T H E N AT I O N 6.27–7.4.2 02 2 appropriate to the disturbing nature of chine is that machines cannot think for translate to “Don’t listen to outsiders” the premise. Yet this doesn’t mean the show is humorless. A lot of Severance’s best themselves. Also, they are made of metal, and “Never nap at work.” elements could be described as structural or even architectural comedy: Dark gags whereas man is made of skin.” “Bullies Severance’s most effective bit, however, involving design and philosophy comprise the show’s foundation, which underscores are nothing but Bull and Lies.” is the labyrinthine design of the Lumon the emotional substance of the characters who tread its ground. The You You Are’s laughable prose building itself, specifically intended to Case in point: Mark’s pompous, would be roundly mocked by outie- confuse and trap the workers within. touchy-feely brother-in-law, Ricken Hale (Michael Chernus), whom both Mark Mark, but innie-Mark and his compa- Mark and his colleagues spend most of and his sister Devon (Jen Tullock) re- gard with eye-rolling acceptance, gives triots find genuine inspiration in a book their time in the Macrodata Refinement a copy of his new book, The You You Are, to outie-Mark. Before he can read it, that preaches worker liberation, how- section—a massive low-ceilinged room it’s confiscated by Cobel, who poses as Mark’s well-meaning next-door neighbor ever clumsily, through whose sterile atmo- to keep an eye on him outside of work. She brings it into their shared office New Age vernacular. sphere uneasily clashes space, where innie-Mark unexpectedly finds it and then hides it from his bosses. Severance underscores The series necessarily with its homey decor He and Dylan secretly read it in their this gag by implicitly and kitschy, anachro- spare time and start to absorb its corny if well-intended maxims. In one episode, contrasting it with the demands an nistic technology— we hear a string of excerpts: “A society with festering workers cannot flourish, teachings of Lumon’s immersive world. but their floor is made just as a man with rotting toes cannot founder, Kier Eagan up of endless, identical skip.” “What separates man from ma- (Marc Geller), who white hallways that dispenses his cult-like, conformist rheto- seemingly lead everywhere and nowhere. ric via a workers’ handbook that doubles Lumon forbids them to map the office, as a bible. The series thankfully doesn’t and though they are aware of the exis- hang a lampshade on the contrast, but tence of other departments, it’s unclear the joke is that Eagan’s proselytizing, how many or exactly where they are. As while more refined and better written director, Stiller pulls off a neat trick in a than Hale’s, is infinitely more insidious. late episode when he briefly tracks Mark In one episode, Irving recites two quotes and Milchick down a hallway, but as the from the handbook: “Be content in my two take a right, the camera moves left. words and dally not in the scholastic pur- The white wall fills the entirety of the suits of lesser men” and “No workplace screen for a brief second, until Milchick shall be repurposed for slumber,” which enters from the right. Stiller’s camera, US CIVIL RIGHTS: ON THE MEXICO CITY: POLITICS, ROAD TO FREEDOM CULTURE, AND CUISINE September 11–18, 2022 October 31–November 5, 2022 CONTEMPORARY AND UNCOVERING EGYPT: PAST, IMPERIAL MOROCCO PRESENT, AND FUTURE September 12–23, 2022 November 4–16, 2022 NATIVE AMERICAN VOICES CUBA: HAVANA TO VIÑALES October 2–10, 2022 November 12–19, 2022 We will follow strict Covid-19 safety protocols on all of our programs and will require travelers to be vaccinated and boosted. For more information on these and other destinations, go to TheNation.com/TRAVELS, e-mail [email protected] , or call 212-209-5401.
