Adam McKay: What They're Not Telling You About the Future ('Don't Look Up') | Urgent Futures #73

My guest today is Adam McKay. EPISODE PAGE + TRANSCRIPT: https://www.realitystudies.co/p/adam-... Please support this podcast by checking out: ProtonVPN: https://go.getproton.me/SH1yt (click here to get 55% off VPN Plus) ZBiotics: https://zbiotics.com/?sca_ref=4926056... (use code: JESSEDAMIANI for 10% off) MUD\WTR: https://mudwtr.pxf.io/Urgent (click link for 43% off starter packs) Mission Farms CBD: https://mission-farms-cbd.sjv.io/Urgent (25% off first order with email signup) 1Password: https://1password.partnerlinks.io/Urg... (free trial at link) PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://www.realitystudies.co/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4JOs9Ds... RSS: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast... Full episodes playlist: ‪@UrgentFutures‬ ABOUT ADAM: Adam McKay is an Academy Award-winning writer, director, & producer whose work spans comedy, film, television, documentaries, & podcasting. He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Big Short & earned additional Academy Award nominations for Vice & Netflix’s global hit Don’t Look Up. His producing credits also include The Menu, Booksmart, Hustlers, The Chair Company, & HBO’s Succession, for which he directed the pilot & won a Directors Guild Award. Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most influential filmmakers, McKay made his name in the comedy world as a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade and Head Writer at Saturday Night Live. McKay & Will Ferrell’s time at SNL led to collaborations that established their unique absurdist style on Anchorman, followed by Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, The Other Guys & Anchorman 2. McKay is also an active producer of documentaries & podcasts focused on politics, culture, sports, & social issues. In 2023, he founded Yellow Dot Studios, a nonprofit media organization dedicated to combating climate misinformation through comedy & storytelling. In 2016, McKay joined the Creative Council of Represent Us, the largest grassroots anti-corruption campaign in the US to pass laws that stop political bribery, end secret money & give voters a stronger voice. He is affiliated with numerous climate organizations, including the Climate Emergency Fund to whom he donated $4M in 2022. In addition to aiding the movement GS4R, a group that helps finance strike-support platforms across labor unions, climate organizations & social justice groups, McKay supports DSA LA, Homeless Health Care LA & Amnesty International. CONTEXT: Odds are you’ve seen one of the many film & TV projects that Adam has written, directed, produced, or otherwise. It’s no exaggeration to say he’s one of the most important filmmakers of the twenty-first century. But that’s not the reason I was so excited to have him on the show (well, okay, it’s at least part of the reason!). We originally connected on Substack, where both of us were quite concerned about a new credible scientific paper that claimed we may be on track for 3°C world by 2050, which, to make a long story short, is a truly harrowing prospect. And yet nobody seemed interested in covering the story. Even now, as we head into this purported Super-Duper El Nino, so many other issues magnetize public attention away from this global crisis. Adam’s willingness to be vocal about issues like climate change & labor rights speaks not only to his ethics & courage, but to how rigorously he’s researched this stuff. And that research isn’t sitting idly in his mind, he’s applying it to a range of different creative projects. Many of you know that the subject of creativity in crisis is close to my heart; I actually just finished my first semester teaching it at University of Nebraska (shoutout to all my students for taking that ride with me). Adam’s evolution as a storyteller & public figure epitomizes what I hope to see more of from creative folks; a willingness to understand the systems that shape our world & the bravery to do something about it. CHAPTERS 00:00 - Intro 5:26 - Financial collapse, institutional legitimacy 9:51 - Unveiling naked truths 18:51 - Comedy to communicate catastrophe 23:53 - Climate film '2C' 35:25 - Art is political 46:20 - Hollywood vs DIY 54:11 - 2C: grounded yet hopeful 59:20 - Democratic Party failures 1:09:34 - Corporate Capture of News 1:14:39 - 'No One to Tell,' investigative journalism 1:20:38 - Yellow Dot Studios, Curiosity, & What's Next CREDITS: This video was produced by Adam Labrie & Jesse Damiani, & edited by Adam LaBrie. More: realitystudies.co SOCIAL: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jessedamiani... Twitter:   / jessedamiani   LinkedIn:   / jessedamiani   Instagram (+Threads):   / jessedamiani   Substack: https://substack.com/@damiani