Dystopian Discourse

About Dystopian Discourse

A podcast for people who see the dystopian features of our every day lives, and want to talk about it.

Publisher

Dystopian Discourse

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Feb 2026

Latest episode

17 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Are Your Favorite Creators Influencing for Technofascists?

   There are currently no federal regulations requiring content creators to disclose payments they’ve received for showing political support on social media. How do you know if the opinions your favorite creators are sharing with their audience are authentic, or compromised by a financial incentive? And what are the ethics of digital influencers who… aren’t even human? We get into it on this episode of DD. Resources Mentioned NYT Report  (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/29/us/politics/campaigns-paid-influencers.html) PAID ACT  (https://takano.house.gov/imo/media/doc/119th_paid_act.pdf) European Digital Media Observatory Weekly Pulse on AI Influencers (https://edmo.eu/publications/ai-political-influencers-the-new-gods-of-propaganda-and-disinformation/)

2. 

   3 Aug 2026

   Who Asked for Forever Chemicals in Their Food?

   In June 2026, the EPA approved four new pesticides and expanded the use of two additional chemicals in our food system—most of which qualify under the international definition of “forever chemicals,” as polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS have been widely studied and shown to increase risk of serious health problems including various cancers, developmental and reproductive harm, negative metabolic effects, and reduced immune system functioning. Not to mention their negative impacts on wildlife and ecological systems. Listen to learn about the recent approvals and how corporate food companies are backsliding on their policies around pesticide use and regulation. Sign the Letter to Protect America’s Farms and Food: https://peer.org/take-action-protect-americas-farms-and-food/ (https://peer.org/take-action-protect-americas-farms-and-food/) Resources mentioned: 2026 Pesticides in the Pantry Report  (https://www.asyousow.org/reports/2026-pesticides-in-the-pantry-transparency-risk-in-food-supply-chains) PFAS overview: https://sustainability.yale.edu/explainers/yale-experts-explain-pfas-forever-chemicals (https://sustainability.yale.edu/explainers/yale-experts-explain-pfas-forever-chemicals) News on New Pesticides: https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2026/07/epa-quietly-unleashes-three-toxic-forever-chemical-pesticides (https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2026/07/epa-quietly-unleashes-three-toxic-forever-chemical-pesticides) Music: Epidemic Sound Fresh Pastries by Lofive

3. 

   1 Jul 2026

   Hyper Convenience Culture is Making Your Life Worse

   There is nothing convenient about being lonely, unhealthy, depressed, and over-stimulated, but that’s what a life of hyper-convenience often gets you. Capitalism tells us that every shiny new technology is going to make our lives easier, give us more time back, and make us happier. The research is proving otherwise. Being part of the resistance means deeply questioning the real value of conveniences first, rather than adopting them on impulse. In this episode, we discuss: How hyper-convenience culture has infiltrated nearly every moment of our daily lives Why hyper-convenience is disconnecting, dehumanizing, and toxic to our mental and physical health Why you might want to join the Neo Luddite movement Music: Epidemic Sound Fresh Pastries by Lofive

4. 

   28 May 2026

   What’s the Big Deal With Data Centers?

   Data centers are in the news a lot lately, but what’s the big deal? Data centers themselves aren’t new, but the hyperscale data centers of the last few years and the projects currently in development are nothing like what we’ve seen in the last half century. These are massive facilities that require enormous water and energy resources to function, and are already impacting communities around the US. In this episode, we discuss: What’s different about AI data centers Known and anticipated impacts of data centers to human health and wildlife ecosystems How to take action against a data center project near you Take Action with ⁠⁠NAACP's Stop Dirty Data Center Campaign⁠⁠ (⁠⁠https://naacp.org/campaigns/stop-dirty-data-centers⁠⁠ ) and ⁠⁠Food and Water Watch⁠⁠⁠ (⁠https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2026/03/05/how-to-stop-a-data-center-near-you/⁠⁠) Resources mentioned: Pew Research data (https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/13/most-new-data-centers-in-the-us-are-coming-to-rural-areas/⁠⁠ ) Utah Stratos Project (⁠https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/933687/utah-stratos-project-data-center-kevin-oleary⁠⁠ ) Data Center Temperature Study (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403073048_The_data_heat_island_effect_quantifying_the_impact_of_AI_data_centers_in_a_warming_world⁠⁠ ) Culture Machine Essay (https://culturemachine.net/vol-18-the-nature-of-data-centers/data-center-as-techno-wilderness/⁠⁠ ) Data Center Rejection Database (⁠https://www.robertbryce.com/rrdb?db=datacenter⁠⁠ ) Music: Epidemic Sound Fresh Pastries by Lofive

5. 

