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Paul Anleitner

@PaulAnleitner • 33,240 subscribers

I write & speak on the role of culture and story in our quest for meaning. | Author of “Based on a True Story” | President/CEO of Goodmakers.

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Maybe it’s just better to see yourself living inside a great myth as part of an enchanted world.

Maybe it’s just better to see yourself living inside a great myth as part of an enchanted world.

175,075 views

The original Star Wars myth wasn’t really about “rebellion.” It’s about the restoration of righteous order. It’s the wisdom of the old Arthurian tales set in space, not Bolshevik revolutions in a galaxy far, far away. Rebellion is not inherently good.

The original Star Wars myth wasn’t really about “rebellion.” It’s about the restoration of righteous order. It’s the wisdom of the old Arthurian tales set in space, not Bolshevik revolutions in a galaxy far, far away. Rebellion is not inherently good.

168,328 views

It was 1999, and a seismic cultural shift was happening. You could feel it in Fight Club & The Matrix. The hope and sincerity the 80s & early 90s were falling out of fashion. A spiritual “meaning crisis” was moving through culture. And it came for men first.

It was 1999, and a seismic cultural shift was happening. You could feel it in Fight Club & The Matrix. The hope and sincerity the 80s & early 90s were falling out of fashion. A spiritual “meaning crisis” was moving through culture. And it came for men first.

143,590 views

The Boys represents everything alluring and ultimately unfulfilling about postmodern ideology. It tells you that “good and evil” is a lie by the powerful. The powerful are always “oppressors” and the ultimate goal is to expose them and take their power. But there’s a major problem… What do you do after exposing Homelander? Who fills the vacuum? If power is inherently oppressive, you’ll be rebelling and deconstructing again. And again…and again… David Foster Wallace called it living as “third world rebels.” You get stuck in permanent revolution mode. Always cynical. Always living in chaos. Never building something better. Never aspiring to be Superman, because Superman can’t be trusted. It’s an ultimately hopeless and nihilistic ideology that ruins lives.

The Boys represents everything alluring and ultimately unfulfilling about postmodern ideology. It tells you that “good and evil” is a lie by the powerful. The powerful are always “oppressors” and the ultimate goal is to expose them and take their power. But there’s a major problem… What do you do after exposing Homelander? Who fills the vacuum? If power is inherently oppressive, you’ll be rebelling and deconstructing again. And again…and again… David Foster Wallace called it living as “third world rebels.” You get stuck in permanent revolution mode. Always cynical. Always living in chaos. Never building something better. Never aspiring to be Superman, because Superman can’t be trusted. It’s an ultimately hopeless and nihilistic ideology that ruins lives.

127,128 views

Based on polls, Disclosure Day is not doing well with Gen Z. Why? Here’s one possibility: The movie presents children being deceived, abducted, experimented on… and then told as adults these things were GOOD for them. That subtext hits a little close to home for Gen Z.

Based on polls, Disclosure Day is not doing well with Gen Z. Why? Here’s one possibility: The movie presents children being deceived, abducted, experimented on… and then told as adults these things were GOOD for them. That subtext hits a little close to home for Gen Z.

54,207 views

Christopher Nolan’s take on the Joker in “The Dark Knight” was really a philosophy lesson in disguise. Joker= Nietzsche’s critique of Christian morality. The first clue comes from Joker’s reveal. It’s a twist on Nietzsche’s “Whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”

Christopher Nolan’s take on the Joker in “The Dark Knight” was really a philosophy lesson in disguise. Joker= Nietzsche’s critique of Christian morality. The first clue comes from Joker’s reveal. It’s a twist on Nietzsche’s “Whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”

20,102 views

Another key feature of metamodernism is the return of wholesomeness. I’ve called it “embracing the cringe.” Creed is back because people are exhausted by cynicism and constant irony. The ironic enjoyment of Creed turned into the genuine enjoyment of Creed, embracing the cringe and allowing oneself to simply enjoy the wholesome.

Another key feature of metamodernism is the return of wholesomeness. I’ve called it “embracing the cringe.” Creed is back because people are exhausted by cynicism and constant irony. The ironic enjoyment of Creed turned into the genuine enjoyment of Creed, embracing the cringe and allowing oneself to simply enjoy the wholesome.

76,016 views

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The Sandlot has the single greatest vision of American life ever put on film. This scene is what it’s all about. 🇺🇸
2:07
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The Sandlot has the single greatest vision of American life ever put on film. This scene is what it’s all about. 🇺🇸

Paul Anleitner

4,389,188 views • 6 days ago

The myth of George Washington is more important than the “history.” Why? Because myths are the container of a culture’s ideal values. Our founding hero could have been like the Romans— a man who murdered his own brother. But our ideal hero is a giant who “never told a lie” and kneeled to pray at Valley Forge. That our culture selected those values to revere and preserve in myth isn’t “propaganda” about our past. It is the archetype we aim toward. Mythological hero George Washington is a story we should keep telling.
1:56
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The myth of George Washington is more important than the “history.” Why? Because myths are the container of a culture’s ideal values. Our founding hero could have been like the Romans— a man who murdered his own brother. But our ideal hero is a giant who “never told a lie” and kneeled to pray at Valley Forge. That our culture selected those values to revere and preserve in myth isn’t “propaganda” about our past. It is the archetype we aim toward. Mythological hero George Washington is a story we should keep telling.

