Workplace Dystopias Aren’t Just Fiction, They’re Here

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It seems like everyone today hates their job - and recent film and TV are taking this anti-work vibe to the extreme. From Squid Game to Succession to Severance, narratives today are aware that most of us are trapped in a rigged economic game which benefits a select elite. And real-life inspired work stories WeCrashed, The Dropout and Super Pumped use documented facts to show us just how bad this has all gotten. Here’s our take on how the workplace sitcom has given way to widespread workplace dystopia and how it reflects our angst that the nature of work today is not just soul-crushingly meaningless but actively wrong.
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We are The Take (formerly ScreenPrism).
00:00 - The age of the workplace dystopia
02:24 - Workplace dystopia stories have always been around
05:26 Nord VPN
06:31 The myth of the workplace family
08:31 Today's work-life balance toxicity
12:29 Are things only going to get worse?

[@thetake]

Get exclusive NordVPN deal here ➵ NordVPN.com/thetake It’s risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee!✌

[@alexsmith2910]

Pretty based video.

[@groob33]

NordVPN is a total scam.

[@shzarmai]

Workplace Democracy is a necessity at this point smh

[@thomaswade3072]

"Changing your IP twice" is security theater; a scam. If they can trace it once, they're already inside the logs of Nord's servers. You'd be an utter fool to think this is 100% private. The 'no logs' claim has been proven to not be entirely true either.

[@TonyWilliams27]

There’s too many coworkers drama, political issues and entitled people inside the job currently! A lot of hardworking people like myself or my friends are on the verge of quietly quitting!

[@annejohnson5875]

I hate when employers try to portray the workplace as a family. I already have a family thank you very much. Work should just be work.

[@adrienne3663]

Indeed you can have good colleagues, but I like to keep a separation between my friends and work people

[@proudatheist2042]

I have noticed that with two TV shows my husband has watched and pointed it out to him. It seems that they are conveying the message "don't worry, you can work 80 hours a week in your career, but your colleagues will become the family and friends you always wanted!" If that happens for someone, great! However, scenarios like that don't happen most of the time. Sometimes you have colleagues with horrendous attitudes who make work terrible.

[@LizHawk]

We're like a family *Laughs in problematic family*

[@alexlee9180]

@@LizHawk I know, right? I have a really shitty family, so whenever anyone says "we're like family", I'm like, get tf away from me!!

[@ashleyching7894]

Signs of a cult

[@keplerscat28]

Yesterday, I said no to my boss. I was expected to drive to a work activity outside of my work hours (30 min drive for one way) and stay there for who knows how long. When I asked how I would be compensated for the over time (also how does insurance work in this case, like dude, what if I get into an accident) I was met with confusion. "What? This isn't overtime, silly, we just do that to show our company we care! It's just something we do on top of work to be nice! Think about how great it'll be, what you're doing isn't work!" I immediately apologized and told them I wouldn't be doing it then. It felt great. Fuck this whole overworking culture, no one gets to dictate how I spend my free time.

[@alirott2271]

👍🏼👏👏👏👏👏 GOOD FOR YOU. Seriously. FOOK EM.

[@eovarendre7877]

@keplers cat. Power to you!!

[@philv2529]

Too many people spend their time and energy chasing carrots 🥕

[@alphaomega1351]

The smartphone and broadband connectivity from home 🏡 has made work a 24 hour affair for many IT professionals. I mean even when on vacation they have access to you. No wonder everyone is always down and depressed 😔. 😶

[@worshipthecomedygodseoeunk4010]

it was my first year teaching the past school year and we were expected to stay until 6pm for conferences, even if we finished ours. we also had to work late for school events. on top of that, because of the bus driver shortage, we were all expected to stay until 5pm for 2 weeks straight until the buses arrived, when the contract hours end at 4. when i asked the financial staff "so how will we be compensated for that?" she just laughed and said "none of us get paid for that. we all pitch in and have to stay late." the thought of resigning became very desirable at that point. i never did though because getting a job in general was already so hard for me. they make this deliberately so that the workers expend and expend like mindless robots.

[@memyself898]

My company was baffled when they threw a pizza party (after work hours of course) and not a single person from our office showed up and instead all met up at a local bar, which we purposely talked about in front of management. I had no intention on working there much longer anyways so when asked why no one came, I was honest and told them if you aren't paying us, we aren't going near you. the HR rep told us the party to to try and promote a more family atmosphere. So I asked him if we are family can I borrow his BMW and $ 100? When asked if I thought this was funny I asked which part, what I'm saying, or the fact you actually believe anyone here considers this place anything other than a paycheck. I left the HR office and never came back to work. It was the most liberating and terrifying thing I ever did. I opened up a specialty mechanic shop with 2 of my friends and now make 6 figures. I employ 11 people, all of which I pay well over going rates for given positions, and all of which have been with us for approaching 15 years. I don't treat any of my employees like subordinates. I treat them like people whom I do business with. I'm not going to be cheesy and say we are family or any such goofiness, but we are all pretty close.

[@lorrmarie7281]

the reason schools never teach entrepreneurship is to have obedient and terrified slaves for corporations. The fact your 'coworkers' are still working with you speaks volumes. Well done. I'd so love a boss like you.

[@boostmobilewes]

Gotta admit that’s fucking awesome

[@thelustfulkid4110]

This is why people “don’t want to work these days.” With Covid, I’ve heard so many people say “no one wants to work anymore” but I can’t imagine anyone wanting to waste their life away for such little money they can barely live while the people who own the companies do nothing and prosper. In order for anything to change, we truly have to come to be united and stand up for what we need as humans. As cliche as it sounds, we aren’t free until we push back against “the elite.”

[@jon_ovo3653]

That’s exactly the issue wasting life to barely get by is ridiculous

[@bbrbbr-on2gd]

Too bad people don't understand what "Elite" actually means, and often turn to antisemitic conspiracies. The people and companies with access to levers of power work 24/7 to consolidate that power, and divide the working class. Don't fall for reactionary bait, control the narrative by placing emphasis on policies that unite the working class.

[@patriot121317]

Amen to that.