   22 Apr 2026

   The Existence of Billionaires is a Societal Failure

   Billionaires are socially depraved criminals who evade paying taxes and exploit the working class. And rather than being punished and held accountable, they continue to be rewarded by policymakers in government. In this episode, we discuss: The antisocial tendencies of the ultra-wealthy, known as the Dark Triad Which billionaire has been called "sociopathic" by close colleagues Some good news about making billionaires pay into the system they benefit from Thanks for listening! Resources mentioned in the show: https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/ https://money.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-70-percent-tax-rate-rich/ https://www.propublica.org/article/billionaires-net-investment-income-tax https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/22/tax-evasion-by-wealthiest-americans-tops-150-billion-a-year-irs.html#:~:text=The%20nation's%20millionaires%20and%20billionaires%20are%20evading,able%20to%20determine%20what's%20owed%2C%22%20he%20said Music: Epidemic Sound Fresh Pastries by Lofive

6. 

   25 Mar 2026

   The Rise of Science Suppression and Alternative Facts

   The second Trump administration is on a highly visible mission to suppress science and public health efforts, through the mass layoffs in scientific departments and agencies, removal of thousands of data sets from federal websites, questioning the safety of life-saving vaccines, and many more extreme authoritarian actions. In this episode I’m joined by Spencer Spellman, who holds a Masters in Positive Psychology and is the creator of Fellas Night In, to discuss examples of the disturbing and dystopic ways that the current administration is on a rampage to dismantle our scientific institutions and replace peer-reviewed research with alternative facts. Organizations to support mentioned in the episode: Stand Up For Science (https://www.standupforscience.net/⁠ ) Union of Concerned Scientists (https://www.ucs.org/⁠ ) Other media mentions: https://michaelmann.net/books/science-under-siege/ (https://michaelmann.net/books/science-under-siege/) https://www.npr.org/2025/08/08/nx-s1-5495338/climate-change-environment-websites-trump (https://www.npr.org/2025/08/08/nx-s1-5495338/climate-change-environment-websites-trump) https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-evidence-on-tylenol-and-autism (https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-evidence-on-tylenol-and-autism) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/30/elon-musk-doge-timeline (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/30/elon-musk-doge-timeline) Check Out Fellas Night In on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fellasnightin/⁠ ) Music: Epidemic Sound Fresh Pastries by Lofive

7. 

   25 Feb 2026

   Living in the Anthropocene is Climate Chaos

   In this episode we launch into the theme we’ll be referring to as: climate chaos. The current administration is on a mission to pour gasoline on the flames that is climate change, removing Biden-era subsidies to green energy and ramping up investments in the coal industry. The depraved decision to rescind the EPA’s endangerment finding is just one example in a slew of moves to accelerate environmental degradation, all for the purpose of propping up polluting corporations and stuffing the pockets of the already unethically wealthy. Learn how these events connect to the dystopic themes and circumstances present in Octavia E. Butler’s 1993 novel and speculative fiction, Parable of the Sower. Leave a public comment telling the EPA to NOT rescind the endangerment finding. Find information on how to do so at: https://www.lcv.org/blog/how-to-help-the-environment-submit-a-public-comment-to-the-federal-register-in-2-easy-steps/ (https://www.lcv.org/blog/how-to-help-the-environment-submit-a-public-comment-to-the-federal-register-in-2-easy-steps/) Music: Epidemic Sound Fresh Pastries by Lofive

8. 

   13 Feb 2026

   Introducing Dystopian Discourse

   Introducing Dystopian Discourse, a podcast for anyone who feels like dystopia is not some distant imagined version of the world–but the reality that we find ourselves in today. Tune in to hear about the ways in which common dystopian themes are playing out in our everyday lives, and then to discover the people and communities who are actively working to change these dystopic systems for the betterment of humanity and the planet. I’m your host, Jac, and I’m so grateful that you’re here. Music: Epidemic Sound Fresh Pastries by Lofive

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings