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!
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.
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 🤣🤣
@@Lindsay-Makes-Videos long story short, the results of the Stanford prison experiment were unethical and manufactured. The example also misinterpreted Mark’s character as drunk on power when he’s really a victim of the system too.
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.
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.
“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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
@@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...
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
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.
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). 🥴😐🔫
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.
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.
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.
@@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!
@@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.
@@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.
@@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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!"
Every ideology is flawed. Every ideology is made by human beings which are flawed. Never heard a communist admit communism is flawed or a socialist admit socialism is flawed.
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.
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
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! 👍
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.
@@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! 🔥👍
@@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… 🤓👍
@@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.
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?
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
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).
@@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.
@@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
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.
@@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
@@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.
@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.
the findings of the Stanford prison experiment weren't just controversial, they were manufactured by the researchers and haven't been repeated elsewhere.
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
This needs more views. The immense popularity of shows like 'Squid Game' and 'Severance' speaks volumes about our society right now. These series highlight themes of inequality, exploitation, and greed, which are often not explicitly addressed in mainstream discourse. Their resonance with audiences underscores a collective yearning for narratives that mirror our societal critiques and challenges. The success of these shows indicates a cultural moment where viewers are not only seeking escapism but also stories that validate their experiences of living in societies riddled with inequity and ethical conundrums. These narratives are not just entertainment; they are cultural critiques that resonate because they articulate what many feel but might not have the words to express. They challenge us to look at the structures around us, question the status quo, and perhaps, most importantly, demand change or at least a conversation about these pervasive issues.
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
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.
PARTIAL SPOILER FOR SEASON ONE ENDING . . . . . . . It occurs to me now, having watched the season finale, that Helly rebels so strongly against her innie being "enslaved" precisely because she is who she is. She was brought up in a world of privilege where she never had to say, "Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir" to anyone for fear of losing her livelihood. Her innie carries the inherent self-confidence and assumption of power of her outie onto the severed floor. So she reacts violently to being "enslaved" while the other innies do not have powerful outies so they submit more easily.
"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.
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)
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
Thank you so much for being on TH-cam. 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!
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 🤞🏽
@@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
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.
"the producers could have just as easily made a documentary following around a menial working in an actual cubical farm" a) it would have actually been much more easily b) that would have totally lacked all the philosophical elements about how identity, personhood and memory connect you're welcome for the comment
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
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.
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.
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.
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
Mark may become a bootlicker, but it's implied early on that, not unlike Helly, it took a long while to break him, too. The show makes it clear how difficult it is to break protocol, but even when given specific orders his character frequently betrays signs of kindness, like diverging from the script when waking up Helly, taking the fall for her when she first tries to escape, and then advocating on her behalf after she (SPOILER ALERT) attempts suicide in the elevator. It kind of represents one of the core themes of the show: no matter how much the powers that be may attempt to rob their workers of their humanity, innevitably, their real personalities will break through and see through the bullshit that is corporate manipulation.
something i always think about , especially post-pandemic , is the idea of the "essential" job. the idea that we could shut the doors of like 65% of the businesses & no meaningful change would occur because those businesses didnt provide anything substantial in the first place other than jobs for the people who inhabit them. it makes me think - what if instead of creating 350 million jobs for every single person in america (which is essentially impossible under capitalism - in order for 1 person to have more others have to have less), what if we simply took what is essential , and spread around the work to the 350 million. what if instead of needing a 40+ hour a week job for health insurance , we worked only a few hours a week at most & each of those hours were *always* "essential" ? thats what severance really spoke to me about , personally. the idea that the job itself is totally meaningless. marks entire team spends most of its time *not even doing the job* and yet, they still manage to hit quota. in season 2, that one guy even says his old team literally never hit quota before in their years & years of working for Lumon. there's clearly some directive to do this work, obviously. but there doesnt seem to be any meaningful reason not to. and that reminds me of every job i have ever had, from big to small. theres always something to do ! if you have time to lean you have time to clean ! yet all we do is clean & organize an empty building , which stands only because theres needed to be a building for jobs to be there. its hard not to feel dread when you realize it. all the things i could be doing with my life , enjoying myself. but im here, dusting the stockroom , and i get paid to do it for some reason.
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.
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.
The whole “Boot Straps” saying has been twisted. It originally was meant to be a sarcastic comment, as it is literally impossible. Now our modern lexicon is so twisted the saying is used unironically, it is pretty grim.
I remember thinking when i watched it "wow this show does a lot with very little" then I looked into hidden CGI and was dosgusted to find out this is one of the most expensive tv shows.
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
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.
Eu cheguei na segunda temporada de Severance agora, e esta série me deixou vidrada o tempo todo. A melhor série que eu já assisti há muito tempo. Tem tanta coisa que salta aos olhos, tanta verdade do nosso mundo e estilo de vida. É sensacional. Eu amei cada segundo da série. Perfeita.
