ABSTRACT
This chapter examines three Rants that focus on a particular oppressive aspect of the Regime. Speculative satire has the ability not only to challenge the dominant discourse but to zero-in on very distinct social sore spots. Such works accentuate the miserable and the awful in our culture to the degree where audiences can find it difficult to bear the single-mindedness of these Menippean forewarnings. The first work considered is Jordan Peele’s film, Get Out (2017), focusing on white supremacist racism against African Americans. Next is an episode from the Netflix series, Black Mirror, titled “Men Against Fire” (season 3, episode 5, 2016) focusing on the dangers of neoconservative militarism. Third is an episode from the Hulu series, The Handmaid's Tale, titled “Late” (season 1, episode 3, 2017) focusing on the repressive extreme of hyperreligious patriarchy. Each of these Rants pushes audiences to terrible extremes of emotions and ideas as specific practices of injustice, bigotry, and merciless greed perpetrated by the Regime are laid bare.