[@eleonoralorenzet6715]

There are two reasons to work: one is accepting little money cause you’re so incredibly passionate about what you do. The other is merely standing a job cause it allows you to live a good, comfortable life. Most of us end up trapped in jobs they hate while gaining little to no money. What’s the point? That can’t be the meaning of our life. That can’t be the way we waste our time and energies. It has to change.

[@armstrongjosh]

People don't want to work, because employers don't want to hire. And by that I mean, employers more than ever are trying to hire one person to do the work of three people. But job seekers aren't stupid, they see right past that.

[@jennterry6977]

I think Superstore did a good job of showing how horrible the company was but still having people try to make the best of it and have friendships and romance.

[@hinata167]

I remember wanting to watch that show when I worked at CVS because I just wanted something big saying "yeah this is fucked up and souless"

[@jennterry6977]

@@hinata167 anyone who has worked in customer service in any form could relate.

[@armstrongjosh]

Superstore is underrated.

[@omegabat3986]

That’s the propaganda. It helps condition you to try to do the same without addressing the actual issues. That’s how the cycle keeps getting worse.

[@jessielove1252]

@@omegabat3986 Stockholm syndrome.

[@missso2561]

My company loves to send us emails about what a "family" we are. I emailed HR months ago about my anxiety struggles over the past year due to everything going on. Instead of empathy, I got meetings with my supervisors telling me my productivity was down and I needed to get my numbers up. No mention of my email, nothing. Been with the company almost 30 years, and now suddenly I'm a "problem" because I'm having one rough year. The problem is, your direct supervisors get pressure from above as well. So if you become less productive and the higher ups notice, then the lower management has to clamp down on everyone because then they feel pressure. It's a vicious cycle with no true support for any level in the company unless you are at the very top.

[@dianastc3710]

You literally said everything

[@Tchart23]

I seriously believe this happens more than we think. I had almost the same situation. Was with an employer who called us all a family, then boom have a rough year from covid and ask for help and then it turns from family to a replaceable employee.

[@notmyrealpseudonym6702]

Just want to say sorry to hear about your anxiety and hope you find some form of inner peace for yourself

[@monad_tcp]

"unless you are at the very top" wrong. I tried to escape by making my own company so I would be at the very top. Now I have new bosses, the investors that have the money. Wall St it seem is the very top, but probably even them have their own bosses, the bankers I dunno. Not even when you are at the very top of a company, you are really at the very top of society. Sometimes I think that quitting and going to plant potatoes in a piece of land I bought would be better. This system is insane and the house of cards can fall any moment.

[@CaraMarie13]

Exactly. I've stopped looking for support from my supervisors. Like i know they are only the middle person placed there to take the heat so the higher ups don't even have to learn our names.

[@alicecourtney5816]

I burst out laughing when they started the ad for nord VPN. It felt like it was a parody for a second

[@jennterry6977]

Same here!

[@boomboom1139]

I was so into the video and then that happens😂😂😂

[@Maxx__________]

Yea, really jarring. I guess no one is safe from work dystopia.

[@cavy369]

bro, same

[@savannahs8914]

I do like that Parks and Rec showed that it was okay to like boring jobs, too.

[@PhilipJackson03]

I feel parks and rec made that work because the people in charge were good. Mediocre work isn’t bad when you have good management and fair benefits.

[@sohndustin]

I think the team liked Leslie more than they liked the job itself and they showed up for her. But they also eventually found their own passions and ventures :) That show was so wholesome

[@savannahs8914]

@@sohndustin yeah, I was thinking more about how Ben and the accounting firm liked their boring jobd

[@krysiunia]

@@PhilipJackson03 that’s the formula right there - good management and benefits.

[@WhoBlah21]

Parks and Rec can be a little too whimsical at times, but like D Sohn said the team only endured and showed up because of Leslie's charisma and amount of care she has for the field.

[@shawnleprechaun482]

I worked for a family owned businesses for over 20 years. After finally getting tired of hearing "You're like family" countless times, I asked "Am I in the will?" ,Walked out and never looked back.

[@ronmackinnon9374]

🎯 Brilliant answer!

[@KaritKtana]

Pizza parties are basically a universal joke at this point. Anyone who's paying attention knows they're giving out these "perks" instead of things workers actually need, like raises, paid leave or more paid time off. Don't get distracted, know your worth and unite

[@williamj.dovejr.8613]

I was given a team and told to make it work...so I did just that. Since we would work long hours, I allow it for them to bring in their own coffee makers, mini fridges, and had special food brought in (on my dime ) for late night brainstorming sessions..it worked..they were going above and beyond because they were personally invested, then managers killed all the stuff that made it work. Productivity and morale crashed...I let them know it along with my notice, others did likewise. Employers...if it's working, leave it the hell alone.

[@jo5678]

Yall are getting pizza? My employer sucks

[@stregadisalem732]

Or decent healthcare!

[@stregadisalem732]

Pizza Parties, Cake for someone’s birthday, Ice Cream socials, Catered Lunches by pharmaceutical companies, they all fall in the same category.

[@monad_tcp]

@@jo5678 pizza is not even real food, its a snack

[@vn6084]

A friend told me quitting a job can be like a break up. They'll guilt you into thinking 'no job will love you like this job'

[@afterdinnercreations936]

The problem with workplace comedies like The Office is it depends on a set of characters. The problem is real-life workplaces go through dozens of employees, rarely having any near-permanent mainstays.

[@scottmcneely1927]

But many of them do have bosses as idiotic as he is.

[@eyeseer1]

Worked for a company that had tax credits hiring felons or incompetent welfare to work applicants. Worked for a company that hired a worker they fired after the second day, another never went to work for the first 2 days before nixed- just wanted to be on payroll for unemployment insurance.

[@ennuiblue4295]

@@eyeseer1 sounds like Frank on Shameless

[@paooolacrayola]

I live in Juarez. An industrial city on Mexico, which has always been very sad. People don’t have water to wash their dishes but more factories keep coming because the labor is very cheap. They have announced that some factories want to install beds in the factories so people don’t have to go to their homes. So yeah the distopya is deffenitely here

[@paooolacrayola]

All the factories are international btw

[@daveharrison84]

That is horrible.

