Badlands Story Hour Ep 127: Thank You For Smoking

In this episode of Badlands Story Hour, Chris Paul and Burning Bright dive deep into the satirical film Thank You for Smoking, examining its commentary on persuasion, propaganda, and personal freedom. The duo unpacks the complexity of Nick Naylor’s character, not as a villain, but as a truth-teller navigating a society addicted to moral posturing. They discuss the layered dynamics between tobacco, alcohol, and firearms in the cultural consciousness, the role of narrative warfare, and how modern programming conditions our collective assumptions.

From AI's quiet takeover to geopolitical energy manipulation, this isn’t just a film discussion, it’s a dissection of how truth is packaged, sold, and suppressed. With cultural references ranging from the PayPal mafia’s producer credits to comparisons with Watchmen and Silicon Valley, the episode peels back the glossy veneer of storytelling to reveal a much darker, and sometimes liberating, core.