Patrick Urbano: "We are becoming more selfish, more cruel, and more ruthless."

BarcelonaPatrick Urbano has just released And you, what would you do?, the moral dilemmas program on La 2 Cat. However, his resume is more extensive and multifaceted: he is at the helm of the video game podcast Three lives, from 3Cat; he is a screenwriter forOn guardHe works for Catalunya Ràdio; is a university professor; and is a director, creative director, and screenwriter for audiovisual projects at Mediapro. We first saw him on television thanks to the program Coolhunters, which parodied trend hunters and influencers.

How do you see the world of communication?

— People often think, "Damn! Journalism is corrupt!" or "Journalism doesn't tell the truth." The truth is, journalism will only be useful to the extent that it's precarious. If you have a staff of protected and well-paid workers, they're much more likely to tell it like it is, and not how they're forced to tell it so no one criticizes them.

How do you get toAnd you, what would you do?

— The production company Crisálida and the magazine are coming to pick me up. ValuesAnd what they're proposing is that I do a program about ethical dilemmas related to current events. We live in a very polarized time. Social media, I suppose, bears a large part of the blame and responsibility for this. Often, these are questions your brother-in-law might ask at the dinner table, but we don't answer them the way your brother-in-law would; instead, we answer them the way a philosopher, a lawyer, an economist, or a specialist in the field would. We believe there are a number of debates we must confront and that we must dismantle a series of ideas that have been gaining traction in the media for some years now.

Do you think you would give many controversial answers to the dilemmas you yourself pose, or would they be more neutral answers?

— I find it very difficult to confront dilemmas because we often think we have a clear answer to things, and then we realize that we don't, that the world is much more complex. The great tragedy, often, is that you think you're doing the right thing, but you have to ask yourself if the other person is suffering. It's a dangerous program because any question taken out of context can cause a problem and lead to a public shaming. We are becoming more selfish, more cruel, more ruthless.

I present you with a dilemma. You can only choose one of these three disciplines; the other two disappear: martial arts, video games, or history.

— I'd stick with the story. I'm lucky enough to be a screenwriter for one of the best shows currently on the air, a show that's been around for many years.On guardFrom Catalunya Ràdio, presented by Enric Calpena. We can get by without playing video games and practicing martial arts, but it will be very difficult to move towards the future if we don't really understand history, if we don't really understand where we come from and where we are going.

And how do you see the current situation?

— I believe we are now at a crossroads, choosing between what is right and what is convenient. I believe this is a stage where society, as we know it, will only survive or improve if we are able to consider the entire community of people who comprise it. If we continue down this path, championed by the far right, of being ruthless towards those who are struggling, those who lack the means to live... if we continue down this road, we will be remembered in a way we will not like in the future.

Do you think the far right is necessary for the left to rise up?

— I believe the far right is completely unnecessary. What the far right does is exploit the lowest instincts of human beings, which we all possess, such as fear, anger, and selfishness. And its message is "There isn't enough for everyone." A society should be able to look in the mirror and feel proud of who it is, and the far right is incompatible with that. It doesn't work for the population as a whole; it works to ensure that a specific elite or a specific group of people maintain their privileges. It takes advantage precisely of something we all have, what Quimi Portet calls "a beast inside me.". He takes advantage of this beast, feeds it, stirs it up, spurs it on, and this is where we can fall.

It seems to be achieving something.

— I'm not that much of a doomsayer. The difficult thing in a tense moment like the one we're experiencing is keeping a cool head and calmly analyzing situations, understanding why they're trying to inflame you, why they're trying to make you hate immigrants, why they're trying to make you believe you have no responsibility towards people who can't make ends meet. And what they do is very perverse, because what we sometimes end up doing is thinking that the powerful and the right person is precisely the one we should be protecting, because I believe we all have a sense of aspiration.

Returning to video games, another of your passions, what would a game made by you be like?

— I'd really love to make a video game about managing cities and towns in Catalonia, like a mayor simulator, you know? With all the difficulties and complexities involved in really understanding how a town or city works, and with that serving in some way to teach concepts like economics, demography, urban planning...

Your other hobby, martial arts, why? Many people think it's a sport for violent people.

— Within the world of martial arts, I've encountered some of the least violent people in the world. Of course, there are violent people involved, but not in my circles. Martial arts instill in you a deep respect for others, empathy, and also a sense of self-confidence, knowing that you have the ability to handle conflict when necessary. But I completely reject street violence, and I find it despicable when people hurt others.

It's a way to disconnect, I imagine.

— I have a sleeping bag hanging at home and it's a great way to disconnect that I recommend to many people.

You do so many things: screenwriter, teacher, presenter, director, creator of new formats at Mediapro Studio, and you also have 3 children, hobbies, and a social life. How do you manage it all?

— I've found a very precise way to manage my time, one that has taken me many years to develop. What I never sacrifice is time with my family; this is what I consider most important. Because in the end, anyone can replace me at work, but at home, you're irreplaceable.

What's Patrick like at work?

— At work, I'm a very enthusiastic person. I'm very motivated to launch projects and I really enjoy interacting with people, seeing that they have a need for a program or project and helping them develop it.

And the one at home?

— That's a very good question. At home, I think I would define myself as... I think as a happy person.

Good answer. It's already difficult to answer "happy".

— It's very difficult, yes, yes. Of course. And I wasn't programmed for that; the upbringing I had, as I suppose many men had, especially, was to provide and contribute financially to the household, and never be home, and this is a life I don't want. But it's taken me years, you know? It hasn't been easy to realize that the priority is home, not work.

There's always a touch of humor in your shows. What's the last thing that made you laugh so hard you peed yourself, and when was it?

— Xavi Dora's monologues. I find them incredible, they make me laugh so much. It's like another world.

And what doesn't make you laugh at all?

— I don't find it very funny when people laugh at others for no reason. I don't find it funny, I suppose, maybe because of my age. But I always have a lot of respect, I have absolute respect for people who go on stage. Because, to begin with, he had the courage to do it, and we didn't.

Is it difficult to make people laugh?

— Yes, I think it's very difficult to make people laugh.Making people laugh makes you feel useful. I've always loved doing sketches. We used to do them a lot with Serapi Soler, in CoolhuntersI have a lot of respect for people who do comedy because I think it's a very complicated thing to do.

And how do you see yourself in ten years?

— I'd love to have the same life in ten years as I have now. Luckily, I have a life where I can't complain about anything. And every now and then, I get to teach a class and share my stories with some poor kids and help them out.

I've noticed your interest in shooters and it surprised me. Why do you like them?

— It's something I've really wanted to pass on to my children. The first role of parents is to take care of their children, that's the most important thing. And the second is to teach them about the street and the forest, from my perspective. If you're from a city, like me, they're bound to see the street. So, my wife and I do things like this, like making slingshots or things like that. I think video games are great, but games with sticks and stones are better.

Finally, what projects can we expect to see?

— I'm always preparing new programs and new stories; it's my job, whether I'm in front of or behind the camera. In particular, there's one video game I'm working on with 3Cat, which I'm really excited about because I think it's a great vehicle for storytelling and for reaching a younger audience.