In the twenty-third episode of The Pop Culture Lens podcast, Christopher and I welcome back friend of the podcast Joe Belfeuil to discuss John Carpenter’s 1988 cult classic They Live and how the film seems as relevant if not more now. The short story the film is based on can be found on this website.

In this episode, the conversation focuses on the allegorical nature of the film, for how it comments on Reaganomics, rampant consumerism, the dissolution of the middle class, and hostility towards environmentalism. Additionally, through their discussion, they consider the role and power of conspiracy theories in people’s lives, as well as wrestle with just how powerful individuals are to change the world.

You’ll hear us discuss hegemony, oligarchy, structuration theory, and Michel Foucault’s theories on knowledge and power as well as the role of conspiracy theories in the lives of individuals and societies.

As always, you are encouraged to become a part of this conversation by visiting any of the podcast’s social media sites. Do you think the movie was prescient? Is it even more relevant now than it was thirty years ago?