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
Mark gets a giftcard to Pip's restaurant in the first epsiode. One of the CEO Eagan's nicknames. further cementing the corporate blending into the Outie's life
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
After 4 months unemployed and unable to support myself through independent work, I have to go back to the office soon. I'm seriously considering S....ide over going back to that hell. Capitalism bootlickers simply haven't been screwed hard enough by the system YET.
"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.
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.
Every system has its cycle. Anyone trying to tell you otherwise has never paid attention to human history. That’s not a political comment, it’s a statement of fact. I mean, the concept of Rome, depending on how you define it conservatively lasted probably close to 1000 years, and if you define the eastern Roman empire that only truly fell in the 15th century as being an extension of Rome, which those people certainly did, then You can tack on almost another millennium. To those people, the idea that Rome and Roman civilisation could ever fall or be in? It’s lake stage was incomprehensible. And yet it’s a historical fact. So whether we are or whether we aren’t in late stage capitalism, the idea that it’s controversial that it would have a late stage is again, coming from somebody who hasn’t ever explored human civilisation. The reason why it’s called Late stage is because capitalism has been the accrual of more and more wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands, and yet the system requires a cycle for it to happen, but the very accrual of power and money breaks that cycle down. Fundamentally, people can’t buy shit that you’re selling if they haven’t got the money to or the job because you have made them unemployed or cut their wages. So it’s a law of diminishing returns. Never mind the threat to democracy that it poses. Also, people think that business and capitalism are one and the same. Business has happened for thousands of years, capitalism has not. This seems to be the very concept that the show is exploring, we can’t imagine anything but the world we live in right now, and yet it’s a historical fact that it hasn’t always existed, and won’t always exist. And for a lot of people that is a fact that they cannot tolerate to accept and their brain won’t even let them go there. Just like some of the people in the show.
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.
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
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…”
I suggest reading Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher if you are interested in this idea; that humans cannot think outside of the Capitalistic framework.
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!
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!
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.
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 🤣🤣
@@Lindsay-Makes-Videosgot outed as fake by people inside the experiment, results were made up, and have never been replicated
@@Lindsay-Makes-Videos long story short, the results of the Stanford prison experiment were unethical and manufactured. The example also misinterpreted Mark’s character as drunk on power when he’s really a victim of the system too.
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.
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.
“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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Something something capitalism commodifies the idea of change something something
probs what employees at amazon feel about the Boys.
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
@@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...
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
at least it’s not a waffle party
☠️☠️☠️
Damn!!!!😮😮😮
This statement of fact made me literally laugh out loud.
Ew.
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.
That honestly broke me the hardest seeing his cope just shatter like that
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). 🥴😐🔫
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.
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.
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.
@@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!
@@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.
@@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.
@@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.
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
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.
It’s like they keep squeezing us tighter & tighter. Our productivity is never enough for them.
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.
@@tj92834 not even close to being true
@@paz1514 i really didnt ask
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_
🎯 Bingo!
Damnnnn
*alienating
Karl Marx alienation of the factory worker
and exploitative.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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
Nigga what?
100%!!!
@@TheNicoliyahfacts
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.
Billionaire* even most millionaires are still being exploited at this point.
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
Agreed! I'm glad you liked the video. More to come!
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.
@@60oh check out Barry, Ted Lasso, and Kevin can Fuck himself. All great genre-bending comedies
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!"
And they don’t even know what communism is
Every ideology is flawed. Every ideology is made by human beings which are flawed. Never heard a communist admit communism is flawed or a socialist admit socialism is flawed.
Literally everyone when you use the word literally wrong: *crickets*
@@Bapuji42 you're literally pedantic. Literally.
@coreyrachar9694 better than being quasi-illiterate
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.
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.
@@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
Severance is a must watch. Its one of the most thought provoking shows in a very long time.
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
Yes! True Detective was mesmerizing too. As was the true crime it was based on.
maybe nobody you know, but i don't think that's really true
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! 👍
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.
@@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! 🔥👍
@@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… 🤓👍
@@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
@@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.
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?
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
Never could understand that NDAs are allowed to exist given the cherished right to free speech
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).
@@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.
@@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
One thing is for sure.. every employee is more susceptible to wage theft if they have never discussed salary to their collegues.
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.
@@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
@@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.
@@aidanaldrich7795 That's funny, our ceo gets giant bonuses whether our company does well or bad.
@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.
the findings of the Stanford prison experiment weren't just controversial, they were manufactured by the researchers and haven't been repeated elsewhere.
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
The study CANT be repeated elsewhere, lol. Many experiments, like that one, wouldn't fly nowadays
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.
