a protest against MTV; knew that his every move was a cliché scripted in advance, knew that even realizing it is a cliché. The impasse that paralyzed Cobain is precisely the one that Jameson described: like postmodern culture in general, Cobain found himself in ‘a world in which stylistic innovation is no longer possible, [where] all that is left is to imitate dead styles, to speak through the masks and with the voices of the styles in the imaginary museum’. Here, even success meant failure, since to succeed would only mean that you were the new meat on which the system could feed. But the high existential angst of Nirvana and Cobain belongs to an older moment; what succeeded them was a pastiche-rock which reproduced the forms of the past without anxiety. -Mark Fisher (Capitalist Realism, 2009)

[@aturtlethatisred]

Dude the prison experiment has been totally debunked and misreported. Lord of the Flies isn’t what actually happened to the kids stranded on an island. They didn’t go ferrel they all helped each other. Humans don’t all go drunk with power and mark definitely didn’t he wants to help Heli and ease her adjustment. He’s a stooge at first but like he is t drunk on power.

[@annesphantasia]

Humankind by Rutger Bregman talks about both of these points and is a great book. Very in line with the message of Severance.

[@berjanbeen7188]

The podcast Behind The Bastards did an episode about Elite Panic, which goes over this with regards to disaster plans It shows how it mostly is authorities and the rich and powerful who lived with the idea that in a disaster the common populace is not to be trusted and planned around that to the detriment of the actual disaster response.

[@voidify3]

The thing with lord of the flies is that it wasn't average humans, it was posh british schoolboys

[@jackbellmyp]

@@voidify3 It’s also a work of fiction by a grumpy teacher of posh British boys who decided to teach the world a lesson about how shitty he thought they were. It’s based on nothing but a bitter man’s dislike for the younger generation.

[@EnbyNomad]

This kind of art gives me some faint hope for the future that I wont have to die in this hellscape.

[@KhrisR3D]

I think the term/phrase that more accurately reflects what you describe @2:30 is "Capitalist Realism". Loosely defined: the widespread sense that not only is capitalism the only viable political and economic system, but also that it is now impossible even to imagine a coherent alternative to it. I'm not going to discuss whether we're in the "late" stage yet, but wanted to offer that because that sounds more accurate to your point. Our entire society is based on the foundational values of capitalism in most cases and that has had large negative effects on our psyche as we become commodities and not citizens. Less aim for happiness more aim for profit.

[@takecarayourself85]

I totally agree!! While I enjoyed this deep dive into severance, I don’t think it had anything to do with late stage capitalism. My understanding of the term is that it’s when “exponential” growth meets finite resources. Planned obsolescence, refusing the right to repair, bigger monopolies/company mergers, and subscription models for things you used to buy once - all red flags of late stage capitalism. Traditional means of profiteering aren’t good enough, so corporations increasingly grow desperate to find some means of charging people more money (and/or paying their employees even less). Nothing about severance or this video essay reminds me of that, but it does feel Very in line with the idea of Capitalist Realism. Severance is a surgery that only makes sense under the guise that capitalism is the one true option.

[@kafkaten]

This was a really good video. I'm a professor, and I plan to use this as part of an intro to "critical lenses of analysis" unit in my intro class.

[@Meromorphic]

Oh this is so cool! I'm a teacher as well (but for Physics).

[@JamieJosef]

Also pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is a saying that’s been bastardized but is already meant to be seen as a ridiculous and impossible expectation

[@Meromorphic]

Yup. Same as "a few bad apples."

[@justincruz5720]

Bastardized? How so?

[@abbywolffe4114]

I rewatched this show after the WGA strike started (at the time of writing this, SAG-AFTRA has just joined), and it was more potent to watch MDR band together for the right to know what their hard work has earned them. It's spooky that the people behind Severance created an exact onscreen depiction of the very thing the writers (and now actors) are protesting.

[@learning2fall88]

Thank you so much for being on KZbin. I rarely comment on videos, but you did an amazing job on this analysis. I loved it! Now I understand the middle part of the season!