B&AB O O K S the ARTS still tracking left, eventually catches up somewhat impressive how much runway the beginning, the series was compelling with Mark, but the disorienting effect Erickson gives himself for future seasons. speaks volumes: Even we don’t know in For example, the series has only started because it withheld basic information which direction they’re going. to touch on how the severance procedure impacts the outside world. Mark lives in about its very premise, and when viewers Severance literalizes many similar a Lumon-subsidized town that’s clearly Dilbert-esque jokes about office culture. being surveilled, and the company’s po- were finally provided with enough to feel It’s impossible to leave the building be- litical influence, which extends to state fore quitting time. The “break room” is a senators who want to combat public dis- grounded, its direction and performanc- torture site. The work that Mark and his taste for the procedure, has yet to be ex- colleagues do is comically meaningless— plored. Mysterious figures, like an unseen es became the draw—at least save for dragging and dropping random sets of “board” that communicates approval or numbers on a computer screen—which is displeasure through a surrogate, remain Arquette’s, whose acting choices slowly fitting because “Macrodata Refinement” unexplained. Late-season twists indicate is so vague as to mean nothing. The team that Lumon has been hiding considerable grate more and more over the course of ostensibly works for depressingly banal collateral damage from the public. We perks: finger traps, dance breaks, crystal don’t even yet know how many other the season. Severance doesn’t reinvent the cubes, egg and melon bars, a “waffle party” floors, departments, or workers lie within that’s also a burlesque show. They’re cheap the company’s building. wheel narratively—there are the expected distractions to stop Mark and the others from asking what many white-collar work- This caginess can be frustrating, in the reveals and twists that arrive at their pre- ers have asked in their own lives: What sense that it’s a toss-up whether the an- exactly do we do here? swers to these questions will ever satisfy. scribed moments—but it follows through It’s tempting to read this type of opaque F ollowing in a long line of plotting as protracted wheel spinning, on familiar motions with enough energy conspiracy-driven shows, and in its worst moments and digressions Severance asks more ques- Severance does feel like it’s stalling for to qualify as lively. tions than it answers, teas- time. But as is the case with most televi- ing clues about Lumon’s sion in this vein, the journey tends to be The glaring issue with the series is not influence and its toxic objectives. It’s more rewarding than the destination. In its lack of answers or specificity but rath- er the more existential query: why any corporation would offer the severance procedure in the first place. Severance more or less asks viewers to take it on faith that Mark’s decision to sever his memories as a byproduct of grief passes muster despite its shaky emotional rea- soning. (Would any halfway intelligent person agree to accept the incoherence of self so that they would only experience sorrow half the time?) A similar leap is asked of the viewers when it comes to his co-workers, whose decisions to sever are only hinted at but appear to be sim- ilarly trauma-motivated. Even from the perspective of the most hyperbolically evil corporation, the benefits of hav- Repro Nation ing complete control over its employees hardly outweighs the enormous liability of dissent catalyzed by anyone asking any questions about the company or pushing back on the merits of severance. Lumon resorts to psychological torture and a covert surveillance operation to keep its workers in line, and yet for that very reason it prompts suicide attempts and outright disorder. From a credibility standpoint, the company’s medical inter- vention just doesn’t seem like the safest bet when there’s such a high likelihood Our new monthly e-mail of anarchy. newsletter meets the urgency of this moment with stories, Granted, crying foul with regard to analysis, and resources on the global struggle for plausibility in fiction, especially when it reproductive freedom. comes to the shortsightedness of corpo- Scan the QR code or visit thenation.com/repro to sign up for free. rate entities, might be foolhardy. But if the series wants to tackle the exploitation of labor, even in its own exaggerated way, it usually helps when the authoritarians’ methods of oppression make sense—log- ically and emotionally. Severance can have its characters ask “What are we doing?” and “Why are we here?” all it wants. It would be better for the show to ask itself, “Why do I exist?” N
