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The Ankler Podcast
'A Culture of Dystopia and Nihilism'
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'A Culture of Dystopia and Nihilism'

USC's Jonathan Taplin on how Silicon Valley's top four billionaires took over Hollywood's 'escapism' business
FEARSOME FOURSOME Clockwise, from top left: Billionaires Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and their dystopian ventures are the subjects of Jonathan Taplin’s new book. (Thiel: John Lamparski/Getty Images; Andreesen: Kimberly White/Getty Images for Fortune; Musk: Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images; Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

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The world has no shortage of villains, and according to Jonathan Taplin, author of The End of Reality, Hollywood is currently up against four: Silicon Valley billionaires Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, Marc Andreessen and Elon Musk. “We have right now a culture of dystopia and nihilism,” says Taplin, who argues that ‘The Four’ are wreaking havoc yes, on politics and economics, but also popular culture by creating their own model of escapism, a role once filled by Hollywood. Taplin, director emeritus of USC’s Annenberg Innovation Lab, also addresses AI — and why artists will survive it above other professions. Also: SAG-AMPTP talks stall (6:12); Ari Emanuel and Bryan Lourd beef again (9:52); and Richard Rushfield’s plea for Hollywood to give people a sense of humanity (1:59).

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