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EPISODE · Feb 23, 2026 · 12 MIN

Childs Was Right

from Park Bench Ontology

In 1982, John Carpenter released The Thing — a film about paranoia in isolation. But beneath the alien horror is a quieter question: Why does crisis always seem to produce the same kind of leader? From Snake Plissken to MacReady to Jack Burton, Carpenter’s collaborations with Kurt Russell trace the erosion of the American hero myth. When the Berlin Wall fell, the external enemy collapsed. The crisis logic didn’t. It moved inward. This episode explores suspicion, authority, neoliberal shock, and why marginalized spaces are often testing grounds for what eventually reaches the centre. Childs wasn’t the threat. He was the warning. — Park Bench Ontology is a series examining culture, identity, and the systems that shape perception. 🎙 Park Bench Ontology — existential comedy for the end of the world. 🔗 Follow & Support: 🌐 Website: http://gavinstephens.ca 🎧 Podcast: https://pod.link/uncolonized 📷 Instagram: @countgavin 🐦 Bluesky: gavinstephens.substack.com 🎵 TikTok: @ParkBenchOntology 📼 YouTube: http://youtube.com/@parkbenchontology Also, Check out the Substack: Dispatch From The Simulation Subscribe and leave a review! 🎙 Park Bench Ontology — existential comedy for the end of the world. 🔗 Follow & Support: 🌐 Website: http://gavinstephens.ca 🎧 Podcast: https://pod.link/uncolonized 📷 Instagram: @countgavin 🐦 Bluesky: gavinstephens.substack.com 🎵 TikTok: @ParkBenchOntology 📼 YouTube: http://youtube.com/@parkbenchontology Also, Check out the Substack: Dispatch From The Simulation Subscribe and leave a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Childs Was Right

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How long is this episode of Park Bench Ontology?

This episode is 12 minutes long.

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This episode was published on February 23, 2026.

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