Saturday, February 3, 2018
Black Mirror: Kafkaesque?
"Kafkaesque" refers to those situations that are somehow foreign and horrifying, but also relatable. I think that this characteristic applies to the show Black Mirror. Black Mirror is so interesting because it has that Kafkaesque factor of being so extreme, but familiar. Whenever I watch it, there is an immediate connection from the world on the screen to the one we live in, which is both fascinating and a bit terrifying.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I definitely agree with you. The show's purpose is to convey a message of how technology has affected humans and the way they interact with others. While it is entertaining, it is also intense and also terrifying to realize that merely each episode has some underlying message about how inhumane people have become. For example, let's take "white bear", my least favorite episode. Now I won't spoil the episode, but the main message that comes from the episode how we find entertainment in the pain of other people. Its hard to explain, but let's use Mixed Martial Art (MMA) as an example. Two people step into the "octagon" and fight until on person either taps out or get knocked out. Both exemplify this morbid amusement humans get from watching others struggle. Black Mirror is most definitely Kafkaesque because it makes people realize somethings we choose to ignore.
Great points, Liz and Diego! Just like y’all, I hopped onto the Black Mirror bandwagon. I’m really liking it so far, but — I can’t lie — I’m pretty terrified by it. I think what really makes the show get to viewers is how all of the situations in the show resemble a true future for society. A society in which rank is based off of a social profile and all memories are recorded scares us because it’s in a way already in action. I think this even relates to the the train video we watched this week in class. People feared locomotives and industrialization and had dreams about trains crashing into their bedrooms in the dead of night because locomotives were an emerging part of society. The dream felt like it could be real, if not now but in the near future. Just like how Black Mirror makes us feel.
Y'all bring up some interesting things! I definitely agree.
Just as Kafka used his writing to criticize certain aspects of society, such as the looming world war and the Industrial Revolution, Black Mirror criticizes aspects of our society and where we're headed, especially with technology. I've only actually seen one episode when my sister was watching it, but it was so creepy, I was drawn in. It was "Nosedive," an episode focused on a world where people use their mobile devices to rate each other (giving them so many stars) every time they interact, and the rating defines each person's social status and even their financial situation. The main character, Lacie, is totally absorbed by her social standing. For example, she orders a cookie and some tea; then she bites part of the cookie off to make it look like a smile, arranges the cookie next to the cup of tea, and takes the picture before spitting out the cookie. She also practices her laugh for hours at a time. It's pretty creepy, and totally an unauthentic way of living. I'm not going to say what happens at the end, but let's just say things don't go too great. It's definitely a critique on current-day obsession with social media and the ultimate lack of fulfillment that it brings.
Post a Comment