THE NATION 6.27–7.4.2022 on JoKhneKneCenhee’snpoetry voters and thereby opened the Nuremberg tribunal or the the Fukushima meltdown in oEnrJinenSniofemr Eegrasn way for a new, more radical Truth and Reconciliation Com- 2011; only 10 have restarted. united left to form. The mod- mission were somehow at fault Germany is closing its last re- The Experience of Evidence erate progressives are forced and could have been corrected. actors this year—as its share to make space for advocates Rather, it is the underlying of electricity from wind and David A. Bell’s review of of the New. As the party premises of their operations solar soars past 40 percent. In Joan Wallach Scott’s On the of the New gains political that need to be examined if we the US, Washington and Or- Judgment of History threat- support from the discriminat- are to apprehend their limited egon are also past the 40 per- ens to reignite an old—and ed-against and economically political outcomes. cent mark, with several states valueless—quarrel between weak, it has space to push for close behind. Jumping on a advocates of two progressive more and better. Thus, the Bell worries that Scott’s nuclear bandwagon is not paths: welcome reform and kinds of pressures liberated by critical scholarship is a faux only unnecessary but haunt- radical transformation [“Dis- the theoretical reach of a Joan politics. He does not see how ingly dangerous. The Diablo tant Moments,” May 16/23]. Scott are absolutely necessary it will “help drive political Canyon reactors should close Both writers are accomplished to force social democracy out change,” because it overstates as planned, to allow safe re- historians who study past of its current complacency domination, underplays prog- newables to take their place. moments marked by these and voter flight. An either/ ress, and lacks a practical solu- kinds of contradictions. But we or model is not helpful to un- tion to intractable political Janet Tauro know that the social democra- derstand the dialectic of these problems. The reason these cy that Bell wishes to be better twin forces in lived history. problems are intractable, how- New Jersey Board Chair appreciated, having done its ever, lies in the naive liberal Clean Water Action work of avoiding bloody rev- Herman Lebovics belief in progress that Bell brick, n.j. olutions like those at the end wants to cling to, despite evi- of World War I, was repaid SUNY Trustees Distinguished dence from our current crises Joseph Mangano with as much welfare as could Professor Emeritus of History (climate, racial, economic, po- be pried out of the capitalist litical) that calls into question Executive Director framework. It is everywhere in Stony Brook University the plausibility of that belief. Radiation and Public Health Project the West now a bureaucratic stony brook, n.y. hulk with limited voter loyalty. Brian Connolly ocean city, n.j. Like the French Socialist Par- David A. Bell rather remark- ty, Western social democracy ably casts Joan Wallach Scott Associate Professor of History Corrections has moved from elegant head- as the moralistic judge of his- University of South Florida quarters in the power center tory in a book that is, explic- tampa, fla. The letter to the editor from of the capital to a lower-rent itly, a critique of the idea that Roy Singham in the March locality outside the city. We history can ever judge. Miss- The Nuclear Bandwagon 21/28 issue misidentified his see the feebleness of our own ing the point, he writes that city of residence. It should have Democratic Party struggling— Scott “hands out failing grades Charles Komanoff proposes been Shanghai, not Beijing. too often half-heartedly and in two of her three case stud- to defer the plan to shut down largely unsuccessfully— ies (Nuremberg and South Diablo Canyon in California, Due to an editing error, the to keep some pieces of the Africa)” in her recent work On the last nuclear plant in the article “War and Peace in social politics that had been the Judgment of History. state [“It’s Time to Rethink Ukraine,” by Katrina vanden achieved by the New Deal and Carbon Taxes,” May 16/23]. As Heuvel [March 21/28], listed the civil rights and women’s Scott argues that it is not the world confronts the ravages Norway as a neutral country. rights movements. only the persistent myth of his- of climate change, some pro- Norway is a member of NATO torical progress that structures pose nuclear energy as a path and therefore not neutral. In the past, movement for- the “judgment of history,” but, to decarbonization. But that ward has been most effective and perhaps more importantly, is a false solution. Producing In Sherry Boschert’s “Truth, when social reformers and the nation-state as an abstract atomic power includes uranium Light, and Title IX” [March revolutionaries contest. In do- form. It is, for Scott, the con- mining, milling, purification, 21/28], Carmita Wood, whose ing so, they make both spaces junction of history, justice, and enrichment, and fabrication. story helped inspire the fight and challenges for each other. the nation-state that shapes These emit six to 24 times against sexual harassment, was A bit like the mix in the two political and ethical possibility. more carbon and pollution identified as a Black woman. wings of the Democratic Par- Abstract ideas structure our than wind power, at a much This was incorrect; she was a ty in Congress. Or like how thought, forming and limiting greater cost. Huge amounts