[@boomboom1139]

This reminds me of plankton controlling bikini bottom for their labor. Except for us it’s the whole world and we don’t have the luxury of being unconscious during the work 😮‍💨😮‍💨

[@LvUhcX]

@@boomboom1139 omg that would be amazing like a distinct dream

[@jo5678]

You, my cousin in mexico works for an international company I think its german. Well the workers go in one week in the morning, the next week evenings, and the 3rd week at night. I cant believe it!

[@PhilipJackson03]

I used to work at a Walmart and what I always found so fucking creepy was that in the Managers office there was a massive picture of Sam Walton just staring down at you. And in other rooms there were tons of his quotes across all the walls. Not to mention the weird chant that thankfully I never was apart of. A lot of workplaces operate like cults. Trying to make you feel like you can’t live without them and then work you to the bone. While not all workplaces are like that for the vast majority of workers that is truly what it is.

[@terry9238]

And don’t get me started on the union busting tactics.

[@iprobablyforgotsomething]

That reminds me of the scene with Queen Latifah's character Georgia in her manager's office in Last Holiday. Where the guy (a smarmy tool who obviously worships the arrogant Big Boss) plays the multi-chain company's owner's audiobook to try and get Georgia to fall in line. . Hmm... now I wonder if that part was 'inspired by' or 'based on a true story'...

[@contemptuoushomer6136]

Yeah, I remember working at a Walmart after finishing high school and they weren't too bad for that but I remember the Sam Walton quote above the staircase before you head out to the floor from the employee area. As well as the weird board game showing Sam Walton's journey. Thankfully not a lot of emphasis on it as I think the people there knew it was foolish but still gave off cult vibes, elevating a store founder to some ideal figure of worship.

[@nathangehrls5491]

It is a cult of Sam Walton. I noticed that crazy shit when I worked there too xD

[@debbylou5729]

So you suck at your job and use these irrelevant things as your excuse

[@sadie9728]

We're literally living in a dystopian society right now so I imagine most of our jobs count.

[@SeaOfMany]

Then leave..

[@sadie9728]

Leave what? Life? Are you suggesting suicide is the only solution?

[@SeaOfMany]

@@sadie9728 how bout you go to North Korea and see what a real dystopia is… you have it so good yet all you can do is complain

[@sadie9728]

Whatever is happening in KN has nothing to do with me or this dystopia; they have their own to contend with. All people like you can do if deflect and accept your miserable existence with passive apathy. You're why it gets worse.

[@stevensalazar4526]

@@SeaOfMany You should probably think real hard about what you are going to write before you write it and click reply.

[@Princess-ep5hi]

I work at a toxic job and I do feel trapped like there is no way out. I can’t do what I want to do like travel the world. Everyday I have to deal with toxic management who underpay us and don’t offer bonuses or any type of incentives for exceeding goal. Yet they continue to make millions off of our work. My manager even told us we should be grateful to be underpaid because we could have been paid less. I also deal with angry patients as well and I’m really tired of it. My job also doesn’t offer enough PTO. We only get 3.5 hours of PTO every two weeks and we don’t get sick leave. You also are only eligible for being promoted after you work for almost a year.

[@zoesimpson1270]

girlll that sounds like actual indentured servitude…

[@jennterry6977]

I hope you are able to find something better soon. I have been there.

[@thescarecrow2710]

What job do you do? Sorry to hear...

[@JeanieD]

This sounds like the last 40 years of my life. ☹️

[@JayMarie033]

Is that even legal?

[@ich901000]

the NordVPN ad made it look like a dystopia of social critique.

[@williamj.dovejr.8613]

The minute employers say " We're family here..."...I want to vomit...I check out instantly. Dead. ass. serious. I have worked long enough and I have seen enough that I only want to work hours scheduled...no more, no less. I refuse to come in and work for free... that's a genteel form of slavery. I am not showing up and staying late just for employers, middle managers, and wannabes to see my face. My service ends the minute I walk out the door, don't call me at home. Ever. Those people who declare they are " 24 hour employees" believe that as long as it is applied to others. I am not coming in because someone needs a immediate vacay ( usually middle and upper management...) or someone's nanny is sick or quit...just what the f**k does that have to do with me or anyone else? Finally, if you refuse to give me a raise I have earned for years of service and try to tell me that " people don't work here for the money, they work for the challenge. " If challenges are far more important than money, how about you take on my challenges and I will take your money? I thought so. People quit bad managers and organizations, not simply jobs. If this is your situation...find a way to fire your boss. Those things a company says...try it on someone else..I am over it. Please excuse this unintentionally long rant. Life is meant to be lived... not in some cubicle or corner office..you will never catch anyone saying I wish I had worked more. Go in peace.

[@MusicalJourneysThruCinema]

I do a great job at my workplace and my managers love me. However, I'm pretty quiet and I don't socialize with my co-workers. I do like the people I work with. I'm just there to do my job and go home. I'm not there to make friends.

[@richerDiLefto]

Same situation here. I’m an introvert and I work in retail for now as a necessity (*horrible* profession for quiet people), but I’m ok with the people there. The team leads at my job are outgoing and like to joke around among each other and with their employees, which is fine, but their behavior just doesn’t jive with a person like me. I got especially annoyed when one of them tried to stare into my eyes and said something along the lines of “you’re so quiet, someday I’ll get you to say something.” I smiled, but what I said in my mind was, “No. You. Won’t. I’m not here to make friends, I just want to walk in, work, and get the f*k home. Leave. Me. ALONE.”

[@Bunny11344]

I just feel like talking to some of the coworkers at work is such a waste of my energy and breath

[@C-Thunder]

Exactly, business is business. You have to look out for yourself because, the company will never ever will look out for you.

