What do a rogue HVAC technician, a zipline, and a suspiciously hostile Form 27B/6 have in common? Welcome to Brazil—Terry Gilliam’s bureaucratic fever dream where paperwork is power and mechanical engineers are the real heroes.
We revisit a memorable sequence from the 1985 cult classic to explore what it says about bureaucracy gone haywire—and why Robert K. Merton’s 1940 study of bureaucratic personality still hits uncomfortably close to home.
Spoiler: the system isn’t broken. It’s designed this way.
Listen in for dystopian comedy, academic insight, and a little love for the overlooked logic (and illogic) of organizational life.
Episode Music: Zazie by Kevin MacLeod
License code: P70FUH6AWM3GVYAX