Paul Anleitner

450,846 views • 1 day ago

This moment in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) was when I knew the postmodern deconstruction of our culture was reaching its apex. It’s hard to believe now that this was a real scene.
0:31
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This moment in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) was when I knew the postmodern deconstruction of our culture was reaching its apex. It’s hard to believe now that this was a real scene.

Paul Anleitner

2,602,350 views • 2 months ago

People forget how The Mandalorian started with Werner Herzog. Yes, it was a fun space western. But there was a real philosophical struggle being explored too. This speech should have been the core of the sequel stories. Rebellion is easy. Can you build something better?
0:34
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People forget how The Mandalorian started with Werner Herzog. Yes, it was a fun space western. But there was a real philosophical struggle being explored too. This speech should have been the core of the sequel stories. Rebellion is easy. Can you build something better?

Paul Anleitner

852,765 views • 1 month ago

Most people I know born after 1990, watched Rocky IV as an ironic joke. They couldn’t comprehend that people once felt this sincere about American culture. But that’s changed. And rather suddenly—especially with young men. Many can watch this scene & say: “I get it now.”
0:43
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Most people I know born after 1990, watched Rocky IV as an ironic joke. They couldn’t comprehend that people once felt this sincere about American culture. But that’s changed. And rather suddenly—especially with young men. Many can watch this scene & say: “I get it now.”

Paul Anleitner

269,519 views • 24 days ago

Go watch "Independence Day" from 1996. Something strange will stand out to you. Yes, Will Smith punches an alien & the President gives a pre-war hype speech. But none of it is ironic. We've all been so "irony poisoned" that it's hard to believe how sincere we used to be.
1:30
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Go watch "Independence Day" from 1996. Something strange will stand out to you. Yes, Will Smith punches an alien & the President gives a pre-war hype speech. But none of it is ironic. We've all been so "irony poisoned" that it's hard to believe how sincere we used to be.

Paul Anleitner

694,494 views • 2 months ago

The online trend of young men reading classic works of literature and posting about it continues. ⁦Chris Fizer⁩ was the first I saw do it, but it is spreading. Don’t blackpill on the next generation.
1:37
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The online trend of young men reading classic works of literature and posting about it continues. ⁦Chris Fizer⁩ was the first I saw do it, but it is spreading. Don’t blackpill on the next generation.

Paul Anleitner

1,764,229 views • 5 months ago

The Mandalorian and Grogu was a fun B-flick for my 11 year old. But even for him, CGI monsters can’t compare to what Star Wars was doing 40 years ago with practical FX. CGI takes work & skill. But there’s something that feels more “loved” about the labor of people’s hands.
0:46
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The Mandalorian and Grogu was a fun B-flick for my 11 year old. But even for him, CGI monsters can’t compare to what Star Wars was doing 40 years ago with practical FX. CGI takes work & skill. But there’s something that feels more “loved” about the labor of people’s hands.

Paul Anleitner

346,262 views • 1 month ago

Christopher Nolan often uses his films to smuggle philosophy lessons. For example, The Dark Knight Rises isn’t really about Batman. It’s about Marxism. Bane is the left-wing revolutionary who promises change, but only to mask a totalitarian endgame.
1:59
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Christopher Nolan often uses his films to smuggle philosophy lessons. For example, The Dark Knight Rises isn’t really about Batman. It’s about Marxism. Bane is the left-wing revolutionary who promises change, but only to mask a totalitarian endgame.

Paul Anleitner

428,172 views • 1 month ago

Marvel missed a billion-dollar opportunity for America's 250th. How did someone not pitch making another Captain America movie set in World War 2? Release it on the Fourth of July weekend. Have it feel like this. 🇺🇸 No cynicism. Pure heroism. COULD'VE MADE BILLIONS.
1:08
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Marvel missed a billion-dollar opportunity for America's 250th. How did someone not pitch making another Captain America movie set in World War 2? Release it on the Fourth of July weekend. Have it feel like this. 🇺🇸 No cynicism. Pure heroism. COULD'VE MADE BILLIONS.

Paul Anleitner

56,140 views • 8 days ago

Aristotle called it “vice.” The Apostle Paul called it “sin.” George Lucas called it “the dark side.” Star Wars was originally designed to be a modern myth to pass on timeless wisdom. There’s a lot of gold in what Lucas says here in this clip:
1:33
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Aristotle called it “vice.” The Apostle Paul called it “sin.” George Lucas called it “the dark side.” Star Wars was originally designed to be a modern myth to pass on timeless wisdom. There’s a lot of gold in what Lucas says here in this clip:

Paul Anleitner

324,639 views • 1 month ago

We’ve been doing the “edgy antihero” thing for decades. The hunger in culture right now isn’t for more of that. It’s for this kind of wholesome sincerity— the kind we were brainwashed to believe was “cringe.” We’re ready for heroes to actually be heroes again.
0:30
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We’ve been doing the “edgy antihero” thing for decades. The hunger in culture right now isn’t for more of that. It’s for this kind of wholesome sincerity— the kind we were brainwashed to believe was “cringe.” We’re ready for heroes to actually be heroes again.

