On this week’s Movies vs. Capitalism, Rivka and Frank are joined by filmmaker and activist Robin Johnson to discuss Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s deranged rom-com classic You’ve Got Mail. The group argues that the movie’s plot is essentially a pro-capitalist psychological thriller about a woman who is manipulated and subdued by her corporate oppressor. The film is emblematic of 90s white liberalism that uses racially coded language and casually jokes about falling in love with fascist dictators and, they insist, the character of Joe Fox is a full-blown psychopath whose only redeemable quality is that he’s played by Tom Hanks. Next week's movie is the 2020 Academy Award-winner for Best Picture, Parasite.This podcast relies on listeners like you to keep the show going. Go to MVCpod.com to become a supporter or leave us a tip. Supporters will also get access to The Lever’s premium content, including their exclusive newsletters, private podcast feed, e-books, and live events. MVC strives to live its values as anti-capitalist media and will not be selling traditional advertisements. Instead, we will be donating our ad space to progressive or leftist causes. If you’re part of an advocacy organization, mutual-aid group, a worker co-op, a political campaign, or some other org, and you are interested in promoting your work on MVC, you can email us at moviesvscapitalism@gmail.com.Follow us on Instagram and TikTok.You can also watch our full episodes on YouTube.A rough transcript of the episode is available here.Produced by The LeverArtwork by Rufus Paisley
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