The Running Man
In this episode, Johanna sits down with Austin McCoy to explore the dystopian themes of the 1987 film The Running Man, connecting it to contemporary issues of authoritarianism, media control, and sports.
Austin McCoy is an assistant professor of history at West Virginia University. He specializes in African American History, labor history, social movements, and hip-hop culture. He did a ton of organizing work while a graduate student at the University of Michigan, specifically but not only against racist police violence.
He’s been working on an academic book, tentatively titled The Quest for Democracy: Black Power, New Left, and Progressive Politics in the Post-Industrial Midwest, under contract with the University of North Carolina Press. AND: in January of this year, his first book was published by Simon and Schuster about the hip hop group De la Soul, titled, Living in a DAISY Age: The Music, Culture, and World De La Soul Made. It is a national bestseller (within the 1st week!!), and is just such a beautifully written book that genuinely anyone can appreciate, whether you are an academic, a hip-hip fan, neither, and anything in between. He’s also writing pieces for TruthOut again, writing pieces about music for the Conversation, has written for Public Books, CNN, and so much more.
Chapters
00:01 Introduction to the Films and Themes
01:19 Johanna introduces Austin and his background
01:48 The 1987 Version: Resistance and Media
02:48 Discussion of the film's premise and setting
05:12 The 2025 Version: A Global Arena
05:35 Austin's initial thoughts and how he discovered the film
08:01 The dystopian future and media control in The Running Man
09:52 Themes of Authority, Violence, and Resistance
11:19 Themes of authoritarianism and resistance
15:02 Representation of Marginalized Groups
17:39 The film as a sports and entertainment spectacle
20:09 Media Manipulation and Surveillance
22:28 The portrayal of violence and dehumanization
25:02 Technology and Augmented Humanity
28:48 The role of the game show host and media figures
29:48 The Role of Sports in Society
34:12 The symbolism of technology and surveillance in the film
34:59 Political Messages and Warnings
40:00 The Future of Media and Resistance
40:45 Schwarzenegger's character and his cultural significance
45:56 The film's critique of authoritarianism and media
49:00 Closing thoughts on the film's relevance today
Hosts in this episode: Johanna
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