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In 2023, they are for lack of a better term Nazis.
Did you intentionally set out to make First Annual PI2A Symposium a sequel to California College Conservative Union Caucus?
Youre definitely correct that there is a weird echo and evolution there.
But I dont think it was intentional.
He was meeting these very bootstrap, make your own destiny, bright-eyed pop in of Reagan conservatives.
It was a deliberate gesture to put him in contrast to that group of folks.
The echo just kind of happened.
In the climate today, it sadly doesnt feel out of place.
How did you think about establishing parameters for the satire this time around?
Its funny to think back to the more innocent times.
We were just like, Look, its these little blue-blazer Republicans.
It seems so quaint.
What were some of the things you decided were too outlandish?
In this episode, we see Roman has a popular vlog, but hes still working as a caterer.
We see Sackson has a brand deal, but hes still working as a caterer.
Was this your way of saying this narrative still exists but that the goalpost has moved?
Twelve years ago, these guys were basically gig workers before there was a name for it.
The world hasnt changed away from what we were doing.
Its moved harder into it.
Would you say Roman is an incel?
As the years went by, we watched GamerGate unfold.
All of these worlds that seemed like he would be a part of started curdling in weird ways.
Thats where the idea of his vlog came from.
What were the inspirations for Calum Worthys character, Stuart?
Is he a facsimile of any real-life figures?
A lot of them were very academic in their approach to stuff.
They had this thoughtful persona, and they referred to a lot of philosophical touchstones.
Its not just a libertarian, Reagan-esque, free-market, free-speech jot down thing.
But one phrase kept popping up everywhere: Are you afraid of open debate?
Lets just have the debate.
That was one of the things we wanted everyone to be incredibly annoyed by.
Because it was never a debate.
It was always just a chance for these guys to pounce on them.
How did the idea to have Stuart fake a protest become part of the episode?
We saw it a lot over the last couple of years with all the protests in various cities.
There are people who have different axes to grind reporting on stuff from totally different perspectives.
Everyone is battling in every mode of media they can bring into the fight.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
