Helly and Mark, Hegel and Marx: Severance and Labor Alienation

In this episode, we're talking about Severance, which Apple TV claims is its most-watched show ever. And it has a cult following, including us!

There are so many angles to analyze this show from, but in this episode we're focusing on Marx's idea of the alienation of labor.

So, let’s head down to the severed floor of Lumon. Here, the “innie” exists only to work. They’re cut off from their own memories, so they have no access to their own history, culture, or any sense of life outside the office. And the work they’re doing is simple, repetitive, and seemingly pointless.

Meanwhile, the “outie” faces everyday life—depression, stress, trauma—but is very much bound to the same system. The characters' outies know even less about what Lumon does, but they still rely on their jobs doing who-knows-what to survive.

So, what does this separation between work life and real life, between the labor we perform and the products that result from that labor, have to do with Marxism? Join us as we go from Helly and Mark to Hegel and Marx.

Hosts: Melanie and Emma
Producer: Luigi Morris
Music: Griffin Brown

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