Movies vs. Capitalism cover image

Movies vs. Capitalism

Trading Places (w/ Jamel Johnson)

Aug 15, 2023
Jamel Johnson, comedian and podcaster, joins the hosts to discuss the film Trading Places and its exploration of wealth inequality. They delve into the 'nature vs. nurture' debate, praise the satirical depiction of the upper class, but also highlight the film's problematic racism and sexism. The rise of neoliberalism in the 1980s is attributed in part to the success of Michael Jackson's Thriller. They touch on exploitative practices in reality TV, power dynamics within organizations, and the LA comedy scene. The differences in public transit between Los Angeles and New York are also compared.
01:04:46

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Trading Places satirizes the wealthy elite and criticizes their exploitative practices and elitism.
  • The movie falls short in its depiction of working-class characters and people in poverty, lacking empathy and depth.

Deep dives

Depicting the rich and powerful

Trading Places does a great job of caricaturing old, wealthy white men and their exploitative practices, highlighting their privilege and elitism. The movie satirizes and criticizes the Heritage Foundation and other similar conservative organizations by portraying them as out of touch and ridiculous. It portrays the frat bro culture of the elite with exaggerated acapella singing and self-entitled behavior, shedding light on the absurdity of their actions.

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