Oh this is so cool! I'm a teacher as well (but for Physics).
This needs more views. The immense popularity of shows like 'Squid Game' and 'Severance' speaks volumes about our society right now. These series highlight themes of inequality, exploitation, and greed, which are often not explicitly addressed in mainstream discourse. Their resonance with audiences underscores a collective yearning for narratives that mirror our societal critiques and challenges.
The success of these shows indicates a cultural moment where viewers are not only seeking escapism but also stories that validate their experiences of living in societies riddled with inequity and ethical conundrums. These narratives are not just entertainment; they are cultural critiques that resonate because they articulate what many feel but might not have the words to express. They challenge us to look at the structures around us, question the status quo, and perhaps, most importantly, demand change or at least a conversation about these pervasive issues.
Thing is there are movies, games and other medias that cover these subjects though in a more subtle manner. And i am glad they exist
This kind of art gives me some faint hope for the future that I wont have to die in this hellscape.
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
Yup. Same as "a few bad apples."
Bastardized? How so?
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.
PARTIAL SPOILER FOR SEASON ONE ENDING
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It occurs to me now, having watched the season finale, that Helly rebels so strongly against her innie being "enslaved" precisely because she is who she is. She was brought up in a world of privilege where she never had to say, "Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir" to anyone for fear of losing her livelihood. Her innie carries the inherent self-confidence and assumption of power of her outie onto the severed floor. So she reacts violently to being "enslaved" while the other innies do not have powerful outies so they submit more easily.
Correct
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
Thanks!
No thank YOU
"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.
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)
I thought this was from Capitalist Realism?
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.
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
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.
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
“they’re going completely on blind faith, which is not enough for most people!”
*Staring in Religion intensifies*
Yeah kinda walked right into that one, didn't I? Lol
Amazing show its kinda funny apple made it. Their own work conditions are pretty close to some dystopian settings.
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.
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.
@@Meromorphic Ah, sorry for the misunderstanding! I still enjoyed both videos! :)
Great video! Your hours of work on the script really showed. Thank you. I love Severance and this video gave me even more reasons.
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.
I watched Severance after having to quit my job because I had a mental breakdown. Needless to say the show hit ✨different✨
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.
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.
Thank you so much for being on TH-cam. 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!
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.
Humankind by Rutger Bregman talks about both of these points and is a great book. Very in line with the message of Severance.
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.
The thing with lord of the flies is that it wasn't average humans, it was posh british schoolboys
@@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.
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
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
this show is absolutely amazing, and your analysis is spot on dude. great work
Cruelty Squad has to be one of my favorite critiques of late stage capitalism. The value of life is literally at rock bottom.
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.
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.
Wow what a great video. Your editing style and script are top notch. Can't wait to see this channel take off soon!
You used the painting picture!!! And you had the hat on!!! Hahahaha, love it!!!! Thanks again for helping me paint man!
Lol duh. Why do you think i took the picture?
Actually getting messages from people sticking up for corporations, reminds us how sad, scared and slave minded humans can get.
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.
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 🤞🏽
Consider yourself a lucky one.
@@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
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.
It’s crazy to me that someone can hear the basic premise of severance and say “it would be pretty cool to do that”
At first I was into it honestly
Those people would be Elon Musk and his fans
"the producers could have just as easily made a documentary following around a menial working in an actual cubical farm"
a) it would have actually been much more easily
b) that would have totally lacked all the philosophical elements about how identity, personhood and memory connect
you're welcome for the comment
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
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.
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.
The people in Severance only work 8 hours a day? Incredibly unrealistic!
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.
And that's presumably with lunch included!
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
Mark may become a bootlicker, but it's implied early on that, not unlike Helly, it took a long while to break him, too.
The show makes it clear how difficult it is to break protocol, but even when given specific orders his character frequently betrays signs of kindness, like diverging from the script when waking up Helly, taking the fall for her when she first tries to escape, and then advocating on her behalf after she (SPOILER ALERT) attempts suicide in the elevator.
It kind of represents one of the core themes of the show: no matter how much the powers that be may attempt to rob their workers of their humanity, innevitably, their real personalities will break through and see through the bullshit that is corporate manipulation.
something i always think about , especially post-pandemic , is the idea of the "essential" job. the idea that we could shut the doors of like 65% of the businesses & no meaningful change would occur because those businesses didnt provide anything substantial in the first place other than jobs for the people who inhabit them. it makes me think - what if instead of creating 350 million jobs for every single person in america (which is essentially impossible under capitalism - in order for 1 person to have more others have to have less), what if we simply took what is essential , and spread around the work to the 350 million. what if instead of needing a 40+ hour a week job for health insurance , we worked only a few hours a week at most & each of those hours were *always* "essential" ?
thats what severance really spoke to me about , personally. the idea that the job itself is totally meaningless. marks entire team spends most of its time *not even doing the job* and yet, they still manage to hit quota. in season 2, that one guy even says his old team literally never hit quota before in their years & years of working for Lumon. there's clearly some directive to do this work, obviously. but there doesnt seem to be any meaningful reason not to. and that reminds me of every job i have ever had, from big to small. theres always something to do ! if you have time to lean you have time to clean !
yet all we do is clean & organize an empty building , which stands only because theres needed to be a building for jobs to be there. its hard not to feel dread when you realize it. all the things i could be doing with my life , enjoying myself. but im here, dusting the stockroom , and i get paid to do it for some reason.
