Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

Episode 74: War with Iran, and Award Shows in This Political Moment

Date: March 3, 2026
Guests: Sam Sanders (host of the Sam Sanders Show), Hunter Harris (Let Me Say This podcast, Substack "Hung Up")

Main Theme

This episode explores the intersection of politics, war, and culture amid the backdrop of the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran and the upcoming Oscars. Stacey Abrams leads a conversation about how political events—especially authoritarian actions and war—impact not only democratic norms but also the narratives presented in art and media. Abrams, Sanders, and Harris discuss how films, award shows, and the entertainment industry reflect, resist, or reinforce the political currents of our time.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening: The War With Iran and America's Drift Toward Autocracy

(03:00 – 15:45)

• Stacey Abrams sets the tone by acknowledging the gravity of the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, including the murder of Iran’s Ayatollah, and the lack of congressional or public accountability.
• She draws parallels between past wars (especially Iraq in 2003) and the current dynamic, arguing that autocrats count on public outrage followed by apathy:

  "One of the ways authoritarians destroy democracy at home is by flouting it where consequences are more remote, by fomenting foreign wars and ignoring domestic obligations." – Stacey Abrams (08:40)

• Abrams underscores the interconnectedness of culture and politics, stating that narratives—whether in film or foreign policy—shape and mirror who we are and who has power.

2. Transition: Why Discuss the Oscars Now?

(15:45 – 16:25)

• Abrams defends the episode’s pivot to Oscars talk, stating:

  "The continuum of politics and culture means that we have to understand all of it for it to affect any of it." – Stacey Abrams (15:49)

3. The Oscars: Ideology, Ownership, and Political Narrative

(16:25 – 38:11)

Hollywood’s Political Roots & Trump Era Dynamics

• Sam Sanders opens by affirming the show's premise that culture and politics are deeply linked—highlighting Trump’s origins in reality TV and entertainment:

  "Trump is a creature and a creation of reality TV and Hollywood...so much of his playbook is a reality TV playbook." – Sam Sanders (16:53)

• Hunter Harris and Sanders examine how this Oscar season features more films with explicit political undertones—including issues of race, creative ownership, and anti-authoritarianism.
• Notable films discussed:
  • Sinners (Black ownership and resistance against cultural imperialism)
  • One Battle After Another (Black revolutionaries, anti-white-supremacist themes)
  • Just an Accident (Iranian refugees)
  • The Secret Agent (Brazilian dictatorship)
• Panelists recall the electrifying SAG Awards moment when “Sinners” won Best Cast:

  "There was such a feel good moment when Delroy Lindo was on the stage...and said, 'This moment is anointed. This film is anointed. This cast is anointed.'" – Hunter Harris (20:55)

Hollywood Ownership & Systemic Change

• The groundbreaking Ryan Coogler deal for Sinners: after 25 years, all rights revert to Coogler (27:11).

  "When that was made public, Hollywood gatekeepers scoffed, questioned it... Ryan securing his ownership seems like a no brainer and a template for creatives going forward." – Sam Sanders (27:34)

• Both panelists discuss Hollywood’s power structures:
  • Mergers and buyouts threaten independent voices and politically engaged storytelling in favor of recycled IP and business-safe content (30:12–31:28).
  • The resurgence of "bad men" (e.g., Brett Ratner) signals a Hollywood culture reverting to regressive norms under right-wing political pressure (31:15).

Award Shows and Political Discourse

• Both guests voice disappointment that more celebrities didn't address political issues (Iran, ICE, authoritarianism) at the SAG Awards, but acknowledge the symbolic significance when politically bold films succeed.
• Abrams links this directly to her work on the "Ten Steps to Autocracy" campaign, noting that controlling narratives—both news and cultural stories—is key to authoritarian strategy (32:02).

International Films & Broadened Narratives

(38:13 – 47:19)

• Abrams highlights a wave of international films gaining recognition (e.g., Cutting Through Rocks [Iran], The Voice of Hain Rajab [Palestine]) and how culture can disrupt authoritarian narratives.
• Harris points out how the Academy’s expanded international membership—now 1 in 5 voters—is broadening what’s seen as possible in mainstream American culture (42:59).