of white woman. President Emmanuel Macron, liberation, emancipation, and waste remain highly toxic for a onetime Socialist cabinet justice; they often operate hundreds of thousands of years. “Psychedelics Inc.,” by Zoe member, co-opted Socialist insofar as they remain unin- Some is released into the air Cormier [April 4/11], stat- terrogated. It is not that the and water, raising the cancer ed that at one point in the risk for local residents. And the 1950s, the CIA had ordered chance of a catastrophic melt- 100 million doses of LSD, down is ongoing. enough for every citizen in the United States. The article The sun is setting on should have specified that this nuclear power. Japan closed was enough for every adult. all 54 of its reactors after By 1950, the US population exceeded 151 million. [email protected] Please do not send attachments
T H E N AT I ON 6.27–7.4.2 02 2 Q&A tor and people recoil. All that stuff makes you upset enough that, if it happens over and over again, it creates a kind of accelerated aging. What really struck me was when the Covid numbers came out and we learned that Black people got worse cases of Covid 10 years younger than white people. Because our bodies were already damaged by living in America. Linda Villarosa RM: You went to West Virginia to investigate the health crisis there. Why was it important for you to After decades of reporting on Black women’s connect what’s happening there with the weather- physical and emotional health, Linda Villarosa has ing of Black people? come to realize that everything she thought— everything we all thought—about health disparities LV: Geronimus did a study of Postville, Iowa, where in the United States was wrong. In her new book, there was this huge ICE raid in 2008. She looked at the Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on birth weights in the next year and found that Latinx American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation, people had a 24 percent greater risk of low birth weight compared to the previous year. She explained that it’s Villarosa dismantles the notion that the health crisis facing Black Amer- not about the race of the person; it’s because of how icans is an individual problem and exposes the origins of the racism in they’re treated because of their race. So it can happen our health care system, which she’s gained a deeper understanding of to everybody, and what I heard was “every body.” That’s through her career and through her own experiences living as a Black why I went to West Virginia. There’s been an AIDS out- person in America. We spoke about the impact of a racist health care break there because the pharmaceutical companies system on every body and what, in spite of it all, keeps her going. flooded West Virginia with opioid pills. Then people got addicted to heroin, and when you’re shooting up, —Regina Mahone that’s how AIDS can be passed. When I went there, it broke my heart seeing people who were so ill. I noticed RM: How is structural racism taking a toll not just on Black people but the people looked older than they should, and I started also on “the health of our nation”? thinking about what Arline Geronimus said. LV: It’s about what’s happening in the country compared to other coun- RM: How do you find a balance between knowing too tries. We have among the highest infant mortality rates compared to much and living as a Black person in this society? other wealthy countries. We have among the lowest life expectancy compared to other wealthy countries. And in between, we are the only LV: This work can pull you down, and I don’t want to let wealthy country in which the maternal mortality rate is rising. So then it’s like, well, why are we still thinking of this as a Black problem? This is it, because I want to keep doing it as long as it’s neces- a problem of the whole country. sary. My family is really close. If any of us gets sick, we are really good advocates. As an individual person and a member of a community, I take good care of myself even though I know that is not all you can do. The hard- est part of this dilemma that we’re in is the part about racism in society. That’s the thing that no one wants to hear about. N RM: What is it about being Black in this country that is, as you write, NIC VILLAROSA bad for the body and the baby? LV: Arline Geronimus coined the term “weathering.” Geronimus started looking at the idea that something about the lived experience of being Black in America is bad for the body, and going through labor and deliv- ery for a birthing person is a complete stress test. If you are already suf- fering from toxic stress, then it’s not a shock that both can be dangerous for mothers and their babies. Every time something happens to you and you’re the subject of discrimination, the systems of your body rev up, whether it’s your heart rate, your blood pressure, the stress hormones, or even if it’s everyday stress—someone thinks you’re stupid compared to other people, they follow you in a store, or you walk into the eleva- “Why are we still thinking of this as a Black problem? This is a 54 problem of the whole country.”