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.
Fantastic video, thank you for your service comrade
Subbed for the destiny lore readings, stayed for the interesting video essays.
I burst into tears watching the season finale, it truly feels so hopeless even if they did band together at the end.
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.
Great video. Thanks Meromorphic!
No, thank **you** Marth
The whole “Boot Straps” saying has been twisted. It originally was meant to be a sarcastic comment, as it is literally impossible. Now our modern lexicon is so twisted the saying is used unironically, it is pretty grim.
I'm terrified that people at CIA and other intelligence agencies will see this too.
Marvelous. Thank you for making this, and I loved the show. I think this turned out great
Glad you enjoyed it!
I remember thinking when i watched it "wow this show does a lot with very little" then I looked into hidden CGI and was dosgusted to find out this is one of the most expensive tv shows.
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
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that and you ☺️
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.
Severance is likely my favorite show of all time.
I just discovered you and this channel is great!
I just found your comment and so are you!
very good! thanks for making it
Simply fantastical video. Subscribed
Thanks!
Damn this video and channel needs a lot more views and subs than it has.
I love your wallpaper beyond what words can express. 😆
Eu cheguei na segunda temporada de Severance agora, e esta série me deixou vidrada o tempo todo. A melhor série que eu já assisti há muito tempo. Tem tanta coisa que salta aos olhos, tanta verdade do nosso mundo e estilo de vida. É sensacional. Eu amei cada segundo da série. Perfeita.
I like that you know what you've said before as a fellow knower of what I've said before.
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
"even in the US" SPECIALLY in the US, you mean
I came here to make this exact comment.
Japan is 100 times more corporate and half of socialist redditors want to move there.
This video NEEDS to be shown in schools
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
Mark gets a giftcard to Pip's restaurant in the first epsiode. One of the CEO Eagan's nicknames. further cementing the corporate blending into the Outie's life
You should be happy with how it turned out. Fabulous video. Thank you
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
After 4 months unemployed and unable to support myself through independent work, I have to go back to the office soon. I'm seriously considering S....ide over going back to that hell.
Capitalism bootlickers simply haven't been screwed hard enough by the system YET.
I had 2 weeks holiday (used all my vacation days ) i was so exhausted from job it took me 1 week just to recover. Same i dont want to go back.
"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.
This deserved more attention, thank you.
Great Video and I love this show.
this was my favorite show i watched last year. seriously worth the watch
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.
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.
Every system has its cycle. Anyone trying to tell you otherwise has never paid attention to human history. That’s not a political comment, it’s a statement of fact. I mean, the concept of Rome, depending on how you define it conservatively lasted probably close to 1000 years, and if you define the eastern Roman empire that only truly fell in the 15th century as being an extension of Rome, which those people certainly did, then You can tack on almost another millennium. To those people, the idea that Rome and Roman civilisation could ever fall or be in? It’s lake stage was incomprehensible. And yet it’s a historical fact. So whether we are or whether we aren’t in late stage capitalism, the idea that it’s controversial that it would have a late stage is again, coming from somebody who hasn’t ever explored human civilisation. The reason why it’s called Late stage is because capitalism has been the accrual of more and more wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands, and yet the system requires a cycle for it to happen, but the very accrual of power and money breaks that cycle down. Fundamentally, people can’t buy shit that you’re selling if they haven’t got the money to or the job because you have made them unemployed or cut their wages. So it’s a law of diminishing returns. Never mind the threat to democracy that it poses. Also, people think that business and capitalism are one and the same. Business has happened for thousands of years, capitalism has not. This seems to be the very concept that the show is exploring, we can’t imagine anything but the world we live in right now, and yet it’s a historical fact that it hasn’t always existed, and won’t always exist. And for a lot of people that is a fact that they cannot tolerate to accept and their brain won’t even let them go there. Just like some of the people in the show.
This video is amazing. It is spot on.
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.
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
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…”
Marx also wrote about the alienation of workers from their labour. So I think this might be a reference to Marx.
I suggest reading Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher if you are interested in this idea; that humans cannot think outside of the Capitalistic framework.