Episode Show Notes: S01E08 Culture Hacking with Elijah Zarlin from Yellow Dot Studios

Episode Description

In this season one finale of Climate Shifted, host Eva Frye speaks with Elijah Zarlin, Head of Digital and Engagement at Yellow Dot Studios—the climate film studio started by Adam McKay after his movie Don't Look Up with Leonardo DiCaprio, about a comet crashing down on Earth as a metaphor for the climate crisis. Elijah's journey from writing emails for Obama's 2008 campaign to getting arrested in front of the Obama White House protesting the Keystone XL Pipeline taught him a hard truth: even the most gifted communicators won't prioritize climate when fossil fuel narratives still dominate our culture.

Yellow Dot is proving that before we can change policy, we need to change the story people tell themselves about energy and who the real villains are. From viral Chevron spoof ads to the Gigaton Salon comedy shows featuring bumbling fossil fuel "executives," they're using the tools of creativity, celebrity, and comedy to expose, deconstruct, and deprogram decades of fossil fuel propaganda.

Discover why culture always comes before policy in social change movements, how to counter-program fossil fuel narratives with content that's more entertaining than the propaganda, and why making fossil fuels culturally embarrassing isn't just creative—it's strategic. Because when democracy and policy are this deeply broken, pulling the climate culture lever isn't optional, it's essential.

FULL TRANSCRIPT LIVES HERE.

Episode Details

• Host: Eva Frye
• Guest: Elijah Zarlin, Head of Digital and Engagement at Yellow Dot Studios
• Season/Episode: S01E08 (Season One Finale)
• Release Date: Nov 18, 2025
• Duration: 36:49
• Content Warning: Strong language in referenced content, bleeped

Key Topics Covered

Culture as the Last Lever for Change

• How culture change precedes policy change in social movements
• How fossil fuel companies have spent billions embedding narratives into our culture
• The limitations of electing even gifted communicators when cultural narratives haven't shifted
• Why pulling the culture lever is strategic when democracy and policy are broken
• Historical parallels: Big Tobacco, drunk driving, marriage equality

Yellow Dot's Counter-Programming Strategy

• The methodology: Expose, deconstruct, and deprogram fossil fuel narratives
• Using creativity, celebrity, and comedy as tools for narrative warfare
• Making fossil fuel greenwashing embarrassing to defend
• Building cultural momentum until the green transition feels inevitable
• Measuring impact through both viewing hours and audience attitude shifts

The Power of Entertainment in Climate Communication

• Why entertainment doesn't just bypass defenses—it captivates and shifts values
• How Don't Look Up + a 3-minute explainer increased climate understanding (Rare.org study)
• The genius of making fossil fuels funny: normalizing climate action, not radicalism
• Tapping into internet subcultures and celebrity fan communities for organic amplification
• Simple direct-to-camera videos vs. expensive production: message matters most

Small Creator Playbook

• Why the stories that travel farthest aren't necessarily expensive or sophisticated
• Using strong language and strong emotions to create compelling content
• Leveraging existing internet communities (comedy fans, gaming, show fandoms)
• Helping people find their specific role in the climate movement
• Meeting people where they are with diverse content formats

Fossil Fuel Propaganda We've Internalized

• "Carbon footprint" (BP invented this to shift blame to individuals)
• "Clean coal" (embedded through repetition)
• "Energy scarcity" (myth—the sun produces unlimited energy)
• "Sacrifice" (the real sacrifice is fossil fuels blocking renewable energy)
• Why even climate communicators accidentally use fossil fuel frames

From Policy to Culture: Elijah's Journey

• Starting at the bottom: door-to-door fundraising for the DNC in 2004
• Working on Obama's 2008 campaign headquarters writing emails
• The "clean coal" moment: questioning the messaging even while working to elect Obama
• Getting arrested at the White House in 2012 as a former Obama staffer
• Realizing leaders won't act without cultural pressure demanding it
• Finding purpose in creative climate work: "Fighting as hard as I can"

Standout Quotes

"In this moment when policy and democracy are so deeply broken, culture is the one lever that we as individuals and we as creatives and storytellers, still really have."

"The goal of Yellow Dot is to expose and deconstruct and deprogram [Fossil Fuel propaganda] using the tools of creativity and celebrity and comedy or entertainment."

"The stuff that travels on social is not necessarily the stuff that's expensive. Use strong language and evoke strong emotions—it doesn't have to cost a lot of money."

"People say, oh, the science is complicated. It's really not that complicated…They just need to understand that there are fossil fuel executives who are intentionally murdering them and that it doesn't need to be that way. Stories need villains. And this story has villains."

"The fossil fuel industry has so much disinformation for so long that I see people buying into the frames of the fossil fuel industry all the time—like climate communicators, people on our side. Energy scarcity? That is a fossil fuel myth. The sun produces virtually unlimited energy."

"I was in front of the White House getting arrested, telling Obama to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline... It was a real wake up call about how far we need to come, how hard this is, and how hard we need to go."

"It's a battle... working with creative people who care and are just trying to make fun and funny and interesting things that speak to this moment... try like hell to break something loose. 'Cause that's all we can do."

