Red Pills and Chills – Is The Matrix the most dangerous movie of modern times?

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! It’s known for leather trenchcoats, shades and cool fight sequences in “bullet time”. But The Matrix’s concept of “taking the Red Pill” – rejecting consensus reality and all who believe in it – has spread to become a malignant force in politics, providing a rationale for conspiracy theorists, misogynists, antisemites and fascists. How did a sci-fi blockbuster do so much damage? Derek Robertson, who writes on the politics/pop culture intersection for Politico, talks to Andrew Harrison about the Redpilling of American politics, how creators the Wachowskis feel about their vision being commandeered, The Matrix as a transgender allegory … and how deep the right-wing rabbit hole goes.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Your daily need to know on news and politics. Every weekday morning The Bunker cuts through the noise to make sense of what’s really going on, with smart explainers, interviews, fresh perspectives and under-reported stories to rescue you from everyday Punch and Judy news coverage. It’s the only way to start the day. From the producers of Oh God, What Now? Our regulars include: Gavin Esler • Ros Taylor.• Hannah Fearn • Andrew Harrison • Jacob Jarvis • Emma Kennedy • Rafael Behr • Seth Thévoz. • Sign up to support the podcast and get episodes ad-free and early: patreon.com/bunkercast • Apple users: Get all of our core shows ad-free and early with the Podmasters Originals super-subscription. The Bunker is a Podmasters production.