The Interview

Seth Rogen and "The Dude" from RAND Corporation

When Seth Rogen's stoner comedy The Interview sparked an international crisis in 2014, it exposed the hidden connections between Hollywood entertainment and U.S. foreign policy. Investigative journalist Tim Shorrock reveals how the film's graphic depiction of Kim Jong Un's assassination wasn't just a creative choice — it was lauded by RAND Corporation analyst Bruce Bennett, who viewed the movie as a psychological operation to undermine North Korea's regime. Following the devastating Sony hack that was immediately blamed on North Korea, Shorrock published an article connecting the film to the Obama administration's militaristic approach toward the Korean Peninsula, only to be publicly dismissed by Rogen as "crazy."

This episode explores the complex 80-year history of U.S. - Korea relations, from the post-WWII division of Korea to missed opportunities for peace, while examining how a Hollywood comedy became a vehicle for propaganda and geopolitical messaging; and why the official narrative about who actually hacked Sony may not be the whole story.