[@mooseboose656]

I don’t usually say this but your super underrated I’m surprised you haven’t gotten more views on the latest videos keep up the good work man

[@Blahgirl283]

This was very good and very thought provoking. Thank you for breaking down this concept in such an accessible way. Also great show to do it with.

[@jlshootingstar333]

I just wanna say I appreciate so much actually giving a link when mentioning another video. It drives me crazy that so many ppl don't do that.i also immensely appreciate the music being shown on screen when it's used!!! And linked in the description 😭💕 seriously it's a little thing, but I wish more ppl did it tysfm

[@NaumRusomarov]

in 2023 there isn't a lack of wealth or even a lack of resources, technology has allowed people to create far more wealth than at any point in time in the history of mankind. even you and I are creating wealth right now just by writing this comment. the problem is that a significant part of that newly created wealth goes into the pockets of a tiny minority just like it did 500 years ago. the simple solution remains as elusive as ever to all of our politicians an economic experts.

[@gundamzerostrike]

Ben Stiller directed some of his most succeful movies, including "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", which is a cult classic and an absolute hallmark in cinematography. You should go watch it if you haven't yet.

[@Meromorphic]

Ya know I had completely forgotten about that movie, even though I watched it multiple times back in the day. You're right, it really was great.

[@Jebu911]

Amazing show its kinda funny apple made it. Their own work conditions are pretty close to some dystopian settings.

[@kimberlee9608]

After almost two decades in my career I’m finally at a job I love AND that makes a difference AND pays much higher than the national average… let me tell you how much that changes the game of one’s “relationship” to working. I enjoy working, I rarely wake up begrudgingly on a work day, I go in and get a sense of personal fulfillment that I couldn’t get elsewhere. It’s made me kinder and much more capable of being financially charitable. I know how rare it is to feel this way so honestly, it’s felt like a ticket to enlightenment. To feel your work is of service to others and the community and to have the privilege of compensation that can be used further that feeling (instead of focusing on wealth and self indulgence) is wonderful, but late stage capitalism will keep most people from ever having that.

[@dearyvettetn4489]

The state of the economy can end a great job too. For just over one year I worked a job that finally aligned with my skills and my career desires, and a month ago I was let go from that job because of the current state of the real estate market. It’s like finding your soulmate and that person dying suddenly. Good luck on that new job. I hope It all works out 🤞🏽

[@alexxx4434]

Consider yourself a lucky one.

[@kamarae.2444]

@@dearyvettetn4489 ME TOO. I loved almost every aspect of my job, great pay, great benefits, and didn’t suck the life out of me at the end of the day. And my team was also a joy. But the tech recession came to town and I got cut so back to square one. Anyway going out on my own so I hope it works out, it’s been 2 years in the making

[@londonsushi9244]

Great video! The one aspect of Mark I think that you missed is his motivation for getting the severance procedure which was personal loss and inability to cope. I think this was meant to represent the type of worker who is dealing with the issues in their personal life (unhappy at home or personal tragedy etc) by throwing themselves into their work as either a kind of distraction to avoid confronting their issues or to double their efforts to climb the corporate ladder as a misguided ethos of professional success will improve your personal life

[@kathymueller639]

Thanks!

[@Meromorphic]

No thank YOU

[@meatballhead15]

Hey. I just wanted to say a couple of things: 1. Thank you for this video, ,and 2. Thank you for your earlier Severance and Psychology video, as it was what convinced me to watch the series. Your videos are well put together but spoiier free enough that I was able to really enjoy Severance and it is the first series for many years to make my wheels spin when I'm trying to sleep at night.

[@Meromorphic]

Hey thanks! I appreciate that. However, the other video was not mine. But I'm glad you commented this because I had forgotten to link it in the description.

