As an artist who brings complex stories to life through theater, I understand the power of storytelling to shape how we see the world — and what we believe is possible. Narratives can inspire hope, spark change or, as in the case of Fox’s new animated series "Universal Basic Guys" (now streaming on Hulu) reduce transformative ideas to shallow stereotypes.
Some 64% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck – and the majority of families are one unexpected expense away from crisis. Yet in its portrayal of universal basic income, "Universal Basic Guys" turns a lifeline into a punchline. The show follows brothers Mark and Hank Hoagies (voiced by series creators Adam and Craig Malamut), who were "not well-off" even at their factory jobs, and now receive a monthly stipend comparable to those wages after losing their jobs to automation. Yet remarkably, universal basic income isn't mentioned once in the dialogue of the opening episode. The only explanation of the policy comes from a blink-and-you-miss-it description in the opening theme song: “I used to work in a hot dog factory until the robots came along. And now there is no job for me but I get $3,000 a month thanks to basic income. Now we’re Universal Basic Guys. It’s still not much, but we’re still going to try.”