[@Dreadkid08]

Straight up. I already have friends. I found them myself

[@worshipthecomedygodseoeunk4010]

me too. i sometimes hang out with my coworkers but its more of an obligatory thing for sure. real friendships happen organically, my college friends are there for me because they genuinely care about me. not anxiously hovering around me worried ill get fired or ranting about admin. of course the support is still real, but only within the work environment. outside of that, we barely know each other and id like to keep it that way. its frustrating as hell then that they constantly ask me about personal stuff, like my family or my hobbies. i give these particular people the benefit of the doubt though, because i work at a korean school and that intrinsically relates to my personal life simply because i was adopted from korea.

[@trinaq]

Both versions of "The Office" offered different depictions of the Workplace sitcom. The UK version was more realistic and dark with its humour, showing work as dull. However, the US version was more over the top and whimsical, befitting a more lighthearted style of comedy.

[@margaretjohnson6259]

i can't watch these types of shows. hits too close to home. i HATED working except in the medical field. i did have some purpose there.

[@Thebuird]

The US Office remained pretty good, but I much preferred the more realistic sarcastic humor of S1 and S2

[@melo617]

There’s an Australian show called Utopia. It is so depressingly accurate on what it’s like working for the government.

[@genestone4951]

If you work for the government then you deserve the misery.

[@tessajones9393]

I Love that show!!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

‘Severance’ is such a beautiful critique on the conventional job but it’s supremely ironic that it’s on Apple TV Plus because it’s not really the most Socialist friendly organisation.

[@bartoszkleszcz5420]

It's still a product that creates income, and is unlikely to lead to change - so the status quo is maintained, the content is created and money is made. There is no problem with any kind of message as long as it serves the function for the company.

[@eligregl]

You don't need to be Socialist to give dignity to your employees

[@terry9238]

Yeah-shows like “Severance” aren’t available to watch for free. Is that an accident? What do you think?

[@karenzhang8873]

Agreed, and that’s why pirate it 💁🏻‍♀️

[@eligregl]

@@karenzhang8873 Same

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Idk why I procrastinated on the thought of watching ‘Severance’ but it’s just so worth it: The writing, the acting, Adam Scott, Workplace Relationships, Adam Scott, the Intro Theme, the Girlbossery and OMG THOSE TWISTS AND THAT ENDING. I need to lie down.

[@sarahparalovo]

And also, Adam Scott ❤️

[@stregadisalem732]

It was hard to get through the first few episodes because it was just too depressing. But I’m so glad I watched the whole season. “Sorry to Bother You” is a movie I also highly recommend.

[@dianag.1997]

Severance is absolutely fantastic, it's now one of my favorite, I felt so much pain when season ended, my dopamine level was on the highest watching these last series and Adam Scott, yes!!!:)

[@Thebuird]

I watched the ending 5 times in a row. The climatic cuts of different story culminations, the buildup of the awesome music, and Adam’s last line of “She’s _____!!” was superbly done. Had my emotions going

[@kazza6078]

Every time my team tells a new person "we're like a little family" I make sure to interject an explanation that the people on my team genuinely get along and look out after each other, not the more common fake alternative. My coworkers haven't all been burned by the "we're a family" bs before but I've seen a few new people become relieved when I clarify, since it's so common to be a shit company but claim you care

[@DrewberTravels]

I started doing Doordash and Uber two and a half years ago and I seriously regret it. I left a stressful job at walmart to do rideshare stuff when a friend told me how much he was making. The money was good during the beginning but it seems like more people are piling onto the system as drivers. I am putting 1500 miles on my car a week and working every single day to make a living wage. Now that gas is expensive thats like 175 a week in expenses. I have to change my oil once a month which is another drain on the earnings. I had one car fall apart to the point of ending up in a salvage yard. I had a wreck with the next car that took 3 months to get paid out through the corporate insurance last year. The current car has been a nightmare from the moment I got it. I was stressed about running out of savings from not working and not finding any new jobs during my time without my car. I ended up with a loan with some pretty terrible terms. They claimed I was going to have a warranty with the car but I didn't read the fine print and I voided the warranty after driving it 10k miles in a year. The car started overheating and I took it back to the dealership hoping to have some help with it but they just told my my warranty was no longer valid and they would have to charge me 2k to just tear down the engine to find out what the problem could be. I luckily know somebody that works on cars and was willing to help me with it so we tore down the engine and repaired the head gasket. Long story short any money I made beyond my living expenses this year was sucked away by my maintenance issues. I have tried to find a real job since august of last year but have had zero luck getting my foot in the door anywhere. I finally found a work from home call center job that I'm going to start in July but as anybody that's worked real jobs knows call centers are their own picnic. I dug myself into a hole I can't dig myself out of with Uber...

[@terry9238]

Wow. And Uber says it’s such a great company to work for! And so do some of the people who have driven for them-and who are probably paid to tweet about what a great “employer” it is. (But it’s not really an employer, because you’re sort of an independent contractor and sort of an employee, depending on which is more convenient for the company at the moment.) 😏

[@marcelaquintanilla]

I really hope you can finally get rid of uber, what a horrible company. I ride with uber almost daily, because two of my coworkers got assaulted near my workplace, so I avoid public transportation at all costs, but its getting so expensive now. I spend a quarter of my salary to go to my office. ugh.

[@LvUhcX]

Try tutor business or sell your old school notes 📝 stack side gigs

[@redherronrecords]

A musician coulda told you, bro: the gig economy fucking SUX. Be well!

[@fakshen1973]

When you do Uber or any of these delivery jobs, you are basically using your vehicle as an ATM. In a very short time, you're left with a vehicle that won't run and no money to purchase a new one. Don't take a delivery job EVER where you're using your own personal vehicle. If the company isn't providing the vehicle, the fuel, the insurance etc... it's a scam.

[@Moss_and_Such]

I’m just some guy working for a corporation, much like most people. I show up, try a little, then go home. It makes me laugh, but also a bit sad that some of my co workers (50+ years old) are such die hard company men that work is legitimately their biggest life stressors.

[@amazon2.022]

We're finding ourselves more and more in a world where a lot of people are escaping their real lives including their job through virtual platforms, creating a perfect image on Social Media, consuming superficial content, seeking the kind of attention they didn't get out there. And all that is a vicious circle, it generates some underlying addictions. People just want to escape from a cold and harsh reality but face to face deeper connections are then impacted.