[@meatballhead15]

@@Meromorphic Ah, sorry for the misunderstanding! I still enjoyed both videos! :)

[@MayvaAva]

Even if I disagree with you on some things, mostly Mark, I do think it’s great to see people talk about this show! It’s easily one of, if not the best, live-action show i’ve watched, ofc we’ll see if they keep the ball rolling or fumble the bag next season, but the first season is solid and a beautiful piece of art, I really wish it were more popular

[@Junnipei]

SImply adore this video!! I keep forgetting how ""new"" in the youtube sphere you are because people need to find you!! been sharing this vids with a lot of people

[@Meromorphic]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate that and you ☺️

[@happycamperds9917]

Cruelty Squad has to be one of my favorite critiques of late stage capitalism. The value of life is literally at rock bottom.

[@Channeldyhb]

I don't think it's right to say that Mark is just an asshole middle manager for half the season, I saw it that at work he was scared and didn't know anything but he learned do your work or get punished, and according to Dylan, Mark wasn't like that when Petey was there, he doesn't know how to do his new job and is already being tested and punished for it, why would he but be scared? the book really did motivate him

[@lifeissweet9826]

Mark was happy at work with Petey in charge. He wS aware Petey balanced him. He felt he couldn't match peteys abilities. Now he wants out.

[@larshogan1275]

You used the painting picture!!! And you had the hat on!!! Hahahaha, love it!!!! Thanks again for helping me paint man!

[@Meromorphic]

Lol duh. Why do you think i took the picture?

[@FinalFrankie]

I watched Severance after having to quit my job because I had a mental breakdown. Needless to say the show hit ✨different✨

[@TheFernanDoom]

Thank you for recommending the series, and keeping enough things secret to make it still interesting. Wonderful series, wonderful ending, can't wait for more.

[@Jim-BobWalton]

Severance is one of the most satisfying media work I’ve seen for years…and this is a great companion to elaborate on the underlying themes

[@bolillo5013]

Severance is likely my favorite show of all time.

[@D3K43]

I highly recommend you play "Citizen Sleeper" It's like Cyberpunk, but dialed up to 11 on human exploitation, with a lot more of a personal, emotional story than shooty guns and vigilante outlaws.

[@5hif7yx86]

this show is absolutely amazing, and your analysis is spot on dude. great work

[@BigSebi]

Fantastic video, thank you for your service comrade

[@JoyJacques]

Great video! Your hours of work on the script really showed. Thank you. I love Severance and this video gave me even more reasons.

[@victorvargascb]

Wow what a great video. Your editing style and script are top notch. Can't wait to see this channel take off soon!

[@Feunouill]

Great video. Thanks Meromorphic!

[@Meromorphic]

No, thank **you** Marth

[@JustCarp]

hey fam, this was an absolutely fantastic analysis. I've seen the show at least 5 times and you've managed to uncover stuff not even I'VE seen. enjoy this sub.

[@Nerfunkal]

I like that you know what you've said before as a fellow knower of what I've said before.

[@dav__made]

Damn this video and channel needs a lot more views and subs than it has.

[@Captain_Maeve]

Subbed for the destiny lore readings, stayed for the interesting video essays.

[@blacknails512]

great video! excellent editing and audio as well as being a great commentary on a show that totally captivated me when i watched it! this show definitely hit close to home as a fellow trapped office worker, looking forward to the next season

[@aprole87]

Fantastic video! It's a great show and I really appreciated your analysis. I wonder if the portrayal of Dylan (the one supposedly "outside" of ideology) submitting to desire is itself meant as a commentary on the human condition; perhaps along the lines of "they know what they do, nonetheless they do it". We all enjoy in some form or another. Maybe that just manifests as superficial rewards and trinkets for Dylan because that's just the best thing available for him- given the constraints.

[@annesphantasia]

Thanks for the great video! I also see Kier as the Big Daddy God deification of Capitalism in general, beyond just how we glorify some CEOs. Where you spend your thought & attention are a part of worship - and the vast majority of America, no matter where they attend services, primarily worship The God Money. Everything Kier in the world of Severance immediately struck that chord in me.

[@sakuradeva555]

I burst into tears watching the season finale, it truly feels so hopeless even if they did band together at the end.

[@adamsackfield589]

Rally good video. You should note through that the Stanford Prison Experiment has been discredited if I recall. Due to the people controlling it being biased and also influencing the behaviour.

