# Badlands Story Hour Ep. 176: The Game

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/badlands-media-6674661/badlands-story-hour-ep-176-the-game
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/badlands-media-6674661/badlands-story-hour-ep-176-the-game.md
Podcast: [Badlands Media](https://stenobird.com/podcast/badlands-media-6674661)
Published: 2026-07-17T05:48:02+00:00
Episode link: https://badlandsmedia.podbean.com/e/badlands-story-hour-ep-176-the-game/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/m863wk9smcw6md9h/Badlands_Story_Hour_ep_176bjsbe.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/badlands-media-6674661/episodes/badlands-story-hour-ep-176-the-game
Duration seconds: 6399

## Resource

Chris Paul and Burning Bright dive into David Fincher's 1997 mind bender, and it turns out one of them had somehow dodged this one entirely until now. They trace the eerie line from The Game to The Truman Show to The Matrix, unpacking why the late 90s were absolutely dripping with existential dread, and how a movie about total control over one man's reality hits very differently with "post info war eyes." Expect a wide ranging conversation about digital manipulation, manufactured trust, and the modern version of actors leading you exactly where they want you to go. There's also some real talk about elections, propaganda, and the difference between a principled argument and a convenient one. Stick around for the next pick, a 1992 crime classic that's somehow been sitting unwatched on one host's list for way too long.

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## Transcript

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