[@Bunny11344]

Not necessarily. I don’t use social media besides KZbin but nobody knows who I am. My escapism is at the gym, time alone to reflect and with s.o, friends and family I like to keep my circle small

[@ADDIDASSSSSSSSSSSSSS]

@@Bunny11344 I am glad they allow cats to join gyms.

[@SquishyProductions]

Office Space's answer to cubical drudgery works. I got a job working on a horse ranch and I was never happier at a job. But, also, I'm 40 and my body couldn't keep up with the work load. It was wrecking my shoulders. Four months since I had to quit and my shoulders are still not back to normal. So yeah, finding fulfillment is real labor is great. If you're young and healthy enough for it not to wreck your body.

[@stephanieevans9223]

I really like that modern workplace movies and tv shows are showing the dangerous and realistic (or semi-realistic in the case of sci-fi shows) effects and traps of working. I love my job (I’m a DJ, so it’s definitely fun in a lot of ways), but it’s a casual job that I won’t be able to live on when I’m older, and it’s very likely that I’ll have to get a second job or even replace DJing entirely by working in an environment like the workplaces we see on tv, and I know I’ll never love those jobs. I believe in loving what I do, and in an ideal world, I’d be paid reasonably to do a job I love at a company I respect, but I also need to eat and have a roof over my head, so I’ll grit my teeth and bear it, as we all have to.

[@esmee6308]

I feel work in itself isn't particularly the issue, even if you're not doing what you love. But when you're slaving away full-time, which pays less than half your rent and leaving little to nothing once you got your life essentials covered. It becomes quite soul-draining. Assuming one full-time job covers your needs to begin with, which becomes quite hard if you have children or a sick relative you wish to support.

[@spaceePirate]

Isnt it possible to better your craft and continue to be a DJ? Ive seen a documentary where an old lady, whos 80 something, is a DJ (shes from Japan) 😍 maybe I rlly bought into the "the only way you can make it is by working" but making music and enjoying yourself seems like a good reason to grind your gears

[@doublecoloured385]

Ever since i finished watching it, 'Severance' was more than just a great symbolistic critique on work-life balance but also on toxic workplace environment and relationships, and I'm glad this video nails most of this down. Imo I daresay this show brings (more) awareness about workplace culture like how 'Parasite' brough awareness about class/wealth disparity to the world. Sure, it's entertainment at the end of the day, but i wouldn't discredit or underestimate the show's influence. Case in point, we already have a phenomenon called 'the Great Resignation' happening right now.

[@stregadisalem732]

Work-Life balance to me feels more like Work-Life Schizophrenia. And the show brilliantly shows this with Haley’s character. Her innie is so desperate to get out and her outie thinks of her innie as less than human and is willing to do absolutely everything to put on a charade and promote the idea of severance for the sake of putting Lumen in a good light.

[@Thebuird]

Followed by the Great Reset. Going to be a different world soon

[@mmageek]

"A five minute music, dance experience." All of the florescent lighting made me FINALLY realize office drone life is a waste.

[@XanderShiller]

It's odd to come home from work just to watch TV about work for the next few hours..are we comparing ourself? Or seeing ourselves?

[@Tegelane5]

Only thing that can top that is probably trucker playing some truck simulator game at rest time.

[@chookbuffy]

meta

[@GenerationX1984]

I rarely watch shows about work or business. Not even The Office. And I hate shows like Shark Tank. I also hate cop shows like Law and Order. Those cops have stressful jobs and just watching it is stressful.

[@XanderShiller]

@@GenerationX1984 I might be a little hypocritical bc as an actor I often watch movies about acting and/or showbusiness.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Patricia Arquette in ‘Severance’ was just brilliant. One of the best Reel Girlbosses since Miranda Priestly from ‘The Devil Wears PRADA’.

[@gingertea123]

when The Office (US) first came out, I couldn't watch it bc it was too depressingly real. I remember a scene of them planning a birthday party and it was so sad and I was so sad.

[@gudldj]

Parks and Rec isn't about love of work. It starts as a copy of the office in a new setting, but it becomes about public service and improving one's community.

[@ronmackinnon9374]

A public sector workplace that wasn't a police department -- that was a sort of novel.

[@GC-fj4lc]

I would say this trend started as early as the 1960s with "Green Acres." The entire plot of the show is a highly paid lawyer quits his lucrative firm and leaves his penthouse to buy a failing farm in the middle of nowhere. Still a very relatable premise.

[@chookbuffy]

shit that is nearly what i am doing...havent quit yet, but certainly now have a loan for a rough piece of land....hope it was a happy ending in the show :P :)

[@kazza6078]

Parks and rec is the best argument for "coworkers can be your family", they give me hope sometimes that if we're gonna be stuck in this shit maybe there can be friendship and love

[@TheChuckfuc]

I love how employers get offended when you say that "it's a job or it's a paycheck." Like what do you want me to say? Do you want me weap with joy? Work sucks. And I would never do this if homelessness wasn't a very real threat.

[@spentcasing3990]

This reminds me of my last job. I was working at a BMW dealership as a delivery driver. One day my boss comes to the back of the dealership to see how we are. He's a pompous asshole who thinks he's a celebrity because he has the biggest BMW dealership in Vancouver. Anyways after talking to the other shipper receivers and delivery driver who grovel at his feet he seeks me out since I'm ignoring him and focusing on what I have to do for the day. He asks me if everything is alright to which I tell him it's not. I had been promised an increase in my wage after 3 months and it was several months past at this point and I'm struggling to make ends meet. After telling him this he gives me a look like how dare I imply his company could do anything wrong, and then tells me how he...........a multimillionaire had to go to the doctor because he hurt his hip playing tennis while on vacation in the Caribbean or some other bullshit excuse. Meanwhile I could barley pay my rent and grocery bill, yet I was supposed to feel sorry for him?