  "A lot of American pop culture that we think is just American has quietly and loudly become increasingly international." – Hunter Harris (42:59)

Politics, Media Fragmentation & the Lasting Power of Touchstones

• Panelists discuss the loss of "monoculture" and the role of award shows and events like the Super Bowl as rare unifying cultural touchpoints in a fragmented media landscape (48:56–51:37).
• Sanders reflects on Trump’s dominance of the "monoculture," and why the Oscars’ moments of shared attention can serve as needed counterweight:

  "He wants to seem bigger than he really is...which is why I think it’s important to find other monoculture moments that you can glom onto...just to offer a rebuke." – Sam Sanders (54:57)

The Oscars: Merit, Myth, and Counter-Monoculture

• Sanders is skeptical about the Oscars as an institution (origin as anti-union), yet argues they still deliver critical cultural moments and set industry precedent (54:57–59:47).

  "When Hollywood and the Oscars industrial complex are firing on all cylinders, it gives you the most feel good you can possibly see on a TV screen." – Sam Sanders (54:57)

• The panel connects film narratives with societal change—citing Brokeback Mountain and how art can drive national policy conversations, regardless of whether it wins (59:47–60:16).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On autocracy and distraction:

  "But our obligation as Americans is to set a standard that is hard to meet, not one that is simple and morally flexible." – Stacey Abrams (11:05)

• On Trump & Hollywood:

  "He is a 1980s TV star who by, you know, by any true metric should be like a Bravo housewife by now. Instead, he's in the White House. So his idea of what culture is, is a lot more old fashioned than I think you would think." – Sam Sanders (45:54)

• On cultural ownership:

  "Hollywood in this moment, under this rightward energy from Trump and his friends...are resuscitating the careers of bad men who were MeToo’d." – Hunter Harris (31:28)

• Oscars as counter-monoculture:

  "Celebrities still give us something. Movies still give us something. And in this moment of nonstop Donald Trump monoculture, we kind of need that." – Sam Sanders (54:57)

• Hunter Harris advice:

  "Stop expecting other people to make choices for you. Make your own choices." – Hunter Harris (64:05)

• Sam Sanders advice:

  "Don’t wait for a yes. Just decide to do it yourself." – Sam Sanders (60:58)

• On art, activism, and authoritarianism:

  "To the extent that movies and TV and entertainment media can prompt conversations that then change policy, that is still true." – Hunter Harris (59:01)

Actionable Takeaways & Listener “Homework”

(Summary of final segment, 59:47–end)

• Be curious: Check out Sam Sanders’s and Hunter Harris’s independent journalism and storytelling.
• Support independent media: Seek out and uplift independent filmmakers and diverse voices. Specific organizations: Chicken & Egg Films, NAACP, GLAAD.
• Do good: Support humanitarian organizations addressing war casualties in Iran/Middle East: Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF.
• Embrace agency: Create and amplify underrepresented art, and make personal career and creative choices rather than waiting on gatekeepers.

Conclusion

This episode articulates how politics and culture perpetually intertwine, especially in moments of crisis. The conversation examines films as more than entertainment—they are battlegrounds for narrative, belonging, resistance, and mythmaking. The current political climate, award show controversies, and the struggle for creative ownership all reflect deeper fights over who controls the story of America and its future. Through it all, Abrams and her panelists issue a call: consume critically, create independently, and refuse to yield the culture to authoritarian forces.

Top Moments Quick Reference:

• War with Iran, autocracy in the U.S. (03:00–15:45)
• Why politics + Oscars must be discussed together (15:49)
• Hollywood mirrors/current events – the Trump factor (16:53)
• Oscars and political film nominees (19:34–22:57)
• "Sinners" and the question of ownership (27:11–29:32)
• Hollywood, mergers, MeToo regression (30:12–31:28)
• Rising international influence in the Oscars (42:59–44:43)
• Media fragmentation & monoculture (48:56–51:37)
• Oscars as an imperfect but vital touchstone (54:57–59:01)
• Advice for reclaiming culture and personal agency (60:58–64:05)

If you missed this episode, you missed an urgent, nuanced look at how our wars—on the battlefield and on the screen—shape what America is and might become.