[@FGDecbEy]

The people in Severance only work 8 hours a day? Incredibly unrealistic!

[@Dayvit78]

And not only that, they spend much of their time chatting, in the bathroom, and wandering the halls. Remember whrn they're all standing around waiting for Hellie to reach some percent. With all the surveillance, management sure is lax about managing their time management.

[@skakirask]

And that's presumably with lunch included!

[@MS-we9gn]

Severance is SO good. I can’t wait for the second season. It’s truly a masterpiece. I wasn’t expecting something so great from Apple TV

[@mebibyte9347]

Marvelous. Thank you for making this, and I loved the show. I think this turned out great

[@Meromorphic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ericaceous1652]

You should be happy with how it turned out. Fabulous video. Thank you

[@theboogeyman2590]

Cyberpunk 2077 I think is based on a short story called Johnny Mnemonic by William Gibson (widely credited for pioneering the sci-fi and cyberpunk genres) published in 1981, which was an AMAZING read. It speaks surprisingly plenty on self identity for a story that you wouldn’t think would do. Another piece of cyberpunk media is Blade Runner (both 1982 and 2049), loosely based off the book called “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” By Philip K. Dick in 1968.

[@Amyreadingabook]

very good! thanks for making it

[@HughJassole420]

I just discovered you and this channel is great!

[@Meromorphic]

I just found your comment and so are you!

[@dabluflcn]

"how do you expect to survive if you don't work" is the attitude that got us here in the first place. It's not enough to work just to survive. What's the end result? Survive long enough to go to work again? I just can't when idiots smugly proclaim their devotion to a system of modern enslavement. As if work to live or live to work are the only two options.

[@coreyrachar9694]

Literally everyone when they see a movie or show about greedy corporations: "omg that's so evil!" Literally everyone when you say capitalism is flawed: "fking communist!"

[@evancrew1234]

This video NEEDS to be shown in schools

[@cheshireket3132]

I set up a watch schedule for Severance and ended up watching 5 episodes in one night lol Im hype for season 2 🎉

[@hashkeeper]

despite those moronic commenters, this video got you a sub and a like

[@JamieJosef]

I don’t think it’s fair to say that Helly’s attempt was was spurred Mark to stop being, in your view, a corporate drone. At that point, he had already chosen to keep Petey’s map and was aware of how bad things were. It just convinced/inspired him to believe he has the power to change things

[@F4T4L3FF3CTx78]

Simply fantastical video. Subscribed

[@Meromorphic]

Thanks!

[@BaronVonSTFU]

Stanford experiment results aren't just controversial but most likely fraudulent. A researcher was given access to the unedited interviews and videos with the participants. They were very much coached into the behavior. Some of them were also just acting the part. It's pretty crazy how universally accepted those results are.

[@Shadowfolk369]

On the name's topic. It's also very telling that the innies sport shortened, often friendlier nicknames of their outies. Like a safe for work persona.

[@Looshington]

“they’re going completely on blind faith, which is not enough for most people!” *Staring in Religion intensifies*

[@Meromorphic]

Yeah kinda walked right into that one, didn't I? Lol

[@jackbellmyp]

The Stanford Prison experiment was manipulated from the beginning. Many of the "enforcers" were trained beforehand in how they were supposed to act and were aware of the intended results of the experiment. The experimenters intervened when the guards weren't abusing the victims and presented the experiment falsely. One of many sources: [Le Texier, 2019]

[@nathy0308]

This is the best video on Severence I've seen

[@sarahclegg7548]

this was my favorite show i watched last year. seriously worth the watch

[@leplus1]

Even the concept of misery in our lives is being commodified, well done bigwigs.

[@comiturhan]

This is amazing and scary at the same time! :( I'm writing a dissertation on Late Capitalism and Cyberpunk fictions. I feel like you should do the same with Severance, Mero. :D

[@jcesarslopes]

"even in the US" SPECIALLY in the US, you mean

[@jnyerere]

I came here to make this exact comment.