[@alejandroflores8979]

I hate that no workplace is friendly anymore. I had one job coming out of college and it was with a bunch of people my age and it was great. Management took notice and separated us across different departments and we all immediately quit. Ever since that job I’ve worked with the most sketchiest people, managers that want me to undercount inventory, near homeless coworkers, coworkers with drug addictions and managers with perverted intentions

[@chookbuffy]

your managers were doing their job as agents for capitalism. Destroy anything that isnt able to be controlled or a profit turned :/

[@tonyabrookes9931]

Its a nightmare out there

[@gigiw9840]

if you work at a place long enough you do bond with your coworkers and often form relationships outside of work

[@thefearofg0ds758]

5:26 that was a slick segway into an advert lol. Possibly the smoothest I've seen. Took me a minute to realize 😂

[@hydrolito]

Friends hung out at coffee shop where people worked. Chandler talked about his job a day trader, Monica was a cook, Rachel was a waitress, Ross was a Paleontologist, Joey an actor, and Phebe a song writer although she could not sing where people would want to listen.

[@C-Thunder]

Every since I experienced terrible work environments from my previous job and my current full-time job, I now understand that, every job is the same. We have to deal with hierarchies and characters who are a thorn to other coworkers. Idc anymore about moving up or, finding another high paying job that could be potentially toxic to the soul. All that matters now is retiring very, very early and never ever have to deal with all the things that I mentioned and just become a hermit for the rest of my life. These jobs are horrible and poisonous.

[@travisoritz9704]

They really are and they dont care under the illusion that they care

[@ebethbarr1807]

I love this channel and I’ve been waiting to hear “the take” on Severance. It’s the best show I’ve seen in a while and I hope more people get into it bc it’s fantastic.

[@SPDYellow]

The sad part is that with Gen X work dystopias the characters could still afford to pay bills and have a little leftover to go on vacation.

[@ephemeralmiracles]

You should do an anti work playlist (if you haven't already), particularly loved your Spirited Away video and generally yoy always do a great job. Work nowadays is a dystopia and as much as I'd love to persist in a more optimistic view for the shake of the goal to have a place for creativity even us in creative places (architecture) suffer from the bureaucratic and technocratic nature of work culture.

[@neilmcdougall4927]

Mr lif - live from the plantation is a must add

[@eyeseer1]

Ron Leavitt’s. ‘The Help’ (2004) ridiculed work culture early before it was cancelled.

[@boogerfromthatmovie4257]

yea brutalist architecture, it's literally designed in a way to drain your energy and make you feel like nothing. every state should have a slab city where people can live outside of the system and live by their own rules.

[@Dojasadi3458]

Severance is great show and very original idea, i love the fact you talked about friends and Seinfeld, everybody always complain about the white cast or how big the apartment in friends but the really unrealistic fact about these show that you will not have the energy to hang out with your feiends everyday after work, even in the weekends i just want stay home and rest and catch up on house chores

[@chookbuffy]

too true!

[@someoneyouprobablyknowandl9964]

you won't have the time either. In Friends they never seem to go in to work.

[@MeansOfProduction209]

This is a bit eerie I literally just watched "sorry to bother you" last night.

[@LibertyandFreedom4]

We are in the ultimate catch 22. If I quit my job I lose my house, by losing my house I loss the ability to sustain myself with the basics of survival but if I continue to be a cog in the wheel I am able to keep said house and the opportunity to be as free as possible. Sucks, don't it.

[@rootkite]

Brilliant take, again! Thanks. Another film that I think deserves a mention in this sub-genre is Gilliam's Brazil.

[@dlollard]

Definitely!

[@chookbuffy]

100% agree!!!!

[@chrizbie]

Parks and rec was such a great show though, I loved the characters and writing so much I almost fell nostalgia just seeing those clips

[@tchaika222]

The most unrealistic thing about Severance is the idea that a company would let their employees off the hook evenings, weekends and holidays. Exploitation by any other name (performance, productivity, innovation, you name it) is still exploitation.

[@tangibleghooosty]

Y'all gotta start putting "skip here to avoid spoilers" 😩 Hearing the premise to Severance was nice, hearing big plot reveals to Sorry to Bother You wasn't really

[@junkonatsumizaka5149]

Thanks a ton for the recommendations! I've been wanting to check out more dystopian office-setting series for a while. 😁

[@alejandrolopez9767]

I'd be happy if i wouldn't have to work on saturdays. Am living for work and is supposed to be the other way around.

[@RobinTimDrake]

Just recently quit a 7.5 year misery at Walmart. I trained at a big city store which was nice but busy, and also corporate compliant. Then I transferred to a small town store. It was fine at first, until I started to notice the problems. People behaved like it was a junior high, with their cliques, gossip & back stabbing. Management only noticed you if you were an exceptional employee (like I was) so they could give extra work or if you were an ass kisser (and were always promoted). We rotated through so many managers and assistant managers I stopped learning their names. And then these new managers would force their authority by not following policy or straight up breaking the law. I finally had to file a corporate complaint because Management WAS the problem. I finally had to leave once I finally got sick and tired of putting up with it.

[@josefk7437]

The shady CEOs are the only ones rich enough to make movies like these.

[@fazbell]

I have worked in at least two of these dystopias. Many workplaces are a nightmare. Retirement saved my life.

[@andreab380]

Gotta love that cheerful voice narrating what a nightmare many workplaces are.

[@Skyler_Momoko]

I have two jobs that I love so much, they have such a positive culture, and it's honestly because they are the complete opposite to these kinds of jobs. For example, I always get paid fairly whenever I work, and if I work overtime, I get extra pay - no hesitation. When I need a sick day, I just take a sick day. There's no "send us a doctors note! How sick are you? Please come in anways!". When I need time off, I get it no questions asked. My workplaces really recognise my mental health and are always checking in with me to make sure I'm ok. Like, it's all perfect. "Nobody wants to work nowdays" is such a lie. People DO want to work nowdays, they want to work GOOD jobs.

[@AndyMatrixTV]

ever since 2020, people realized how much they hate their job......everything came to the surface

[@Oversurge_]

I watched Sorry to bother you high on shrooms with my friend. That was a crazy fucking experience with an intense emotional Rollercoaster of emotions.

[@tesorosdetomas]

No one warned you huh? Whenever I recommend that movie to someone, I warn them too. It blew my mind and I was sober! I was NOT expecting that!