Paul Anleitner

56,674 views • 11 days ago

The challenge with Nolan for The Odyssey wasn’t solved by “Troy” back in the mid-2000s. The problem is much deeper, and The Green Knight (2021) showed us why. The modern mind just doesn’t comprehend the true nature of “myth.” If you divide “material” and “spiritual,” you’ll miss it. If you try to make the story fit modern notions of “history” bound by scientism, you’ll miss it. If you ask “what’s ‘real’ here and what’s symbolic?” you’ll miss it. The Green Knight actually does a good job of making you feel how disorienting real myths are to the modern mind. But it’s hard to portray myth and make it a box office success.
2:14
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The challenge with Nolan for The Odyssey wasn’t solved by “Troy” back in the mid-2000s. The problem is much deeper, and The Green Knight (2021) showed us why. The modern mind just doesn’t comprehend the true nature of “myth.” If you divide “material” and “spiritual,” you’ll miss it. If you try to make the story fit modern notions of “history” bound by scientism, you’ll miss it. If you ask “what’s ‘real’ here and what’s symbolic?” you’ll miss it. The Green Knight actually does a good job of making you feel how disorienting real myths are to the modern mind. But it’s hard to portray myth and make it a box office success.

Paul Anleitner

238,176 views • 1 month ago

This young man just posts videos about the classic books he’s reading and what he loves about them. Seeing young people light up over the depth and wisdom found in great literature is the best. 🎥: IG - chriskindareads
1:03
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This young man just posts videos about the classic books he’s reading and what he loves about them. Seeing young people light up over the depth and wisdom found in great literature is the best. 🎥: IG - chriskindareads

Paul Anleitner

845,820 views • 7 months ago

Scientists used to talk about God like this regularly. Then they didn’t for most of my life. Then, suddenly in just the last few years, they did again. I could talk for hours with Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. about this.
2:03
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Scientists used to talk about God like this regularly. Then they didn’t for most of my life. Then, suddenly in just the last few years, they did again. I could talk for hours with Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. about this.

Paul Anleitner

609,426 views • 6 months ago

This is my lane of expertise so let me help you translate what AOC is saying here: It’s Marxism. She claims that the foundation of Western culture is “thin” and that culture is really nothing more than a perpetual state of evolution in response to material causes. Your primary marker of identification should not be tied to religion or the place you live but to your “class.” This is textbook philosophical Marxism.
0:48
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This is my lane of expertise so let me help you translate what AOC is saying here: It’s Marxism. She claims that the foundation of Western culture is “thin” and that culture is really nothing more than a perpetual state of evolution in response to material causes. Your primary marker of identification should not be tied to religion or the place you live but to your “class.” This is textbook philosophical Marxism.

Paul Anleitner

441,401 views • 4 months ago

If I’m advising a Hollywood executive, here’s what I’m telling them. Watch this scene. Did you feel the spell of cynicism break? Did you feel something better—something virtuous? Tell that story and you’ll make a billion dollars right now.
1:24
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If I’m advising a Hollywood executive, here’s what I’m telling them. Watch this scene. Did you feel the spell of cynicism break? Did you feel something better—something virtuous? Tell that story and you’ll make a billion dollars right now.

Paul Anleitner

121,047 views • 1 month ago

Cultural decline can be traced back to the decline of the "training montage." Why? Because they represented a celebration of earnestness, aspiration, and sincerity. But by the late 90s, it was an ironic joke. Cynicism had replaced sincerity. It’s time to bring it back.
2:33
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Cultural decline can be traced back to the decline of the "training montage." Why? Because they represented a celebration of earnestness, aspiration, and sincerity. But by the late 90s, it was an ironic joke. Cynicism had replaced sincerity. It’s time to bring it back.

Paul Anleitner

94,197 views • 1 month ago

The creator of Andor has explicitly said he was making Star Wars a political parable. If you know anything about Marxist revolutions, you can feel it in this scene. In fact, creator Tony Gilroy said he drew inspiration for the main character from a young Joseph Stalin.
1:13
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The creator of Andor has explicitly said he was making Star Wars a political parable. If you know anything about Marxist revolutions, you can feel it in this scene. In fact, creator Tony Gilroy said he drew inspiration for the main character from a young Joseph Stalin.

Paul Anleitner

72,676 views • 1 month ago

Postmodern stories like The Boys can never have a good ending. Why? Because you can never have the restoration of order. Power will always have more "oppression" to unmask. But this is what makes Tolkien brilliant. Yes, power can corrupt, but not all power is "Ring-shaped."
0:30

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PaulAnleitner's profile picture

Postmodern stories like The Boys can never have a good ending. Why? Because you can never have the restoration of order. Power will always have more "oppression" to unmask. But this is what makes Tolkien brilliant. Yes, power can corrupt, but not all power is "Ring-shaped."

Paul Anleitner

92,552 views • 1 month ago