[@maxstewart2083]

i think its really funny how angry people can get at the first mention of karl marx or a critique of the system. the sadness is that the irony is one that those who are angry will either never understand or choose not to understand.

[@timothybaran8315]

Has anyone ever noticed the the 5 note piano riff that plays throughout the show is the same notes that play in Radioheads song Creep when they sing “i don’t belong here…”

[@iamsemjaza]

On corps being insidious: I always tell people "Check the movement for marketing."

[@FaenorFiremind]

Great essay! And thank you for using "potato" as an insult.

[@jnyerere]

This is the best video I've seen on Severance.

[@JohnnyClash_]

The timing is pretty good on this video

[@MrBaskins2010]

solid piece on one of my favorite spooky shows of all time.

[@Poszlakowaneopinie]

Severance is frighteningly on the spot. I remember working in finance corpo, thought we're advising investors... until after a year colleague took me to the storage room where I found out files we worked were actually for some gov. bureau in Luxembourg, just to provide documentation; quite a futile job, just a drop in the ocean of capital that we consumed like ants; however corpo is still better than small companies, where there are no rules to protect you against an abusive boss PS: other 'funny' story - when I was leaving and asked management jokingly why did they cancel pizza Fridays; later my supervisor took me for a private meeting, I thought to reprimand me, turned out he wanted to thank me, as everybody else was too afraid to ask about pizza Fridays; pretty crazy stuff

[@ogolarickie2971]

This is a really great video!

[@StainsStainsStains]

Nice to see a new upload right on

[@Meromorphic]

More to come!

[@un_lucio]

It' hurts my brain how most don't realise how companies caring only about profits and dividends is one of the biggest source of problems of our times.

[@Holphana]

Squid games is not a dystopian future. It is a metaphor for the present day American capitalism. Like the glass breaking game. Imagine start-ups lining up to take on a new tech industry. Each failure paves the way for the next. This seems ok in theory but the truth is that it affects human lives. Usually only the workers too, most people don't just bet everything they have on unproven tech. The system might work if people were guaranteed food, water and shelter during their times of unemployment but this would require actually paying workers indirectly. I never understood that anyway. Why does a person deserve millions of dollars because they gathered up and barked orders at a large group of people. They were working anyway, you just made them more efficient, that sounds like a worker salary to me.

[@marinoceccotti9155]

Severance is an astounding show, very brutal, ruthless. Watch it ! "Innies" and "outies", indeed. Great choice of words.

[@coRynnstar]

Automation is a huge factor in how we can shape what "work" looks like going forward. Our track record with capitalism so far has been a bummer, but I want to be optimistic about the possibilities of being freed from survival work someday -- we could achieve SO MUCH if we didn't have the fear of lack hanging over our heads all the dang time.

[@Meromorphic]

Oh I totally agree. I didn't mean to come off as a Luddite. I am a major tech-head and I am excited for what's coming. But at the same time I am worried about the people being left behind. I hope that we can get people in office that see the value of a UBI or some similar form of wellfare that will provide for those people

[@johnletoile614]

ooop flash frame at 12:38!! lmao Im an editor they would kill me at work for that........I love this video so much : )

[@Meromorphic]

Gaahhh. Damnit. Why can't I edit already uploaded videos. 😭. I try my best, alright? (Thank you, btw) ❤️

[@davidagiel8130]

Severance is about memories and how the mind works. Mark is the ego, Dylan is the id, Irving is the superego, and Helly is the anima. The outie mark is the shadow self. This is evident with the communication they have between each other and the way the shadow has anger issues and projects that onto the street protestors.

[@uwuthesunset5789]

Meromorphic, I really enjoy your videos and the way you address your topics. For this video specifically, though, or ones going forward, could you add a content warning? Just a quick mention before the video starts or before the clip showing the s*icide footage would be nice. Channels with a quarter of your following make twice your effort to make their content more accessible. If you see this at all, thanks in advance!!

[@Meromorphic]

This is a really good point. Sorry about that. I'll try to be better going forward! 👍