[@symbioticmango]

I realize this focuses on office jobs but I would've loved to see Superstore included in this analysis. They had the most explicit workers' rights messages out of any popular western sitcom i've seen.

[@jameskelly6039]

Government should impose a policy that no ceo can make more than 20% more than the lowest paid employee for any company considered a mid cap. Sure there would be manipulation at that threshold, but it wouldn’t instantly force every large cap company to pay their employees fairly. The problem isn’t that work sucks. Work only sucks when you don’t ever get ahead while those who do close to nothing reap all the reward. If you forced CEO’s or other top brass to take significantly less (but still at 20% over the lowest paid employee would be significant) then everyone would actually win. People could then save to start their own dreams and follow the same formula. For those who enjoy the work they do and getting paid considerably more, could retire and enjoy life earlier instead of working to the grave. The problem with the current system is it’s designed to pay you just enough not to really leave, but never enough to get ahead. That way you keep your valuable skills and service working for someone else at the top to collect and for as long as possible. If it were better balanced, we’d see an explosion of growth and ideas and over all quality of life improve. Sadly that would require a govt not in the pockets of big money corps, people at the top to realize they’re destroying society to fill their bank accounts, and the masses of people to stop fighting the right vs the left. This is less right vs left as it is always rich vs poor. “no ones yet explained to me exactly what's so great About slaving 50 years away on something that you hate.” ~Frank Turner-

[@jordanloux3883]

Unfortunately the CEOs are the ones paying politicians to let them get away with this crap

[@jameskelly6039]

@@jordanloux3883 couldn’t agree more.

[@rinehardt6837]

severance one of the best shows on TV and years. I used to work in an office space and the boss we had was so toxic she would just openly verbally attack people at any given time. I really think it's sad because something in her life had to turn her that way when she just really enjoyed punching down on people.

[@ribbonz9310]

I'm gonna need a full Severance episode!

[@Melcatsite]

Severance is AMAZING, I don't know how to describe but everyone needs to watch it. Please

[@donnaraphael9350]

I don’t think the office and such was trying to make it like “work is good”. They were about how the people you worked with were PEOPLE and how those people were the sometimes the reason you even showed up. The work was in the background, no one gave a crap that Jim sold more boxes of paper, they cared because he was funny and goofy, and they had this soul crushing job to live - and Jim (and the rest of the crew) made it just a little bit better.

[@donnaraphael9350]

And Severance was so good because it knew work was terrible, but the people in it started to care for each other and wanted all of them to be “awake” and whole. Including making their outies accept them as part of themselves, not just some “ghost” selves. I am so mad at this because the take is usually spot on, but this totally misses the mark of what Severance and things like the Office or Parks are about.

[@nanohumanimalbyte]

Where the fuck do we need to go in such a hurry!? The 40 hour work week is absurd. Stop senseless consuming.

[@Aaron-ul1gr]

I love that question. We as a society choose the amount of productivity and have always had that choice. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how much “gets done” in this world so why are we working this much?

[@itsirkeel]

Super interesting! Great to be reminded of some classics and exposed to a series I know I need to see- "Severance." Thanks so much!

[@jondoe7451]

OMG, I work at a SMALL corp and the activities they they come up with are every bit as insane. Like I'm supposed to join yoga classes on my off hours and go hiking on Saturdays with coworkers that are already driving me crazy 60 hours a week. The scary part is there must be people who actually DO this stuff or I wouldn't keep getting hounded by emails about it.

[@vanilla7266]

the way some apple employees have talked to me while servicing my products has been eerie and off putting because of this push towards "family" work culture. I've had people call me "friend" and refer to their workplace and team as their family within minutes of talking to me. The excessive closeness that some people are expected to foster with complete strangers on the job must be so exhausting and frustrating.

[@thexalon]

Workplace became a dystopia right around the time that many of us had it confirmed that our bosses would be perfectly fine with us dying if it helped them maintain quarterly profits.

[@geowhye]

They missed the huge push to turn what you love into work, such as 90% of KZbin (and probably the pitch The Take makes to its staff and freelancers) And their examples of 2020-now include a lot of stuff from the 2010s

[@coffeehousephilosopher7936]

Let's not forget the amount of "motivational speakers" that make money off workers by repeating platitudes and ensuring workers fall in line like good little servants.

[@MiaTTSualen]

It's so wierd to me that those workplace videos don't talk about Comedy Centrals ' Corporate :o IT's such a clever viex at, well, corporalism and workplace dynamics (and it's soooo funny!)

[@alexanderwilliams7732]

Corporate was a couple of years ahead of its time.

[@ahmyakm9176]

Finally someone is talking about Severance

[@boblotoldo3051]

I'm new to the HGV/truck driving industry. I thought of freedom when I thought of driving a truck, I thought I wouldn't have to deal with office politics... How wrong was I. In-cab cameras facing you to spy on your every doing, telematics to track how much you use the accelerator, brakes, how sharply you take a corner... I don't even have to drive the thing because they want cruise control at over 20mph... All of this is added to a driver score, kind of like school, where the company puts a ranking table of all the drivers in the company. I'm so disappointed. So disappointed. The company doesn't even want me to have a break anywhere that's not one of their depot. It feels like chains around me. I understand their desire to have the job completed as soon as possible, the desire to save fuel and driving efficiently... but I can't stand it. It's not for me to be watched and monitored like this constantly. I spent a lot of money to do this believing in some make-belief where I could be away from people and not deal with them but the office follows you around wherever you go. I really like driving them trucks, you can take it easy although being new I'm a slow driver still but I don't want fucking cruise control. I want to be able to control the machine myself. I feel safer that way. I hate this stupid culture where we can't move a finger without someone saying something about it. Where we can't do anything without having somebody tell you all about health and safety shit that no one gives a shit about and yet apply it still. I hate being followed constantly. I want to get lost without having the pressure of being reachable. I read about truckers back in the day and they'd say things like "The load will get there when it gets there" or they'd be let out on the road alone on Monday and be told it had to be delivered on Friday... Off you go and that's it. No cameras, no constant evaluation, no constant tracking of your every single move down to the robotization of your muscles and mind. For fuck sake...

