The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why we’re not paid enough
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What is the real horror behind the Alien franchise?
This is Ira Glass. On This American Life, one thing we like is a good mystery. Sometimes about really big things, but most times, the little mysteries are the best.
Our lost and found is currently filled with pants. I don't know what, I've never seen this happen.
Wait, this is true?
This is true. Mysteries of every size, each week. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.
You are about to hear some deeply troubling allegations, allegations about a company that we should say does not provide financial support for NPR. Here's our episode.
This is Planet Money from NPR.
We begin today with, I think truly, one of the most chilling earnings calls I have ever heard. Really disturbing stuff. And people should know, earnings calls generally, they're very, welcome to Q3. Yeah, profitability, costs, stuff like that. But in this call, they throw to the CEO, and it is very different here. You want to hear it?
Bringing us to the earnings report on our deep space initiatives. Every corporation has a space fleet.
Space fleet. Of course, every corporation has a space fleet. You know, space fleet is a weird way to put the pivot to space, I suppose. But like, you know, I kind of follow.
But because we were there first, our profits have grown exponentially in less than a decade.
I'm not a CEO coach, but like... I'd sound less cartoonishly evil, maybe? Yeah, I'd sound like a super villain.
This year... The first of our research vessels are scheduled to return. And with it, they'll bring back something that will keep our profits well ahead of everyone.
Sounds like maybe a good investment. I'm not sure. Are you buy on the Weyland-Yutani company, Greg? I think so. Weyland-Yutani is a fictional company from the film franchise Alien. Alien. And Greg, in case people don't know, the thing they have found in outer space that will bring great profitability. Could it be a killer alien? Yes. Double-mouthed, acid-blooded xenomorph. You want to make a xenomorph sound? Can you do xenomorph? Excellent. Excellent. All right. So we've been talking about a fake company this whole time. The Weyland-Yutani Corporation runs through the Alien franchise, and it is certainly a caricature of a futuristic conglomerate. But what Greg and I will propose today is that it is, in fact, the perfect vehicle to look at how we are living our lives today as workers and laborers in the modern economy.
Dun, dun, dun! Hello, and welcome to Planet Money. I'm Kenny Malone. And I'm Greg Rosalski. The movie Alien is set 96 years in a future where a single gargantuan company controls basically everything and employs seemingly everyone. This proves to be bad for workers, because they have no other options, of course, but then even worse for workers when they are forced to onboard their company's newest team member slash profit center, which then, you know, basically eats all of them except for one. It's pretty scary sci-fi stuff, but you know what's scarier, Kenny? What's that, Greg Rosalski? More and more research suggests our Psi-non-Phi world has a lot more in common with the labor dynamics of Alien than you might think.
It's true. And look, we at Planet Money see economics in everything. But on this one with Alien, we are not alone. Today on the show, you don't need a textbook to learn labor economics. You just need some clips from Alien and one of our leading labor economists to watch them with us.
This week on the NPR Politics Podcast, new polling shows President Trump is more unpopular than ever. Trump turned 80 this week. One voter who voted for him in 2024 had this message.
I would have said I would have bought you a cake, but I can't afford one. But happy birthday.
The signals are getting louder for this year's midterms. Voters aren't happy. We'll talk about it on the NPR Politics Podcast. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Every episode of It's Been a Minute, NPR's What's Happening in Culture podcast starts by asking three questions. Who? How? Why now? If the culture's asking it, we're talking about it. At NPR, we stand for your right to be curious and indulge your cultural curiosity.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the real horror behind the Alien franchise?
0:00–5:05
2
How does Weyland-Yutani represent monopsony power?
5:05–9:27
3
What labor dynamics are highlighted in the movie Alien?
9:27–14:30
4
How does Aaron Dubé's research inform our understanding of labor markets?
14:30–19:28
5
What role do negative amenities play in job desirability?
19:28–24:46
6
How do monopsony dynamics affect workers today?
24:46–29:55
7
What policy changes could improve worker conditions?
29:55–34:00
8
How does Alien: Romulus address labor issues differently?
34:00–35:19