Fight Club

The podcast discusses the movie "Fight Club" and its exploration of themes such as materialism, consumerism, capitalism, masculinity crisis, and anti-establishment ideologies. It highlights how advertising and pop culture can influence people to passively follow brands rather than making active decisions. The movie's protagonist, who is a big-time consumerist, undergoes a transformation when he meets his alter ego, Tyler Durden, who challenges societal norms and promotes unconditioned existence. Tyler establishes fight clubs as a way to rebel against the corrupt nature of consumeristic society. Towards the end, it is revealed that Tyler is the protagonist's inner voice, representing his repressed desires. The movie raises questions about toxic masculinity and societal values, urging viewers to reflect on the consequences of challenging norms. Hey everyone, this is Pawesh Bhaktani and I welcome you to today's podcast. We are diving into this thrilling blockbuster called Fight Club starring Brad Pitt. The movie starts with an unnamed narrator or protagonist which is played by Edward Norton. He is trapped in a monotonous life. He is consumed by his soul-crushing job and stuck in a never-ending pursuit of material possessions. The narrator himself echoes this constant pursuit of materialistic happiness. Let's hear directly from him. The next clip is from the movie. Yes, you might have already guessed that. This movie is going to take a swing at materialism, consumerism, and capitalism. But wait, there's more to that. It also dwells into issues like masculinity crisis and anti-establishment ideologies. We will be exploring each of these ideologies along with some stereotypes that we might encounter into this movie. It is worth noting that this film hit the screens in late 90s. It is a time when credit card spending skyrocketed. It shook up the concept of a new normal which is overwhelming presence of credit debt. America has built its foundation on capitalism and a huge slice of that pie is consumerism. This consumerism drives us to purchase and create things we might not truly need. And now a question may arise that why do we do that? Why does that happen? Well, some sociologists argue that advertising and pop culture often make people passive followers of brands rather than encouraging them to think actively or make their decision wisely. An American economist and sociologist Thorsten Veblen coined the term conspicuous consumption which states that some people buy things not because they need it or for using it, but they buy it as a symbol of social and economic freedom. Stefano Passini in his research argued that capitalistic and consumeristic societies promote competition and comparison which creates an endless race of doing better than others. And due to this fact, they want and they need people to consume and never be fully satisfied. So the corporates can sell their stuff and continue making profits. Well, apart from the studies I mentioned, this movie also provides us with the reasoning why people have consumeristic mindset. This movie attacks the very idea of materialism. It shows people seeking happiness and achievement in material possessions and physical comfort which is very temporary. As we already discussed, our narrator is a big time consumerist, but it all changed when the protagonist meets his alter ego, Tyler Turden. The narrator and Tyler Turden, they are very different personalities, yet they are deeply intertwined. The narrator embodies societal norms. He is living a life which is dictated by the conformity of society and he often finds validation in material pursuits. Tyler, on the other hand, rebels against his norms. He advocates for an unconditioned existence. In a scene, Tyler says that the things you own end up owning you. I believe he wants to make an argument that when you buy an item, you will release control over your life identity and even in some cases, to your happiness to that item. But what makes Tyler so crucial is how he challenges the protagonist's identity by breaking through his routine, inviting him to live with him. Tyler's influence made the protagonist leave his job and stop being a corporate slave, which eventually forced the protagonist to face his inner emptiness. He was idolizing Tyler. He was always thinking that I should have done what Tyler does. And Tyler's boldness and rejection of the societal standards awaken the narrator's desire of real freedom. Well, Tyler initially appears as an empowering and liberating figure in a protagonist's life, but he gradually reveals himself to be deeply flawed. Well, Tyler is a complex and controversial character with rebellion ideologies and toxic masculinity. Tyler Durden embodies the traditional traits associated with masculinity, which is strength, aggression and resistance towards emotional vulnerability. He promotes physical confrontation or physical fighting as a way to break free from limitations. And that's when he starts establishing fight clubs, where he cultivates a community that admires his beliefs and emphasizes his notions of power and dominance. Tyler devises a plan to bring down the credit card companies. His plan is to erase the debt records held by these companies. Well, this sounds very heroic, but basically Tyler's course is to expose the corrupt nature of consumeristic society and its reliance on credit. Tyler thinks this act of rebellion is the only way to reset society and eventually challenge the power dynamics asserted by these credit companies and capitalism. I apologize in advance for giving you spoilers if you haven't watched it, but it is crucial to understand the central theme of the movie. So finally, towards the end of the movie, the narrator discusses that or the narrator realizes that he and the Tyler Durden are the same person. Our protagonist is suffering from a dissociative identity disorder or Tyler is his inner voice. Revealing Tyler is the projection of narrator's repressed desire. This exposes how societal norms push the narrator towards the chaos and delusions. After the realization, Tyler tells narrator that people do it every day. They talk to themselves, they see themselves as they would like to be, but they don't have the courage that you have to run with it. Well, in conclusion, I will say White Glove is a thought-provoking movie that leaves a lasting impact on its viewer. The movie used consumerism and capitalism as a tool to dig into the struggles between fitting in and being true to oneself. The movie pointed out the pressure to seek the societal ideas of success and masculinity, which was discussed earlier through Tyler Durden. This movie was successful in raising questions on toxic masculinity and societal values, by highlighting the harm that emerges when societal expectations aren't met. It urges us to reflect on the consequences of challenging norms. And finally, a reconsideration of my identity is what I got after watching this movie and I hope you will also find it thought-provoking. Thank you.