Featured Resources & Organizations

Elijah's Work:

• Yellow Dot Studios - yellowdotstudios.com
• Elijah's LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/elijahzarlin
• Yellow Dot Instagram - @yellow.dot.studios
• Elijah’s Instagram: @elijahion

Yellow Dot Content Referenced:

• Chevron Spoof Ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfeOWj6AsVc
• Don't Look Up (Netflix) - Directed by Adam McKay, starring Leonardo DiCaprio
• Gigaton Salon - Live comedy shows at climate events featuring fossil fuel "executive" parody
• Let's Not Die - Comedy series
• Sabotage Podcast - https://yellowdotstudios.com/sabotage/ (Top 10 on Apple Podcasts, deep dive with climate activists like Just Stop Oil)
• The Try Guys climate content - https://yellowdotstudios.com/episode-1-the-try-guys/

Key People Referenced:

• Adam McKay - Director of Don't Look Up, founder of Yellow Dot Studios
• Leonardo DiCaprio - Star of Don't Look Up, created 3-minute climate explainer video
• Tim Robinson - Comedian whose content reaches comedy fans who wouldn't watch traditional climate documentaries

Research & Reports Referenced:

• Rare.org Study on Don't Look Up Impact - Showed significant increases in viewers' understanding of climate threats and willingness to support policy action when watching the film plus DiCaprio's 3-minute explainer
• Project Drawdown Explorer - Eva's voiceover recommendation for checking legitimacy of climate solutions https://drawdown.org/explorer

Historical Social Change Parallels:

• Big Tobacco "Truth Campaign" (2000) - Made tobacco industry look manipulative and uncool to teens
• MADD & Designated Driver Campaigns (1980s-1990s) - Shifted drunk driving from "normal" to "irresponsible" through cultural messaging
• Marriage Equality Media Representation (2000s-2015) - Will & Grace, Ellen, Modern Family changed hearts before policy shifted

Key Themes Explored

Culture Always Precedes Policy in Social Movements

• Smoking became socially unacceptable before smoke-free laws passed with ease
• Drunk driving cultural shift came before strict legal consequences
• Marriage equality gained through personal stories and media representation
• Policy fights can be reversed overnight; cultural shifts create lasting change
• Yellow Dot's bet: Make fossil fuel greenwashing as unacceptable as smoking indoors

Systematic Counter-Programming vs. Counter-Messaging

• Expose: Make the manipulation visible (Chevron spoof saying the quiet part out loud)
• Deconstruct: Show HOW propaganda works
• Deprogram: Offer something MORE entertaining than the propaganda
• Goal isn't convincing every denier—it's making fossil fuel defense socially costly
• When greenwashing becomes a punchline, it loses power

Entertainment as Strategic Weapon

• Entertainment doesn't just educate—it captivates and shifts cultural values
• Comedy makes fossil fuel talking points harder to take seriously
• Celebrity platforms come with built-in audiences and trust
• Internet subcultures amplify content organically (meme accounts, fan sites)
• Simple, direct content with strong emotions travels further than expensive production

The Journey from Inside to Outside the System

• Working within the system (Obama campaign) to demanding change from outside (protest)
• Realizing gifted communicators are constrained by fossil fuel cultural dominance
• Frustration as fuel for finding new levers to pull
• Moving from policy pressure to culture change as primary strategy
• Finding purpose in creative disruption rather than traditional advocacy

Fossil Fuel Frames We Need to Reject

• "Carbon footprint" - Shifts blame to individuals (BP invention)
• "Energy scarcity" - False; the sun produces unlimited energy
• "Sacrifice" - Backwards; fossil fuels ARE the sacrifice blocking solutions
• "It's complicated" - No; there are villains intentionally blocking progress
• Even climate advocates accidentally reinforce these frames

Juicy Bits: Key Takeaways for Climate Communicators

1. There's no right way to do it - As long as you're being creative and entertaining, just try lots of things. Do what moves you and what seems to move other people.

2. Don't overcomplicate the message - People don't need complex science. They need to understand there are fossil fuel executives who are intentionally blocking solutions, and it doesn't need to be that way. Stories need villains. This story has villains.

3. Don't buy fossil fuel frames - Energy scarcity is a myth. "Sacrifice" is backwards—fossil fuels are blocking unlimited solar energy. Dying is expensive. Question the narratives you've internalized.

4. Message matters more than production value - The content that goes viral isn't necessarily expensive. Use strong language, evoke strong emotions. Your idea matters more than your equipment.

5. Leverage existing communities - Don't build an audience from scratch. Tap into comedy fans, gaming communities, show fandoms. They have built-in amplification mechanisms.

6. Make it embarrassing to defend fossil fuels - Don't just debate propaganda—expose how cynical it is. When greenwashing becomes a punchline, defending it becomes socially costly.

7. Stop waiting for leaders to save us - Culture change comes before policy change. Find your lever and pull it.

Call to Action

Frustrated with how slowly climate policy is moving? Good. That frustration is fuel. The question isn't whether leaders will finally prioritize climate—it's what cultural lever YOU can pull while we're waiting.

Support Yellow Dot's Work:

• Follow @yellow.dot.studios on Instagram
• Watch and share their content (Chevron spoof ad, Sabotage podcast, Let's Not Die)
• Visit yellowdotstudios.com to explore their full catalog
• Amplify content that makes fossil fuels look ridiculous

Take Action:

• Stop using fossil fuel frames in your own communication (question "energy scarcity," "sacrifice," "carbon footprint" language)
• Create content that exposes fossil fuel propaganda—make it funny, make it embarrassing
• Find your lever: Are you a creator? Organizer? Artist? Use your skills for climate
• Share this episode with someone who's given up on leaders saving us
• Follow @climateshifted on Instagram and LinkedIn for ongoing climate communication insights

Get Involved with Climate Shifted:

• Subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen
• Become a paid Substack subscriber for episode insight digests
• Support our volunteer team's work on Season 2
• Reach out to [email protected] with grant or sponsorship opportunities

Credits

• Executive Producer & Host: Eva Frye
• Technical Producer: Mathieu Salé
• Audio Engineer: Gianna Scioletti
• Project Management: Sarah Clayton
• Advisers: Ryan Shuken, Ashley Chapman, Chris Clark