Episode 197: The Rabbits and the Work-Hogs

April 19, 2022

Central Thesis

The episode argues that the historical shift away from shorter workdays, despite demonstrable worker benefits and potential for societal good, highlights the pervasive influence of "tangible" financial incentives (favored by "work hogs") over less easily quantifiable benefits like leisure and well-being ("rabbits"). This shift mirrors contemporary issues like planned obsolescence in technology and the aggressive intrusion of advertising, both of which prioritize profit maximization over user experience and genuinely fulfilling work.

Key Arguments

• The Lost Promise of the Six-Hour Day Jim argues that the Kellogg's experiment with six-hour workdays, initially embraced by workers for its positive impact on their lives, was ultimately undermined by the conflict between workers who prioritized free time ("rabbits") and those more focused on maximizing earnings ("work hogs"). The rise of unions prioritizing maximizing total income over free time through demanding overtime played a crucial role in abandoning shorter workdays.
• The Tangible vs. The Intangible Jim emphasizes the shift from valuing the "intangible" benefits of leisure and improved quality of life to prioritizing "tangible" monetary gains. This shift, he contends, was a key factor in the demise of the six-hour day. This privileging of cash allowed the needs of workers to be "exploited."
• Advertising and Planned Obsolescence Corrupt Technology Jim's personal experience with buying a new cell phone illustrates how companies now prioritize advertising and planned obsolescence over user experience and longevity, a trend he finds infuriating. He argues that these practices are a form of corporate malfeasance that should be subject to legal regulation.
• The Threat to Independent Media The shift of podcasts to proprietary streaming services, which prioritize ads and data collection, threatens the existence of independent, ad-free (or ad-reduced) content creators like himself. Big companies have "every incentive to do whatever they can to make shows like mine disappear."

Notable Passages

• "Seriously, this silly notion that government has not only no need to pass laws to protect its citizens, but even that government has no right to pass laws, infringing on a factory owner's right to do... Whatever the fuck he wants, it still exists. Stupid never dies, right?"
• "Those other cereal packers were all working at least two hours more a day. It's pretty easy to make more money if you have more work. If you work longer. The question is how able are you to enjoy that extra cash after work?"
• "Hey, algorithmic corporate spy asshole! Fuck you!" (Regarding forward-facing cameras designed to read user expressions)
• "I've said it before, and I will repeat it here. There really ought to be laws against this shit."

Rhetorical Approach

Jim uses a combination of historical analysis (the Kellogg's experiment), personal anecdote (his frustrating experience with his new phone), and sardonic commentary to make his case. He frequently uses hyperbole and profanity to express his outrage at what he perceives as corporate exploitation and societal degradation. He frames his arguments as a "lazy, do-nothing idler, and ad attacker" to appeal to a specific audience who shares his values.

Connections

• Referenced Episode 180 (The Calvinistic Worship of Toil), 181 (Kellogg, Brown, and Roots), 182 (The Fight to Guide the Plotters), 193 (Lazy Do-Nothing Idlers), 134 (The Opposite of Pride), 194, and 159 (Now You Find Me).
• Referenced Benjamin Honeycutt's book, Kellogg's Six-Hour Day.
• Referenced Lord William Hesketh Leverhulme (Lancastrian Soap King) and Henry Ford as examples of "liberation capitalism."
• Referenced Shoshana Zuboff and Rosalind Picard's work on surveillance capitalism.