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Lifestyle
Zen Dochterman, Lecturer of Writing, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

'Great resignation'? 'Quiet quitting'? If you’re surprised by America’s anti-work movement, maybe you need to watch more movies

The 1994 movie 'Clerks' was one of many 'Slacker films' that were made in the 1990s. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

A femme fatale who tries to con thousands through her lover’s insurance company. Jobless bikers on drug-fueled adventures in New Orleans. People smashing printers at work.

Watching movies like “Double Indemnity,” “Easy Rider” and “Office Space,” you might think Americans had never heard of the Protestant work ethic – the spirit of sacrifice and delayed gratification that helped build capitalism.

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