US CIVIL RIGHTS: ON THE ROAD TO FREEDOM Jackson, Little Rock, Memphis, Selma, Birmingham, and Montgomery SEPTEMBER 11–18, 2022 The civil rights movement is one of the most significant chapters in our nation’s history. Half a century after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is a moment for all of us to reflect on how far we’ve come and how much remains to be accomplished. While we are confronted with increasingly racialized violence and emboldened white nationalists, we can look to the victories of the past and to the hundreds of thousands of brave Americans who took part in this history- altering movement, fighting—and too often dying—for the cause of equality. For those working toward social justice today, there are great lessons to be learned from the civil rights movement. A profound demonstration of commitment and courage succeeded against all odds. In the words of Dr. King, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Travel in the company of like-minded progressives on this journey to Jackson, Little Rock, Memphis, Selma, Birmingham, and Montgomery. Along the way, we will visit iconic sites and meet people who were directly involved in the historic civil rights movement. 100% of the proceeds from our travel programs support The Nation’s journalism. For more information, visit TheNation.com/CIVIL-RIGHTS, e-mail us at [email protected], or call 212-209-5401. The Nation purchases carbon offsets for all emissions generated by our tours.
TECHNOLOGY SIMPLIFIED – BIGGER AND BETTER >V^A Simple to Use Computer Designed Especially for Seniors! Easy to read. Easy to see. Easy to use. Just plug it in! NEW Now comes with... Enhanced Video Chat Faster Email Larger 22-inch hi-resolution screen – easier to see 16% more viewing area Simple navigation – so you never get lost Intel® processor – lightning fast Computer is in the monitor – No bulky tower Text to Speech translation – it can even read your emails to you! U.S. Based Customer Service FREE Automatic Software Updates “I love this computer! It is easy to From the moment you open the box, you took part? Call now, and you’ll read and to use! I get photo updates you’ll realize how different the WOW find out why tens of thousands of from my children and grandchildren Computer is. The components are satisfied seniors are now enjoying all the time.” all connected; all you do is plug it their WOW Computers, emailing into an outlet and your high-speed their grandchildren, and experiencing – Janet F. Internet connection. Then you’ll see everything the Internet has to offer. the screen – it’s now 22 inches. This Call today! Have you ever said to yourself “I’d is a completely new touch screen love to get a computer, if only I could system, without the cluttered look • Send & Receive Emails figure out how to use it.” Well, you’re of the normal computer screen. The • Have video chats with family and friends not alone. Computers were supposed “buttons” on the screen are easy to • Surf the Internet: to make our lives simpler, but they’ve see and easy to understand. All you gotten so complicated that they are do is touch one of them, from the Get current weather and news not worth the trouble. With all of the Web, Email, Calendar to Games– you • Play games Online: “pointing and clicking” and “dragging name it… and a new screen opens and dropping” you’re lucky if you can up. It’s so easy to use you won’t have Hundreds to choose from! figure out where you are. Plus, you to ask your children or grandchildren are constantly worrying about viruses for help. Until now, the very people Call now toll free and find and freeze-ups. If this sounds familiar, who could benefit most from E-mail out how you can get the we have great news for you. There and the Internet are the ones that new WOW! Computer. is finally a computer that’s designed have had the hardest time accessing Mention promotional code 117238 for simplicity and ease of use. It’s the it. Now, thanks to the WOW WOW Computer, and it was designed Computer, countless older Americans for special introductory pricing. with you in mind. This computer is are discovering the wonderful world easy-to-use, worry-free and literally of the Internet every day. Isn’t it time 1-888-864-0512 puts the world at your fingertips. © 1V\\YUL`/LHS[OHUK3PMLZ[`SL
Search
