<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"&gt;Welcome to episode 295 of the Spun Today Podcast, In this episode, Tony Ortiz dives deep into the world of storytelling by breaking down the Black Mirror episode, "Common People." He explores how great speculative fiction doesn't invent new emotions—it amplifies the ones we already know all too well. Tony discusses how everyday anxieties like money, health, and love become the heartbeat of compelling narratives, especially when survival itself is transformed into a subscription service and love is put under extreme pressure.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"&gt;You'll also hear writing takeaways on grounding relatable characters, escalating stakes through economics instead of violence, and how subtle horror can be more powerful than gore. On top of an insightful TV breakdown, this episode welcomes Ben Affleck and Matt Damon into the "Goats Doing Goat Shit" segment for their groundbreaking efforts in reshaping how film crews get compensated. Whether you're a writer seeking fresh inspiration or just a fan of sharp analysis, this episode is packed with creative insights to fuel your craft. So settle in—let's explore the delicate dance between art, commerce, and the stories that stick with us long after the credits roll.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="paragraph" style= "margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span lang="UZ-CYR" style="mso-ansi-language: UZ-CYR;" xml:lang="UZ-CYR"&gt;The Spun Today Podcast is a Podcast that is anchored in Writing, but unlimited in scope.  Give it a whirl.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span class="eop"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="paragraph" style= "margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="paragraph" style= "margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"&gt;&lt;span class= "normaltextrun"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;Twitter:&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/spuntoday" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "normaltextrun"&gt;https://twitter.com/spuntoday&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="eop"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 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mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt; Links referenced in this episode&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "text-align: center; line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;" align="center"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt; &lt;span style= "text-decoration: none;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt; Black Mirror: Common People - &lt;a href= "https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30127325/"&gt;https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30127325/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt; Ben Affleck and Matt Damon negotiate bonus for crew: &lt;a href= "https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/affleck-damon-netflix-rip"&gt;https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/affleck-damon-netflix-rip&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt; Get your Podcast Started Today!&lt;/span&gt; &lt;a href= "https://signup.libsyn.com/?promo_code=SPUN"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; background: white;"&gt; https://signup.libsyn.com/?promo_code=SPUN&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 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Spun Today with Tony Ortiz

Tony Ortiz

#295 – When Survival Becomes a Subscription: Writing Lessons from Black Mirror's Common People and GOATs Doing GOAT $hit

JAN 29, 202627 MIN
Spun Today with Tony Ortiz

#295 – When Survival Becomes a Subscription: Writing Lessons from Black Mirror's Common People and GOATs Doing GOAT $hit

JAN 29, 202627 MIN

Description

Welcome to episode 295 of the Spun Today Podcast, In this episode, Tony Ortiz dives deep into the world of storytelling by breaking down the Black Mirror episode, "Common People." He explores how great speculative fiction doesn't invent new emotions—it amplifies the ones we already know all too well. Tony discusses how everyday anxieties like money, health, and love become the heartbeat of compelling narratives, especially when survival itself is transformed into a subscription service and love is put under extreme pressure. You'll also hear writing takeaways on grounding relatable characters, escalating stakes through economics instead of violence, and how subtle horror can be more powerful than gore. On top of an insightful TV breakdown, this episode welcomes Ben Affleck and Matt Damon into the "Goats Doing Goat Shit" segment for their groundbreaking efforts in reshaping how film crews get compensated. Whether you're a writer seeking fresh inspiration or just a fan of sharp analysis, this episode is packed with creative insights to fuel your craft. So settle in—let's explore the delicate dance between art, commerce, and the stories that stick with us long after the credits roll. The Spun Today Podcast is a Podcast that is anchored in Writing, but unlimited in scope. Give it a whirl. Twitter: https://twitter.com/spuntoday Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spuntoday/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spuntoday Website: http://www.spuntoday.com/home Newsletter: http://www.spuntoday.com/subscribe Links referenced in this episode Black Mirror: Common People - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30127325/ Ben Affleck and Matt Damon negotiate bonus for crew: https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/affleck-damon-netflix-rip Get your Podcast Started Today! https://signup.libsyn.com/?promo_code=SPUN (Use Promo code SPUN and get up to 2-months of free service!) Check out all the Spun Today Merch, and other ways to help support this show! https://www.spuntoday.com/support Check out my Books Make Way for You – Tips for getting out of your own way FRACTAL – A Time Travel Tale Melted Cold – A Collection of Short Stories http://www.spuntoday.com/books/ (e-Book, Paperback & Hardcover are now available). Fill out my Spun Today Questionnaire if you're passionate about your craft. I'll share your insight and motivation on the Podcast: http://www.spuntoday.com/questionnaire/ Shop on Amazon using this link, to support the Podcast: https://amzn.to/4km592l Shop on iTunes using this link, to support the Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewTop?genreId=38&id=27820&popId=42&uo=10 Shop at the Spun Today store for Mugs, Notebooks, T-Shirts and more: https://spuntoday-shop.fourthwall.com/ Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Outro Background Music: https://www.bensound.com Spun Today Logo by: https://www.naveendhanalak.com/ Sound effects are credited to: http://www.freesfx.co.uk Listen on: ApplePodcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts | YouTube | Website