A Silicon Valley Satire That Feels Uncomfortably Close to Reality
3/19/202656 min
"Raising money off frothy numbers to sugarcoat the rotten apple is what built this town.” That’s according to Duncan Park, the protagonist of "The Audacity," a new dark comedy from AMC about tech CEOs and their relationships with their families, therapists and enablers. Live from SXSW, Kara spoke with executive producer and showrunner Jonathan Glatzer ("Succession," "Bad Sisters," "Better Call Saul"), star Billy Magnussen, and executive producer Gina Mingacci ("Killing Eve," "Orphan Black"). The series follows Duncan, an ambitious, arrogant data-mining CEO determined to join Silicon Valley’s billionaire elite, and holds up a mirror to the greed and ego shaping modern tech culture. They discuss how tech’s obsession with disruption and data has come at the cost of privacy and real human connection. While "The Audacity" is a sharp satire, it also finds surprising humanity in even the most unlikable tech bros — and even made Kara feel empathy for them, despite her best intentions. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsKara Swisher· Host0:00
I never run into a banker that goes, "What we're really here to do, Kara, is community through money."
Speaker 30:07
[laughs] [laughs] It's on.
Kara Swisher· Host0:10
[upbeat music] Hi, everyone. From New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network, this is On with Kara Swisher, and I'm Kara Swisher. My guests today are the executive producers and the star of The Audacity. It's a dark comedy series from AMC that explores the lives of tech CEOs and their relationships with their families, therapists, and enablers. The show follows Duncan Park, the ambitious, arrogant, and often delusional CEO of a data mining company in Silicon Valley. He's a wannabe tech titan who's set on joining the billionaire ranks of the Valley's powerful elite. And like real-life counterparts, his ego, greed, and insecurities help push him towards his goal and also get in the way. Emmy Award winner Jonathan Glatzer is The Audacity's executive producer and showrunner. He's also written and produced for Succession, Bad Sisters, and Better Call Saul. Billy Magnussen stars in the series as Duncan Park, and the show is executive produced by Gina Mingacci, whose credits include Killing Eve and Orphan Black. I interviewed Jonathan, Billy, and Gina live last Sunday on the Vox Media podcast stage at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. I was excited to talk