[@SuperTalleyho]

Drove for 30 years and retired (LTL). I could not agree with you more. Do something else.

[@Kythlo]

I just wanna point out the hilarity of Severence being streamed by a giant corporation.

[@ronmackinnon9374]

Maybe the producers fooled the execs at Apple into thinking that the show would be *promoting* the splitting of workers' psyches in two.

[@Kythlo]

@@ronmackinnon9374 I doubt it, Apple is pretty obsessive about every detail. They probably just thought people would subscribe to watch it

[@agoo7581]

"You criticize society, yet you live in it, curious". Is not the back breaking take you think it is bud.

[@vaniad555]

Really good analysis of all the shows you mentioned in this video, hopefully, there is a list we can follow up with

[@tuylosotroslgbt9414]

This really makes me happy I quit my job last week, unfortuanately I'll need to get another one real soon

[@pheart2381]

What bosses should realise is their staff only work there when they are actually there. Once they leave the building you,the boss,dont exist! And workers should realise that too. Once you leave for home you are no longer physically or mentally on call. The supermarket I eventually walked off my job at used to phone me on my DAY OFF asking me to come in and work. When I explained I was actually already on the bus(to have a nice day out somewhere) they would slam the phone down!

[@bttrl8thnspncr]

This show is not just mind-blowingly good fiction, but also a searing satire on 21st century work culture (e.g. rewarding employees with nice but ultimately meaningless shit like free food, fingertraps, a holographic portrait, the general feeling that you never get to leave work and once you do, you just find yourself right back there). GOD I can’t wait for season 2

[@yoshisisland24]

Remember how ALL cults work as long as they can convince you that you are the Favorite you will put up with all kinds of abuse

[@upcoming3341]

Everyone should watch Sorry to Bother You. Is such a multi-layered, eye-opening movie.

[@kamanijefferson638]

One of the best movies to come out in the last 5 years.

[@beep-beep]

1990s - This sucks, but I don’t care 2000s - This sucks, but we’re family 2010s - This sucks, but we’re quirky 2020s - This really sucks, but what could we even do about it at this point??

[@salazarmandragora]

And then there are small businesses, where the boss feels just as trapped as his employees, making a living by a razor thin profit margin, unable to not show up every single day because nobody pays him not to work and because nobody will hold up the business standard that keep him in business in his absence, while facing directly all the red tape and problem solving involved with been directly directly in charge.

[@TerraAcox]

The Severance concept is so brilliant. You have to completely disassociate in order to reconcile what your company is doing to the world against your absolute need to continue working in order to survive. It's a literal representation of how American workers feel now that we all know what these conglomerate companies are up to in other countries. I'd like to add Rocko's Modern Life had a great depiction of adult work life, especially for a kids show.

[@hollywoodsmle]

I love where I work... and my workplace family is one of my families. We get along great. I feel bad for people who don't have that.

[@chookbuffy]

you are lucky...but then should you ask yourself, is your happiness at the expense, somehow, of somebody elses misery? If your company is in the Fortune 500 then the chances are definitely high. Not trying to neg on your parade but The System is stacked against us in the long term

[@jadehaag5731]

@@chookbuffy I am a teacher. 🤓

[@chookbuffy]

You guys have ato

[@Dahrenhorst]

I think this video barely scratches the surface of what is reality living as a work bee.

[@morgan5326]

today at work I got told off for looking out the window during a meeting

[@MindfulLifeMindfulWorkInc]

Integrating mindful practices and perspectives can help to mitigate many workplace challenges in remote, hybrid, and on-site work arrangements.

[@xxcoopcoopxx]

"It's all a matter of perspective." Work is dystopian. Labor is not. "Fruit of the Labor." Try to labor. Stay away from work, or, you'll be in a dystopia.

[@RunOfTheHind]

Latest thing over here is making employees download a company app as part of the terms of employment. Who knows what kind of spying that'll be doing sitting on your phone...location tracking, access to mic, camera, texts, call logs, browsing history, sleep patterns etc?

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

This is why I quit Amazon mid-shift with honor and pride.

[@rosemarymcbride3419]

if only if there was some sort of historically and materially constituted theories and practices that could help us address this...

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Conventional Employees be like follow your passions and you can do it BUT do not give two hoots about freelance artists.

[@tyronlasp4546]

I'm thankful for things that happened to me and the experiences whether it be sweet or bitter . I used to work for a company where I worked as an assistant manager. The bosses were very very strict. I think they had some kind of god complex like every rich people on earth have. They acted and behaved liked we were indebted to them for feeding us for free as if the penny they gave were not for the work we did for them AND doing so for minimum wage. One of them was true to the character of the big bad boss. His mannerism was like this- he acted all nice and friendly but, God, did he know that we know that it was just for the show. His mouth was very religious but I wonder if anyone has said to his face that he is a horrible boss-an AUTOCRATIC bastard and people are not his slave or he just acts like he is oblivious to the fact. He was rather intrusive in our personal life- like what the heck. He lectured us how we were supposed to live as if he truly lived a holy life when he lives a luxurious life off of our sweats, but we just nodded our head to not anger him. The workplace was toxic with unhealthy competition among employees with constant snitching and favouritism.And of course, we were constantly threatened with cutbacks and sacking which really made me feel disgusted and disheartened my heart from the core. AND as the show tells my work life was in similar condition. The work was 9 to 5 and it was monotonous with LOTS OF PAPERWORK AND CONSTANT STARING AT THE COMPUTER with constant work of recording and entering on computer. I didn't know half the time what I was supposed to do and I just winged it just to seem like I was working.We were in constant surveillance with boss sitting next door listening to every chats we had with other employees so NO FUN and fun at work was cardinal sin. Hate is a strong world but I thoroughly disliked the job . I don't know what it feels like to end up in real gulag but I do know that I have gone through one. I didn't had my heart and my joy in work. Now that the bad days have passed I now work as a teacher with a decent pay and I enjoy my work and have clear direction what I am doing as I fulfill my duty.